I haven't been very active this year so I've been going back and forth over whether I should ask, but I decided to anyways. My birthday is May 30 and I'm asking for some birthday cards/postcards as it's been a rough year and this will be my first birthday without my Mom. I've put some details of my past year under a spoiler so those not interested can easily skip it.

A few days after my birthday last year a mass was discovered blocking my Mom's small intestine, in the cecum (a part of the body I had not heard of before that I am way too familiar with now). After various tests and surgery etc it was discovered that the mass was cancerous, had spread and was terminal. The average lifespan of this type of cancer is 3 years, though of course people can live shorter or longer than that. So while not good news I couldn't help but hope that if she lived long enough maybe there would be further advances for treating her cancer.

Over the months since her diagnosis she had some down times but had been doing relatively well, all things considered. She and I both avoided going out as much as possible besides the cancer clinic and hospitals because of COVID-19 (her for obvious reasons, me because I was driving her to her tests and appointments as she had epilepsy). This January she started feeling quite unwell and she ended up in Emergency, where it was discovered that the cancer had spread to her brain. They tried to stabilize her so she could come home for a while but they weren't able to and she died in hospital 2.5 weeks later, in February. Even though we knew it was terminal it was still a shock as we thought we had a lot more time.

The rest of February was spent organizing her Celebration of Life, handling her estate (I'm her executor) and packing to move because shortly before she went to Emergency we decided that I would move in with her to help and I gave my notice to move out end of February; we had no idea just how sick she was at the time. I highly do not recommend moving the same month that your Mom dies if you can avoid it, by the way. Anyways, fast forward to now and I am still living in a maze of boxes as I've been going through my Mom's stuff with my sister while also trying to unpack.

It's pretty much just been my sister and me dealing with all of this as my Dad isn't really in the picture. My sister won't be here for my birthday either as she will be going on a much needed and deserved trip to visit a friend in another country that had already been planned before my Mom's condition worsened. My sister also works with cancer patients in her job and it's been especially tough on her so I'm happy that she is getting a change in scenery and a break.

If you have sent me something before, my address has changed, though I have my mail being forwarded until the end of June if you use my old address by accident. I like cute things, animals, nature, touristy views, and blue, green and purple are my favourite colours, however I will appreciate anything that you send.