The rug pulled out from beneath me

That's what it felt like five years ago. I had days ago celebrated my birthday by going to the US Open with DH and MIL. We spent the night at my parents' house and then went back to our homes in PA the follwoing day. That was a strange Saturday as DH and I awoke in my parents house. My parents were out, and no one seemed to know where they were or when they were coming back. However, it seemed like something was off...

It was the Sunday of Labor Day weekend 2001 and my parents called and said they were in the area. Could they stop by? Of course, I said. So they stopped by and I got them drinks in the kitchen. I forget where DH and my dad went, but finally, it was just mom and I in the kitchen. We were standing there when mom mentioned something about my jeans. "You know those jeans we gave you? They're not so great after all." I stood there wondering WTF she was talking about. My parents didn't give me jeans for my birthday... As I stood there trying to figure out what she was talking about, my mom then blurted out the punchline: "I have breast cancer."

And thus, the rug was pulled out from beneath me.

Mom hastily explained that the lump she found the year before, and had had biopsied the year before, shortly before eldest DD was born, which then was benign, was now cancerous. A second biopsy performed in August confirmed the malignancy. I felt myself falling into a deep black pit, feeling much like Alice in Wonderland tumbling into the Rabbit's hole.

And as quickly as they arrrived, my parents left. DH was surprised that they didn't stay for dinner, and was even more surprised when I told him why they stopped by. It was a hit and run. My wonderful life was now out of control.