Holly isn’t feeling well tonight. The day started out really well, but like most days, by 4:00 the effects of chemotherapy kick in and knock her out. Yesterday she was really sick. As I’ve mentioned before, cancer has taken away a lot of things.
When she was first diagnosed, neither of us had experience with cancer. Of course, when you hear those words ‘You have cancer’ you immediately think end of the world nah, nah, nah, nah. But lately, as we get towards the end of Holly’s chemo treatments, I’ve been thinking about how much she has accomplished over the past 10 1/2 months. It is cliche to say that we didn’t start living until we had cancer (it isn’t even true, in our case), but instead of being a death sentence, it has been anything but.
Here are just some of the amazing things that she has accomplished:
Manages our entire household. Holly is the Chief Household Officer and does everything from taking the kids to school to making cookies to paying bills to really everything that keeps me running. This in and of itself is amazing. It is a job that I suck at.
Designed and managed the construction of our dream house. Yes the design was before the diagnosis, but she still had cancer when she was doing it. She also managed all of the contractors and still kicks ass when it comes to knocking things off the punch list.
Despite feeling like hell, she is an unbelievable room mom at our daughters school. I can’t believe the stuff that she does.
She still works out like a crazy person. I’m healthy and I don’t go to the gym that often.
She rarely plays the ‘C’ card. I play it all the time (someones got to).
Made it through 30 days in the hospital and fought like hell to make it home for or daughters pre-school graduation.
A bunch of her friends have been going through tough times lately. When she could play the ‘C’ card, she has been one of the most thoughtful, caring friends anyone could wish for.
She is an equally thoughtful, caring & supportive wife despite how bad she feels.
Like I said, these are but a few of the amazing things that she has done while having cancer. I’m too tired to try to find out how many people will be diagnosed with cancer in 2008. It’s a lot. Millions globally. It isn’t a death sentence, it isn’t a new life, it just is. Most times it sucks, but if you are one of the millions that gets diagnosed, it is important to know that it is far from the end of the world. You can get through this too.
The other night we were at a friend’s and they strongly encouraged us to join them in several shots of tequilla. Well, life’s been a little rough lately and I already felt crappy, so I thought..what the hell. After much fun and throwing up in my friend’s front yard, I woke up feeling no more crappy than I did the day before. I concluded that going through chemo is very much like having a LONG hangover. Does this mean I should drink more? I’ll check with my oncologist.
Huge news. Barry Manilow is coming to town. I’ve always been a huge “Fanilow”, but never more so then after I was diagnosed. On my way to radiation one day, I was belting out “I Made it Through the Rain” as I cruised down the freeway. Well, I lost it. Not the pretty cry, but the gulping for air, howling kind of cry you can’t control. Well, since that day, that song has helped me through some serious rough spots. Ella Jane and Sam ( 5 yrs. and 3) know all the words. I’m so proud. We had planed to go to Vegas and see Barry in the spring, but when Barry comes to town, you go. Wish me luck getting good seats. I don’t play the “C” card often, but I might use it for this.