It's a sad day for me, as nine years ago today I lost my mother to ovarian cancer.  It is so hard to believe that nine years has already passed since she went to meet my dad in heaven.

In 2000, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and the cancer had spread to her colon.  They did an operation and took half of her colon out which made her live the rest of her life with a colostomy bag.

That was a rough time for her and our family.  But at the time it fixed the problem and with chemo and radiation, she actually went into remission.  Then in 2005 the cancer came back and it came back in full force!

The doctors diagnosed her with stage 4 Endometrial and Ovarian cancer and gave my mom six months to live.  Well they didn't know how big of a fighter she was.  My mom had the mentality that she wasn't going to be beat it and that gave way more than six months to her life.

Me and Mom with Kids (Photo by Mike Soileau)
Me and Mom with Kids (Photo by Mike Soileau)
loading...

My son and daughter were her whole world.  She lived for those kids and I think that was one of the biggest driving forces of her surviving almost another almost five years.

I will never forget the week and a half leading up to her passing.  September 30th is my mom's birthday and she always loved playing bingo or going to the casino.  So I would always take her and give her some money to play with and she would have a blast!

Well on September 30th we did just that.  We were at the casino for like six hours that evening but I didn't care how long we were there.  As long as she was having fun and I was getting to spend time with her, that was all that mattered.

One week later, I called just to check on her and she didn't sound well.  I left work and rushed over to her house and had to call an ambulance.  Once at the hospital she was immediately admitted to ICU and the outcome was bleak.

The cancer had gotten so aggressive that it was shutting down her organs and she became septic. And within 48 hours she was gone.

Mike Soileau with his Mom and dad in Germany 1977 (Mike Soileau)
Mike Soileau with his Mom and dad in Germany 1977 (Mike Soileau)
loading...

After losing my dad only two years before this was devastating.  I was a 37-year-old man and both my parents were gone.  I am not going to lie, I felt completely alone.  I mean I didn't realize how much I relied on them for their love, support, and advice each and every day.

My mother was my everything.  She cherished the ground I walked on and would do anything for me and her grandchildren.  She was the most selfless person I ever met.  I miss her more and more each day.  Even after nine years of her passing, sometimes I feel she is going to call me on the phone or walk through the door. I love you mom, Katherine (Kathy) Ann Soileau.

We only have one mother and one father in this world.  If you are lucky enough to still have your parents then do me a favor today.  Go see them or pick up the phone and tell them how much you love them and appreciate everything they have done for you.  You may not get that chance tomorrow.

Like it says in the headline Thru The Years Losing A Loved One Never Gets Easier.  I just wanted to take today to recognize my mother and let you all know how much she meant to me.  Thank you for letting me do that.

More From Gator 99.5