The Woods Case

Sickness & Pain

Everyone can relate to cancer and death in some type of way. In August of 2011 my best friend, my grandfather, was diagnosed with Melanoma Cancer. Melanoma is a very serious type of cancer, my mom is a registered nurse and she explained to me that cancer has five stages starting from one to five. And that my grandfather's cancer was in its third stage. On my grandfather's last doctor visit, the doctor told him that it wasn't much that he could do because the cancer was so far gone. When my family and I heard the news we couldn't accept the fact that no one could help. The news was like I had been hit by a car or like all the breath had been taken out of my body. In early September About a week after we heard the news, my granddad started his chemotherapy treatment process. Although the cancer surprisingly hadn't spread, his chemo treatments seemed to not have had any affect at all on his cancer. Later in the year around November we thought our prayers had been answered. I'll never forget the day the text that I receive while in my English class. My mom had to me that my grandfather's cancer had gone away

As soon as I got out of class I called my mom, the whole time the phone was ringing I could feel my heartbeat in my throat. My granddad finally answers and when he did he told me that his cancer had gone into remission. He was beyond happy and full of joy. A couple of months went by and still no sign of cancer. Hearing that was like music to our ears. Then in February of this year he went of his monthly check up. And I received a phone call from my granddad telling me that the doctors gave him three months to live. It's nothing worse than knowing that someone you love dearly is sick and there is nothing you can do to ease the pain. He also informed me that the cancer had spread to his brain. When I heard this news my world just stopped spinning. In late April my granddad decided to miss one of his treatments so he could feel good enough the next day to come see me before I go to my prom. I could tell he was tired and in so much pain, I felt horrible that he missed his chemo treatment .The Monday after prom I was sitting in class when I got called to the office because my mom had called and left a message that I need to call her and that it's very important. My heart started racing super-fast and so many thoughts running through my head. At that moment nothing else mattered at all. I call my mom and the phone seemed like it rung for hours. Then she finally picked up and told me that my granddad had a heart attack and is on life support and had to

be taken to Vanderbilt. I left school as soon as I got the news. I flew as fast as I could to the hospital, when I got there I ran to the room to see everyone in tears and around the bed.