Daily Archives: February 22, 2013
How Are You Today?
It’s a toss-away phrase. Friends and co-workers say it. Grocery clerks say it. Your favorite barista says it while taking your order for the brown gold that wakes you up each morning.
I actually never had a good answer….
“Fine”… Am I fine? Is that a sincere answer? Was it a sincere question? Often I come up with little quips that have real info in it. “Glad it’s Friday” “Keeping busy!” “I’ll know after the coffee” Sooo true.
Of course these days we are getting the other “How are you doing?” from people who we have shared the news with. It comes with the touch of empathy that is sincere, but makes me want to answer “We’re doing OK.”
What if I answered all of them with THE TRUTH?
“My wife has cancer, I am trying to keep up with my promises to people in my life and work enough hours to get my projects done before the FINAL deadline and earn money And there are three white rabbits living in my backyard.”
The grocery clerk stands frozen…now they don’t know how to respond.
Better to say “ Glad I am heading home” and that also is the truth.
How are we today? For now better than expected. Virginia Mason is like a part-time job we work together. I am learning I would be very happy working with my wife all day. I like being with her, even when she was in “The Loud Donut” She gives me peace… Odd she is preparing to battle cancer and she gives me peace, but she does… We feed off each other in a good way.
How are we today? There has been laughing and crying and anger and busy and life and preparing to demand that life continue.
How are we today? We are focusing on “The Now” Today and Monday are more tests. One cancerous node, opens the gateway to a full body bone scan and a PET scan. First reaction was scary. That is looking for cancer that has moved to someplace where it can do real harm! Then we come to the realization. That ”the cancer is where the cancer is” we can’t change that today. And many times it can move without using the lymph nodes. So we are learning more and lucky to have this new data source. The cancer is what the cancer is, and more data gives us power to change what will be, it lets us choose the level of medicine needed to kick this thing’s butt.
How are we today? Saturday is date night at the school auction and then a room at the Marriot with a whirlpool tub! Ooo La La!
How are we today? We are in love and fighting this war together. We are good.
The Husband and I are sitting in the cafeteria between my radioactive injection and my bone scan. They have you wait two hours between the injection and the scan so you have a chance to drink as much water as you can stand, and flush out the injection from your soft tissues. If you don’t, all they see is an outline of your whole body, and they can’t see your bones at all. No other dietary restrictions are necessary, thank heaven, or I’d be in trouble, because I ate a bag of pop chips and then had a coffee and a sundried-tomato-basil bagel with TWO mini tubs of cream cheese. Tomorrow I begin the prep diet for the PET/CT scan. Today is my last day before Monday afternoon when I may indulge in bagels, and coffee with cream and sugar. So of course I’m giving myself a free pass (well, I always do, but now I am open about it) to eat bagels, pizza, and drink beer. Because I won’t be able to do that again until Monday afternoon.
It’s pretty easy to “be good” today, I’ve put away 60 ounces of water, and peed three times. I’ve started another 33.9 ounce bottle of water, so I feel like I’m making good progress, pee-wise. We’ve got another hour to go (oops, have to go again!). I’ve still got a little headache, and I’m a little jittery.