We are thankful for the prayer support and many expressions of encouragement that came our way over the past several months. Never have we felt more loved, valued or grateful.
One of the mysteries of life is why chemotherapy works for some, but is totally ineffective for others. We have a dear friend at church who has gone through two treatment regimens of chemo for the same type of cancer, but the treatment has not been effective. She continues to be very much in our thoughts and prayers.
The C-word is a game changer for every life it touches. In addition, it can come out of nowhere and appear totally unexpected. When I was diagnosed with bladder cancer two years ago, it caught me totally by surprise. Until that time, I never gave a thought to the likelihood that cancer could come my way.
Unlike lung cancer that frequently surfaces following exposure to tobacco through years of smoking, the same is not true for breast cancer. At the same time, there is a gene mutation passed down the line in some families that makes family members of both sexes suspectable for breast cancer. The General's cancer is not credited to that gene mutation.
I had a dear friend that lived to be 103. Her unofficial middle name was "chain smoke" and she had a glass of Scotch twice a day. You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone more delightful that she was. She was one of the kindest people that I’ve ever known.
In the thirty plus years that I knew her, I never gave a passing thought to suggesting she alter her lifestyle. She had the capability to love me as I am, and it would have been out of place for me not to provide her that same gift.
What we've learned through the experience of having cancer close to home is the difference words of encouragement and expressions of concern, couple with acts of kindness can make in the life of someone living with cancer.
Truth be told, we all know people within our families, circles of friends or acquaintances in our neighborhood or places of work that live with the veiled threat that cancer represents.
We have in our hands in within our hearts all the tools we need to make a positive difference for someone with cancer. I want to challenge you as I challenge myself to use the gifts that we have been given to lighten the load for someone with cancer.
All My Best!
Don