Cancer

I hate cancer!

  Just the mention of the word brings terrible thoughts to mind. Sickness. Pain. Death.  Think about it...there are no warm fuzzy feelings that come to mind when someone mentions the word cancer.

I used to know nothing about cancer...thankfully, no one in my family has ever had it.  Then 1997 came. 

 I was teaching Kindergarten that year and at orientation a parent approached me and said "do you know about Scott?" Normally that usually means behavior difficulties or learning difficulties...

But not this time. Instead, this parent began to tell me the story of her little 5 year old leukemia survivor.  She gave me the short and sweet of things when dealing with a cancer "survivor."  Things like hand sanitizing and keeping him away from kids with colds.  

She also told me the signs to look for that would indicate the leukemia returned.    

Seriously folks, this was the first time that I realized that cancer could return!  In my previous, blissful, naive life....I thought once the doctor's were able to rid the body of cancer...it was gone forever! 

One of the signs of leukemia is leg pain and sadly, he began to complain more and more of leg pain once spring came. Devastatingly, he was diagnosed with a relapse of leukemia by the beginning of May.  Little Scott was able to receive a bone marrow transplant before relapsing again and finally dying at the age of 8.  

Did I mention that I hate cancer?

Today, I know far more about cancer than I ever thought I would...thanks to the caringbridge sites I visit.

I also, for the first time, am walking through this cancer experience with a member of my family.

I am talking about my brother-in law, Doug.

Doug, it seems, is losing his battle with brain cancer and things right now are progressing quickly.  

Just last week he seemed fine but right now he is in the hospital, after suffering a seizure, on intravenous morphine and anti-seizure medications.

I cannot tell you how much this sucks!!!!!

I hate cancer!