Thursday, August 22, 2013

In my Mother’s Footsteps…


















“The bile in my throat betrays the fear;
I stave against the words that I may hear”

Today I learn my fate—
not from crystal ball,
but from some robot
preprogrammed to find  
even tiniest trace of  
genetic mutation.

Name finally called;
walking toward office,
doctor whispers:
  “I have good news for you…”

    …and tears escape.

© Ginny Brannan 2013
In loving memory of my mom, Tina (1921-1963)

A story in 55 words, shared at d’Verse Meeting the Bar: Getting Tight (in here)
Sharing with the G-man, Mr. KnowItAll Friday Flash 55

The first two lines written a couple of weeks ago as I was awaiting results for BRCA1 and BRCA2 testing. Wasn’t sure where I was going to go with them, but they rolled over well into my 55 word story. Thanks for the idea Brian!  

38 comments:

  1. I could feel the relief at the end of this poem! You must have felt SO ecstatic that the results were negative & that you had a new lease on life!!

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    1. Carrying the marker did not mean I had the disease already, just that I was at really high risk to get it. Yessiree, definitely feels like a new lease!

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  2. oh thank goodness for good news eh? i hate that waiting because your imagination def runs with those things creating all kinds of monsters in you brain...yay!

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    1. Yeah, imagination and fear of the unknown can wreak havoc for sure!

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  3. Wonderful - loved the build up and the pay off.

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    1. Thanks, I was hoping that the story worked, that it came through despite the briefness.

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  4. congratulations and what a wonderful way to end your story~

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  5. If this is good news, I am very happy for you ~ What a relief ~

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  6. So happy all worked out well... :)

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  7. Thank God, Ginny. This is a 2 generation memoir in 55 words. Of course, there's a lot of blanks to fill in!

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    1. Victoria, here are some of the blanks: My mom died of advanced ovarian cancer, the "silent" killer, long before early detection existed.This cancer can be random or genetic. The BRCA gene mutation causes ovarian, breast or skin cancer in women, or prostate and skin cancer in men (yes, I could've passed it to my son!) I chose to finally be tested, a blood sample sent to Salt Lake City, tested first by robot, then re-tested and confirmed by a human. Six weeks to get results, to learn that I am so very lucky, I am not a carrier of that genetic marker.

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  8. Oh, Ginny. Every second is agony when waiting, waiting... waiting. I can only imagine your relief. It must have been like walking on air when you left the doctors office. This 55 is a perfect vehicle - for some reason the brevity highlights the agony of waiting.

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    1. On air, oh yes! Incredible lightness of being comes to mind!!

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  9. What a great 55 word story! That big sigh of relief came through for you on paper in a keep fashion ;) Congrats! Ovarian cancer is really something to deal with..

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    1. Thanks kkkaty. I was young but watched my mom deal with it, and something I could never forget. Yes, it is something...

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  10. We can feel your relief through your 55 words! Good news!

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  11. Strong emotions told in few words--nicely done.

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  12. Sending shivers down my spine and goosebumps on my arms. Mine is next week. Glad of your news.

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  13. The tension, then relief, is palpable here--well-done 55 Ginny, and so glad to hear the news was good.

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  14. Ginny...
    What a WONDERFUL 55
    Good News makes me smile.
    Thanks for playing, you are always welcome to come
    back. love the pic, have a Kick Ass Week-End

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    1. Thanks so much, G-Man. Glad you liked the pic and the 55! Will come by again :-)

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  15. ....that must have been a long long wait but well worth for the good news it brought forth to you & yours.... i'm happy for you... cheers...

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  16. Very good effort--having recently been caught up in the Great American Medical MEATGRINDER (because my news was not good), I was very moved by your story.

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    1. Am sorry your news was not so good. Hang tough. I hope things improve for you.

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  17. Love the good news... I can hear the sigh through your words..

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  18. The agony of the wait, indeed was reflected in your words! Congrats to your family.

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    1. In the end, it was all about family. I had to know...for my son and any future generations. Thank you for your kind words.

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  19. Brilliant news for you - and so well shared too ... smiles

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Thank you for reading my poetry and sharing your thoughts.