| "Mom, the doctor just gave me the latest test | | | | house. It was only when I got home that I would |
| results." I sat down on her hospital bed, and held | | | | call her and tell her where the note was that held |
| her hand while three tubes, pinned to the wall | | | | all the clues. When my wife first found out about |
| above her head extracted a vile brown mixture | | | | this game she said, "Michael, that's so cruel!" My |
| from her body. "Your breast cancer has returned!" | | | | mother absolutely loved it! Sometimes she would |
| She rested her head back down on the pillow, | | | | call me the next day to say that she had stayed |
| emotionless - not wanting to hurt her son - the | | | | up most of the night, because there was still one |
| messenger. | | | | $20 bill she couldn't find. |
| Watching someone die is a very unpleasant | | | | My mother was rapidly deteriorating. It wasn't a |
| experience. Being tethered to your dying Mother | | | | pleasant site to see a woman who was so active |
| for four weeks by a 20 foot wire connected to | | | | and alive. Driving, taking trips to Branson, Mo. for |
| buzzers gives new meaning to "umbilical cord." | | | | her new found love of Country music. |
| Several days after delivering the news, the | | | | I had to undertake a very unpleasant task. I called |
| doctor told me that there was not much more he | | | | a cousin whom my Mother adored, and asked |
| could do for her, and he released her by | | | | Rita if she would help me. I explained to her that I |
| ambulance to her garden apartment in New | | | | feared that my Mother may have money hidden |
| Jersey, where I set up home for the next four | | | | around the house, and could she please ask her |
| weeks. She lost the strength to speak or move | | | | for me. |
| while tethered to the tubes in her body, so I | | | | With hand signals, she led us to the hope chest in |
| installed a buzzer by her bed that connected to a | | | | the corner. Inside was a note that had a series of |
| wire that ran along the floor, through the living | | | | clues, that led to envelopes, keys to boxes, and |
| room and then out to the terrace,where it | | | | riddles. After a day and a half of following clues |
| snaked up the leg of my chair,and connected to a | | | | that led to loose boards, picture frames, and false |
| flashing red light that sounded an alert like an | | | | bottoms, we had uncoverd over $33,000.00 in |
| alarm clock. There was only one setting: LOUD. At | | | | cash. I didn't have the nerve, so I asked Rita to |
| first, the buzzer sent me flying into her room, | | | | please ask my Mother if we had found all of it. |
| until I realized that she was just doing it to keep | | | | She came out of the bedroom with tears running |
| me on my toes. She couldn't speak, so she | | | | down her face, "Your Mother said to tell you that |
| gestured to the water glass, tissues, or bed pan. | | | | it's for her funeral." |
| Television, radio, or any loud noise was out of the | | | | During those four weeks that I sat on the |
| question. My wife couldn't make it down from our | | | | terrace, jumping at the buzzer as cigar ashes flew |
| apartment in New York City until the weekend. In | | | | in my face, I reminisced of times gone by; I |
| need of friends and companions, I invited a case | | | | remember her yelling at police detectives telling |
| of red wine and a box of cigars to join me in my | | | | them that her saintly son couldn't possibly have |
| daily death vigil. | | | | done that; yelling at Mickey Mantle to look up and |
| It was only a few short years before, that I had | | | | say hello to her son (he did), getting me into the |
| sat on the edge of another hospital bed and | | | | best possible schools; (she had a way with |
| comforted my 46 year old sister Patricia, who | | | | authority figures);paying for Mrs. Murphy's broken |
| was dying of cancer. An hour after I left the | | | | window; and a very strict code on how to treat |
| hospital, the doctor called me to say that she had | | | | girls.(The Nuns in my Catholic High School were |
| passed away. (God, I trust that you have | | | | pretty good at this too!) My mother was also a |
| forgiven me for all the things I said to You that | | | | very big fan of Susan B. Anthony. I never knew |
| night.) | | | | who this person was. I assumed she was a movie |
| On a cool, crisp and sunny day in September | | | | star. |
| 1999, I was on my way to the Pierre Hotel in | | | | Breast Cancer is a hideous disease, I was thinking |
| Manhattan, to interview Nancy Brinker*, the | | | | as I drove my Mother's car to the County Seat |
| founder/president of the Susan G. Komen Breast | | | | to file her death certificate. I popped in her |
| Cancer Foundation, named for her sister who died | | | | favorite cassette of Garth Brooks and sang along. |
| of breast cancer at the age of 36. | | | | It started to rain very heavily. I gratefully pulled |
| Nancy is right out of Central Casting. Tall, | | | | the car off to the side of the road, as I was |
| attractive, intelligent, determined and very | | | | crying too hard to safely drive any further. (God, |
| charming. She was in town to kick off the "Race | | | | I trust you forgive me for the things I said to |
| for the Cure", one of the most successful fund | | | | You that night) |
| raising events in the country. We sat at a desk in | | | | So, how do you react to someone's illness? |
| her suite, and while my tape recorder rolled, I | | | | Your little girl comes screaming into the house, |
| asked her several mundane and routine questions. | | | | blood running down her knee, tears streaming |
| I felt that I was missing a wonderful opportunity. | | | | down her face. How many seconds does it take |
| As she got up to leave for a luncheon in her | | | | for you to jump off the couch? Your pet dog or |
| honor, hosted by Hillary Rodham Clinton at the | | | | cat comes yelping and limping into the room - a |
| Waldorf Astoria, I caught her at the door, and | | | | thorn in it's paw. How long does it take you to |
| requested one more question: "If you had one | | | | jump off the couch? A loved one comes into the |
| wish for something to take place in the first 10 | | | | room - she tells you she has breast cancer...I trust |
| years of the new millenium, what would it be?" | | | | I did as well as I could. |
| "Wow, that's interesting." We returned to the | | | | I can't even fathom or pretend to know what |
| desk and the tape recorder. "I wish that we find | | | | mental anguish a woman has to bear when she's |
| the CAUSE of cancer!" | | | | been told she has breast cancer. |
| There are over 100 types of cancer, so we still | | | | We have a little over 2 years for Nancy Brinker's |
| have our work cut out for us. However, Breast | | | | wish to come through. Perhaps we can all look |
| Cancer is a particulary hideous disease, with it's | | | | under our mattresses and find a dollar or two and |
| hidden secrets - taunting us to defeat it. | | | | send it to our favorite breast cancer charity. And |
| My mother was a product of the Great | | | | may God be with every woman and family going |
| Depression, and had some ingrained habits that still | | | | through this ordeal. |
| prevailed - like hiding money. When my wife and I | | | | October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In |
| visited my Mother for Thanksgiving and St. | | | | 2007 in the US, an estimated 200,000 women will |
| Patrick's Day, I would leave a note with clues to | | | | be diagnosed with breast cancer. |
| find $20 bills that I had hidden all around the | | | | |