Sunday, June 25, 2017

Good News, Bad News, Good News


Good News, Bad News, Good News

Good News:  Jeff’s kidney function is good.  If his numbers are good in September, Dr. Pat will push out the following visit to six months!  Woohoo!

Bad News:  Our blood cancer networking group had six new members this month. Some of their stories are pretty sad: a husband/caregiver who was himself diagnosed with cancer a year after his wife’s blood cancer diagnosis - when their daughter was 4 years old, and a single mother of a 9-year-old blood cancer patient with unique challenges, and a quiet but tough cop whipped by a blood cancer diagnosis.  We greeted them all, “It’s nice to meet you.  Sorry you are a member of the club.”

Good News:  Although the tissue box was passed along as the new members shared their stories, everyone was uplifted and laughing by the end of the meeting.  And that is part of the reason we still attend this group.  One man tentatively asked Jeff, “I don’t know if this is okay to ask but do you have foamy urine?”  Michael – who could have probably answered the question on Jeff’s behalf - assured the new member, “There is nothing you can’t talk about here.” 

Thank you to Gilda’s Club for providing a safe place to discuss the unmentionable and to the members of our group – “old” (6 years) and new – who help us find purpose in Jeff’s cancer experience.

No comments: