Thoughts

Thoughts

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Four Generations of Pink Ribbons

Having blue eyes or Aunt Connie's short stature is often noted in our family as being inherited.  Most of us are right handed with one or two left handed thrown in for good measure.  Long fingers and long legs is another family trait passed down from one generation to another.

I am the keeper of the family tree, at least on my mother's side of the family and for my husband's family, the Hollibaughs.  I have diligently worked on both trees for over 10 years.  I find it quite interesting to say the least, at which traits actually do show up in each generation.  For instance in the Hollibaugh family, light blue eyes are a definite trait and can be traced back to the earliest pictures circular 1870's.  How do  I know you ask?  Well even in black and white pictures if the eye color is pale it shows as pale in the picture. 

There are some family traits you wish you couldn't pass on to your family.  For instance Spinal Bifida, that runs heavy on my husband's family.  Doctor's say it is not an inherited disease however it sure appears that way for the Hollibaughs.  Then there is even more serious diseases like cancer...particularly Breast and Ovarian Cancer.  Breast Cancer runs very heavy on my mother's side of the family. 

My great grandmother Roseanne Vidue Hardeman Tolbert died from what was then called "tumors".  She had them on her chest.  She died back in the 1930's long before they even knew what to do about it or even what it was.  She is our earliest victim of this nasty demon.  Then there was her daughter, my grandmother Carrie Lee Tolbert Walker she died in 1965.  From what we know today she had a crude sort of lumpectomy in 1954 to remove some tumors she had in her breast she was about.50 at that time.  Back in 54 they didnot use Chemo or Radiation as a backup plan they just cut out the cancer and sent you home.  By 1965 it was back with a vengeance.  All they could do was try to make her comfortable.  In 1989 history repeated itself again, this time it was my beloved mother.  And you guessed it!  She had just turned 50.  She fought it and won!  Made it thru the Chemo, the sickness, the hair loss and most of all the reconstructive surgery.   She often told me the reconstructive surgery was the hardest part.  In the end it was another demon that took her from us in 2000, Lupus.  As of yet no one from this generation has Lupus and we pray daily no one ever will.  Lupus is a nasty sneaky demon.  My mother's sister, my aunt, my mother's only sister was next in line to receive the Cancer demon and sure enough she too got it in 2000.  She is still with us and has been Cancer free for 10 years.

My baby sister, my only sister, received word this week that it is now her turn.  She has Stage 1A.  It is located in the same place as everyone else gets it, the same breast.  She will have a lot of tough questions to ask and a lot to decide.  She will be tested for the Cancer gene on Monday.   We already know the outcome.  There is really no need to be tested.  Mama was of the belief that if she hadn't taken hormone replacements she would have never gotten cancer.  We all wanted to believe that but now with my sister having breast cancer that is impossible to believe.  You see Lori has never been a drinker, smoker, or drug abuser, as a matter of fact it is hard to get her to take an aspirin when she has a headache.  And she has never taken hormones of any kind.  I believe stress has played a huge roll in bringing hers out so early, she is only 44 years old.

Monday will be a big day for me too.  I go for my annual checkup.  And since I am approaching that magic number 50 where grandma, great grandma and mama discovered their cancer I am a little nervous.  I have a lot of questions to ask.  I will ask for the DNA test to see if I carry the gene.  You see I have two beautiful daughters.  And it is for them I must know the answer.

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