“Houston, we have lift off”
When my wife called to tell me that she had been called by the doctor with a date for swap-out surgery, I could hear the joy in her voice. The fact that this was going to be the day for birthday all I could say was “Happy Birthday” and she giggled. I was running the other night and realized that it had been two months since her surgery. it seemed like ages ago when I was helping to strip her drains and bring her meals in bed. Hearing her news I was ready to start thinking about life after cancer and was just thinking of jumping for joy. It was a simple thing like when a rocket takes off into space and all the guys at NASA jump for joy over launching a space ship. The tone of the conversation quickly dulled though when my wife told me that the mother of one of our son’s classmates was just diagnosed with breast cancer.
It hit me there. This fight will never be over. We are forever going to be meeting new comrades in arms. It will be a daily reminder of how fortunate we are and how far we’ve come.
Oddly, someone asked me what I thought about the equal rights issues for the gay and lesbian community. i told them I didn’t have much thought about it right now and they got mad. I told them we all have out issues. There are autoworkers who are going to lose their jobs, parents who have lost their children in a war, etc. I just don’t know how people can be mad at others for putting their personal issues right now over other issues that many people are suffering with which are also equally important.
Back to my wife’s treatment, the next 5 years will be consumed by my wife receiving follow up therapy for her cancer. Although very low on risk, my wife cares for our children and our family to want to do all that she can to beat this disease.
She has slowly taken herself off the Atavin and is getting off the Ibuprofen in preparation for her surgery. She is back working on her consulting projects and although tired and taking mid-day naps, she has resumed most of her household duties although I still take the kids to school and do all the grocery shopping. I watch her with the children and she is soaking in every moment cuddling with them at bedtime, reading as a guest reader in school, chaperoning on field trips, she has a renewed energy to consume life that I haven’t seen in a long time.
Yes, cancer is a Brave New World.
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As an aside I just passed my 1,000 mile mark for running this year. And when I took my car in today, I realized I’d only driven my car 3,200 miles this year. Not bad. I guess you can say I’ve lived a pretty “green” life this year.