When you’re diagnosed with cancer, those are likely the hardest words you are ever going to hear in your life. It is unfortunate that, even though we have many advancements in modern medicine, cancer still claims hundreds of thousands of lives annually.
On top of the difficult diagnosis and prognosis, the options available are often quite unpleasant. The most common options include chemotherapy, radiation and surgery but even if you take advantage of those options, there is no guarantee you will be a survivor.
You also need to consider the emotional impact that cancer has on both you and your family. From the time you find out you have cancer, it is likely going to hang a cloud over you and your family that makes living what could be your last days quite difficult.
Of course, there are also those individuals who decide they are going to deal with what life gives them in the best way possible. That is the case with Norma, a 90-year-old woman who was diagnosed with cancer the same week her husband died. They had been married for 67 years.
The doctors gave Norma her options and they were familiar words, chemotherapy, radiation and surgery. Norma looked at those options and decided she was going to make her own! This is what she did.
I would like you to meet Norma, a 90-year-old woman who originally was a resident of Michigan. In 2015, she had what many would consider to be the worst week possible. Her husband of 67 years had passed away in hospice and just two days later, she was told that she had a cancerous mass in her uterus.
After doctors detected blood in her urine during a routine checkup, they discovered the tumor.
Immediately after discovering the tumor, they gave her the typical options and asked how she would like to proceed.
That is one Norma shocked the doctors and said in the strongest voice possible “I’m 90 years old, I’m hitting the road.”
She had already let her daughter-in-law and son know what she did with the treatment and they agreed with her decision.
The doctor was slightly surprised with her decision but he agreed with her as well. In his words:
“As doctors, we see what cancer treatment looks like every day. ICU, nursing homes, awful side effects and honestly, there is no guarantee she will survive the initial surgery to remove the mass. You are doing exactly what I would want to do in this situation. Have a fantastic trip!”
Norma’s family was uncomfortable with the thought of her traveling on her own so they all piled into an RV and took an open road adventure.
Not only did they travel across the United States, making every stop that Norma wanted, they even visited places outside of the United States. One of the most noteworthy of their international visits was China.
Norma says she is not feeling any pain and seems to be doing just fine. She even believes she may be in remission but as for now, she is loving life.
Although Norma has experienced a lot of tragedy and loss, she still is a very positive individual.
She is certainly a woman with an appetite for life, and pie!
Way to go Norma!
Via: Driving Miss Norma
Make sure to share this incredible story with others