It's not that I keep it a secret or don't want to talk about it. More that I'm just not sure people actually want to listen to it? Might still be a backlash of having my BF remove himself from me during that time. I learned that some people just can't handle it, so maybe rather than risk having people keep you at an arm's length because they don't understand, it can be easier to just keep quiet about it.
I do, however, reveal my story to just about anyone who I hear has been diagnosed. I remember desperately wanting to hear from other athletes who had been through cancer and its treatments, so now I almost look at it as my duty to share with others when they are confronted with the news. It's good to know that there is light at the end of the tunnel when you find out that you have cancer.
To that end, if any of you know someone who gets the news that chemotherapy is on their agenda, feel free to put them in touch with me. There really is something special about being able to talk directly with someone who truly understands. It's part of that 'club' thing that I'm a mandatory member of now. ;)
And to IronMatron Mary- that's cool that you're running the Marathon for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. Funny story- I ran the Cal International Marathon in 1997 for the Leukemia Society. (Unknowingly paying it forward?) At that time it wasn't also Lymphoma (they added Lymphoma the following year I think). Anyway, in 2000 when I was doing Wildflower, I ended up running alongside a gal who was racing in her purple Leukemia Society singlet. We ran together for a couple miles and I actually shared part of my story with her and thanked her for her participation in the program. That was pretty cool for both of us.
Moving on...
In Moana news, look who gets to sit in the cart like a big girl now at the grocery store?
Having her in the cart is a heck of a lot easier than carrying her in the Baby Bjorn. Now I can actually lift the bag of dog food into the cart without worrying about knocking Moana's head.
Assuming the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, I'll have to watch out when she starts talking. My mom told me that when I was little I'd hit up anyone in the grocery store for conversation. Once, Mom said she walked away for a second to pick out something from another aisle and came back to find me firing questions at another lady who happened to be within earshot. How may kids do you have? What's your dogs' name? Inquiring minds want to know.
7 comments:
she is changing DAILY!! the other day i saw that picture of her with the cat ... SO different. look at all her beautiful hair!
thanks again for sharing your life. i have not had the medical challenges you did, but i, like eveyone else, have had my own hills to climb and your reminder about the strength of the human spirit is a blessing!!
i'm so glad your hear to tell the story and talk smack on FB! : )
p.s. LOVE moana's robeez.
Moana is going to crawling and walking before too long...she's getting so big and that hair looks so soft.
I hear ya on shopping with baby in the bjorn...especially when I had to deal with Ryan walking while I had Brayden in that thing. I'm glad the bjorn days are done for now.
She's so cute - what's behind her there. I can't wait to put Nick in the front thingie, he is sooo heavy!!
Moana seems to always be happy. Just wait until she starts trying to grab things off the shelf in the shopping cart. It's a whole new world. I have to be super careful where I place the cart these days.
That is incredibly generous of you to offer to talk to others going down the path you have traveled. A friend in law school was diagnosed (and beat) Hodgkins lymphoma and I remember all of us tried really hard to be there for her but at the same time just never knew what the right thing was to do to help her. She had to feel very alone.
I agree that it is so much easier to push around babies in the cart rather than haul them around in the bjorn; and I hear you on the dog food! I loved your follow-up post and there were a couple things I wanted to say after reading your story: 1) I can't believe that boyfriend, what a jerk!@! 2) Scott Tinley rocks, I loved that part.
Love, love love that Moana pic - how cute is she?? Also, while I can understand your kind of reluctance to share your story in case you might bore people (doubtful, but I know where you're coming from), more often than not it will probably be more beneficial to others than you would expect, even if they haven't directly shared a similar experience. It is an amazing, inspiring story on so many levels!
Okay, so maybe it's just me, but as Angeline's mobility increased, getting things done increased as well. She'd come along and "help" but she wasn't so insistent on me being there like when she was stuck in one place... she hated that! (probably why she started crawling so early!)
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