Inspired by a breastie-bestie friend’s facebook post this week, I was ready to write a short reflection post to be followed by subsequent follow ups about different points of treatment. Then these last few weeks happened.
That post will happen soon, but too much has recently occurred that results in other things taking precedence.
For now, please know I’m doing pretty dang well. I feel so grateful for a proactive, intelligent group of medical providers and a supportive group of family and friends. I’ve used the “this is a celebration!” excuse for fun adventures and treats probably too many times now. 😅 My hair is back to a length where my stylist said she can officially call it a bob, and this morning a TSA Agent joked with me that they couldn’t let me through because my hair was too short in comparison to my ID Photo. I instantly responded “Oh, that’s because I lost it all on account of cancer. It’s growing back pretty great, actually.” They replied with a startled “Congratulations!”, which all things considered, would be the most appropriate response, I guess. It made me smile. I wasn’t upset nor were my feelings hurt, but I know even six months ago, they would have been.
So, a few weeks ago I found out about another woman who has been in my life for years diagnosed with breast cancer. She’s spent a lot of her life deeply caring for others, both personally and professionally, and it guts me she has to do this. She has the best attitude and had early detection, and I know she’s going to be the determined soul she’s been her whole life to get to the other side.
Speaking of resilient women, my cousin, Shanna, is in the trenches of lymphoma. I’ve never felt more useless in a situation; I want to relieve her pain, hurry the medication along, confirm everyone on her care team is doing all the right things, ask what she really needs/wants, leave her alone so she’s not annoyed, feed her kids, make sure her fiancé knows how much he’s appreciated, pray for healing, not pray because I can’t understand this, and it makes me angry…the list goes on, and so much of it contradicts itself because there’s no one right thing to do. If you want to follow her journey, contribute to her medical fund, send up prayers and helpful thoughts…all positivity is welcome. I’m including a link to her CaringBridge site. If you are moved to give, please donate directly to the gofundme link below. While CaringBridge is an awesome service, when they ask for donations, it is NOT going to the patient whose site you are visiting.
Info about Shanna's Journey Here:
Donate here:
Our immediate family has gone almost directly from dealing with my health challenges to my daughter’s. Well, there was overlap, honestly, and I often wonder if she would have found answers more quickly had I not been partially absent the last couple years. I know that wasn’t my choice or my fault, and yet my mom heart aches about it. For years, I’ve been searching for something would explain a bunch of little things that seem unrelated, but symptoms picked up in the last year.
I am grateful we’ve had some puzzle pieces put into place this week. I am grateful we aren’t dealing with anything life-threatening. I am grateful that we got in with a specialist next month that is very hard to schedule because we had some wonderful people helping us out. I am hopeful directions for life changes she received this week will make her feel better, she’ll be able to stick to them, and that this diagnosis is a step to even more solid answers.
I am grateful.
I am grateful.
I am grateful.
I am hopeful.
That sums up a lot lately. It doesn’t mean it’s easy. It’s doesn’t mean I’m not exhausted and confused and angry and happy. I’m all those things and a million more while I wait to see how all these huge and little moments shake out.
Be kind. Take care of each other. Realize your worth. Stop allowing disrespect to yourself and all the good humans out there. 🩷
Commentaires