Slowing Down

The summer has been such a whirlwind.  When I finished chemo in April, I instantly began filling my calendar with commitments and jumped back into the hectic life that I am accustomed to living…forgetting that my energy would not come back instantly.  I have luckily survived the madness of the busiest time of year at my paying job, chaired and planned our largest fundraiser for the local food pantry where I am board member and am officially prepared to ride 100 miles in a week in the fight to raise money for cancer research.  I also received the first compliment on my 'haircut'.  This lovely woman approached me at the pantry fundraiser I mentioned, I was running around a little crazy and she looked at me and said "Where do you get your hair cut - I love it!"  How about that??  As I wrap up this crazy summer, I am reflecting and re-prioritizing…  After facing your own mortality, this happens more often!

As I tried to return to living a normal life, I am reminded again how fragile life is and not to take it for granted.  Shortly after my diagnosis, my dad was diagnosed with lung cancer in the fall of 2011.  At the time I was fighting my own battle and simply could not be as much help as I would have liked.  While the cancer is not curable, he is holding his own and feeling pretty good – he even returned to work in June.  And then we received another blow in June 2012 with mom being diagnosed with advanced breast cancer.  Her situation is much more serious at the moment and luckily, I have been able to jump in and the lead the charge with her care – I continue to be amazed at the compassion of The James Cancer Center at OSU – they are truly angels!  She is struggling with a great deal of pain due to the location of the tumors and has started chemotherapy, receiving weekly treatments.  We will know more in a few weeks, but for now, we have hope that everything is treatable.