Cancer for Dummies

After getting the call from my doctor I realized that a cancer diagnosis should come with an instructions manual. Now I have to tell my parents...and my in-laws...my sister...what friends do I call and who do I text or e-mail? What is too impersonal and what method is appropriate for each relationship? I am not a facebook diva who likes to seek sympathy through social networks so I definitely wasn't going to announce to the internet that I have cancer. 


"Well my doctor called....it was bad news." That how it started, one of the hardest conversations of my life thus far, telling my parents that their youngest daughter has cancer. My mom wrapped her arm around my waist so tightly that at that moment I could feel her grief and fear because I knew as she was holding onto me she was holding onto me as a baby, a teenager and now a 24-year old woman. This was something she wanted to protect me from, but couldn't. We cried, my Dad was in shock then cried with us. When he hugged me it reminded me of our dance at my wedding--swaying to "Soul Shine" arms wrapped around each other and crying into each other's shoulders because we both realized that at some point I had grown up. After all the crying everything was really quiet. They just walked around completing tasks like robots, pondering the news, trying to seem normal...I don't know what it was, but I felt as though I had done something wrong. My world changed when being diagnosed, and so did theirs. 


My husband is my best friend, the love of my life, the man who opens jars and soda bottles for me...he immediately took on the role of my rock, the constant in my life of doctors appointments and test results. That person sometimes gets forgotten in the bustle of doting so I stopped and asked how he was doing. "I have one person, that means more to me than anything in the world, and I'm worried. I don't want you to worry or go through this." He is my rock.


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I wanted to share a website that I found for Cancer bracelets. They have bracelets, t-shirts, key chains, everything you can think of for each type of cancer. Thyroid cancer is Rose Pink, Teal and Purple/Blue. Part of the proceeds goes to cancer research. I was a geek and sent myself a gift message "You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have."  www.choosehope.com