The Journey Through Cancer : A Post Script

I met you just before my own cancer journey started. Unfortunately, my Stage III lymph cancer beginning in October 2013 prevented me from working for several months, but my cancer ordeal enabled me to give you and Betty benefit of a few items, one of which is the need for an over-the-counter antacid for the stomach just after chemo, so one can tie on the old feed bag.
I was very moved reading the entire manuscript, and as you note, the patient and his/her family and friends cannot ask enough questions. I was stunned when my oncologist and her nurses told me most patients don’t seem all that interested in the details of the cancer battle they are fighting, but Jim and Liz handled the challenge properly, wanting to understand their challenge and prepare themselves spiritually and emotionally for their journey. Jim’s anecdotes about the Crosses in Life, the Marbles on Saturday, and the “I Wish You Enough” from the father to his daughter, are all lessons we need to re-learn to understand the preciousness of life, and the importance of conveying our love to others when they most need it, and not when it’s convenient for us.