After the chemo treatment it was time to meet with the genetic counselor to reconstruct my termite ridden family tree. As she mapped out each generation she just kept saying "how interesting." I think I'd rather have boring... very very boring. Mom's branches have not one case of cancer. Most lived into their mid 80s up to 99.9. Dad's side is another story. In two generations there are 7 cases of breast cancer, 1 ovarian cancer, 1 colon cancer and 2 multiple myelomas. There's also a couple brain tumors and unknown cancer types in 2nd and 3rd cousins. I'm a definite candidate for genetic testing. Crap.
Saturday. The day that redeemed all the "ICK" days before it. My grandson celebrated his 2nd birthday with a little party and Grandma just had to be there to document the event with a mere 286 photos. They don't call me Grandma-razzi (as in paparazzi) for nothing! What I missed, Grandpa got on video. 6 little boys had a ball playing with every toy Cohen owns. The kid lives in a toy store! This is the house that was never going to have too many toys and they would all be put away every single night. Um hmmm. We gave Cohen a drum, tambourine and a guitar. He loves them! This is payback for all the sleepless nights my daughter caused us as a teenager! Revenge is so sweet.
One down... 23 to go. I can do this... I will do this... I've got to do this. Plod - plod - plod. New normal, here I come! It's not so bad as long as there's no zizzing drills involved!
Faith, hope and a belly laugh! It's easier for the people I love if I can see the humor in this stupid situation. I get weepy now and then, but not for me. I just feel so sad that my sisters didn't have the current medical care available to them in the early 80s when they were going through this. Mammograms didn't even exist so they weren't diagnosed at an early stage and the treatments they had back then were barbaric. I feel guilty that I'm having a relatively easy time getting through surgery and treatments... but I may take that back after a million sit-ups and reconstruction surgery! Becoming a super model would be easier through reincarnation!
Hi Melanie,
Your day-by-day play by play couldn't be better, with such honesty and reality...and great humor! Hey, you may be undergoing chemotherapy, but it certainly hasn't affected your priceless wit! HANG ON TO THAT -- your positive outlook and ability to make light of even the heaviest of things is a true gift, and one we can't thank you enough for sharing with us. Best of luck with the "23 to go," and keep writing -- you're a natural!
Take good care,
Maria