Tuesday, October 27, 2009

IN MEMORY OF MY BIRTH MOTHER

The search for my birth family took over 20 years and it was unfortunate that my birth mother died from breast cancer during that time. I would have loved to have gotten to know her. I do cherish hearing memories shared by my siblings and other family members.

So far I've been fortunate but a benign lumpectomy was quite scary and that was even before I knew my birth mother was deceased. I can't help but feel that taking Raloxifine for five years has been beneficial. I can not stress enough the importance of mammograms. Women at high risk should talk to their physician about prevention.

Susan G. Komen For The Cure is a great organization for learning more about breast cancer and how you might be of help in raising awareness.

5 comments:

Grannie Annie said...

I know how long you searched and what a bittersweet ending you had. But I know that you have found wonderful birth siblings and extended family.

Thanks for the reminder! It does your birth mother proud.

Maybe all adoptees who do not know any family history should check with their physicians too.

Anita

Bb said...

Thank you so much for your blog, which I have enjoyed reading on yet another in a long line of insomniac nights.

I was not adopted but my father vanished very early into my mother's pregnancy, and she died when I was young. It was only my discovery in 2006 of secrets surrounding her death, and my subsequent learning more about how things were then and where I came from, that eventually spurred me on to find my father. After I found out his name, through modern delights such as Facebook, this took me less than two weeks at the end of 2007, yet I learnt that he had died in March of the same year.

Like you with your birth mother, I wish I had got the chance to know him. My new aunt and uncle, and half-brother have been so welcoming and good to me but there is always that sense of loss and being lost. Yet perhaps if I had met him, there would be different but equaly negative feelings. Only God knows.

As for inherited health conditions, I have an undiagnosed heart abnormality. At first they thought it was Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome but they quickly rules that out. My father died of a heart attack. You have had a lump removed and your birth mother died of cancer. Perhaps even in these apparently negative things we can feel a sense of closeness to those we have lost without knowing them.

Mary Lynn Fuller said...

Michael, I'm sorry that you are not sleeping better but yet am glad you found my blog.

I'm so sorry that you found your father deceased. I highly question that I will get over the sense of loss. Part of my void has been filled but I do think that I will always have a wounded heart.

I had not thought of inherited diseases creating a sense of closeness to loved ones whom we have never met. You have made a very good point and I appreciate that you have shared it with me.

I do feel a strong bond with my birth mother that has resulted in love for her that will always live on within me.

pugs11 said...

Aunt Mary Lynn

I remember grandma, some people think I am crazy because she passed wither right before I was three or right after, I am not sure, but I do have memories of her in Auntie Kays kitchen. There are two by the way. Her sitting there laughing at the table and always giving me hugs, she always had this wonderful smell like carmel, cocoa and lavender, weird huh. The other memory was of her giving me 2 dollar bills and I still have one that she gave me. It was from 1978 and I drew my name on it because I didn't want Derrick to steal it.. That was a mentality of a 2 or 3 year old.. But I am so glad that I got to know u and I love you very much. I hope these memories make u smile and are not to sad. Talk to u later Aunt Mary

Mary Lynn Fuller said...

Thank you for the memories of my birth mother. It does help with the healing process to hear about her so I greatly appreciate it.

Love you!