EVERY DAY IS A GIFT! Chapter 2

Chapter two

EVERY DAY IS A GIFT!

That evening as I left the hospital, you can imagine, I was very upset. My first thought was to go to my Mother and let her know just how upset I was about this news she found so effortless to deposit in my lap without explanations. But, I knew that would get me know where. Mother was very predictable and I knew that she had already carefully planned out, in her own way, and in her own time, a direction.

I went home, took a shower and began to start supper. MacGyver was due to come home shortly, and somehow I had to explain the events of the afternoon without sounding anger, hurt and scared. It was her deliver of the news that angered me. This was serious news not to be given in the lobby of my workplace.

Tears began to fill my eyes as I told MacGyver the story. He calmly sat listening saying very little as I vented. It’s not what she told me as much it is why she did not tell me earlier on, and why in the lobby of work did she drop this on me? I raged on.

“So what’s the plan?” MacGyver asked. “What’s the plan, well she has gone out to dinner and said we would talk later? I snap back sarcastically! Right at this minute there is no dam plan that I know of, and I can tell you I‘m a little hurt by all this.”

“Well, we usually have dinner over there on Sundays, you can talk to her more than. I’m sure it will be fine,” he said as he gave me a hug. “Great, that’s three days away,” I snapped.

Dinner was quiet and uninviting, other than my sniffling now and again while thinking of our conversation that afternoon, there was little said. I tittered between feeling fear, anger and broken heartedness. Anger at her delivery, broken hearted at the prognoses and fear of the unknown when I was distracted from myself pity party by the phone ringing.

“Mari” the familiar voice on the other end said. “This is Doctor Nicky.” Why is the Chief of Pathology from work calling me? I thought. “Your Mom asked that I give you a call. Can you talk”? He said in his softly draw. “Sure, Doctor Nicky.”

“Your Mother indicated she has spoken with you,” he presses on not giving me a chance to express my feeling on that subject. “She has assembled a wonderful group of colleagues to take her case. Most of them you know. Next week I will be doing a biopsy of her lung. I will be doing it and would like you to assist me.” It was a good thing I was sitting down because I knew this was not S.O.P. in the Lab.

“Dr. Nicky, I said, “I would be honored but…. He quickly jumped in with, “Your Mother requested this Mari, she is an extraordinary lady, a brilliant colleague, and I agreed to it. We will talk again next week” Thank you for the call. I would be honored. Good Bye.

As I sat at the table I began to realize what she was doing. First, my mother in her wacky, (mad scientist way) was giving me the opportunities to work with some very respected physicians who knew about this disease, and were deliberately chosen, well educated, and trusted collogues. She was placing me in a position of a student, because it was clear she was going to be the experiment. But, what else did she have up to her sleeve?

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

Every day is a gift. Chapter One

 

Everyday is a gift! Those who know me, hear me say that often. Doesn’t everyone love to get a gift? Come on…. Every gift is special, in its own way. That was the way we were raised to belive. What wonderful gifts did you get today, Merry Mari? My mom would ask me every night at dinner. I will admit that over the last fifty years, I have gotten a gift, now and then, which I was not overjoyed or tickled pink about, but most have been wonderful.

What I seem to get, is many of the same kinds of gifts. Which excite me even more now. Moreover, how odd this will sound to some, but I promise you it is not odd to me. I seem to get the gift of friendship from those who have cancer. I have had eight cancer gifts within the last 30 years. That’s roughly been 3.7 cool friendships per annum, give or take the years where I got a number of them back to back.

I will start with my first gift of cancer. My mother, whom was sitting in the lobby of our local hospital laboratory, waiting for me fall of 1980. She had called and asked if she could come by and see me. She only worked down the street from the Hospital at the State Laboratory where she was a Microbiologist. ( no, the apple did not fall far from the tree) I worked as a Lab tech at the  Hospital.

We often spoke during the day, she often called to chat with one of the Path Doc’s on duty. But, for some reason, this request, to see me, was unusual.

We sat down, in the lobby and she began to tell me that over the past few months she had had some medical issue in addition she has spoken with the Doc’s, and they have deduced I have a cancer spot on my lung, she said, without missing beat. I have also….and she calmly began to lay out the coming events.

Well, my love, she said, I’m off to dinner. You have patients to take care of. We will talk later. Love you! Remember, (Merry, Mari, her pet name for me) Every day is a gift. She smiled and softly kissed me on the check. I watched her leave as the tears streamed down my checks trying to grasp what I had just been told. I was then twenty-two years of age, married, with a new baby and worked in the medical field.

And….. todays gift would be WHAT! I thought in anger and disbelief.

MOM, HELLOOO. COME BACK HERE. MOM….. TAKE THIS GIFT BACK!!!!!! MOM.

Esoph’s Fables, it’s a good read!

The ribbon for colon rectal cancer is pinned to many of our jackets, and is worn as proudly as the United States Flag. Yes, our family was struck by cancer in several ways. You can read a small part of our story under the cancer heading of this blog.

However, today, I would like to share with you a new blogger friend. I know you will enjoy his writing, and I hope you will give him as much support as you do and have given us when we found ourselves members of, as he calls it, Cancerland. So check it out! It’s good stuff. Esoph’s Fables, Letters Home from an American expatriate in Cancerland

Grandma, do you remember hearing about that earthquake in Haiti?

I watched, as I’m sure others did, the news accounts about Haiti as the days evolved. Though, it was my cell phone that I depended on for most of the information.

The new, sleek, black, touch screen, ATT Samsung, cell phone, which I received at Christmas, became my link to Haiti. Through the social media, text messaging, and the eyes of a man, who I feel like I now know, named Anderson Cooper. Text messages went out through his twitter account, of which I had just recently signed up to follow and streamed to me instantly as the days and weeks of the plight of Haiti was told.

My new cell shuddered hysterically in the days and nights that followed the devastating earthquake in Haiti. Brief updates were even being announced by my friends and family by only a shout out, “It’s Anderson!” After the alarms and vibrations trilled out frantically, at all hours, announcing an incoming message.

It set about with an unpretentious late night text sent out January 12, 2010 that notified me of his trip to Haiti. It had been a hard day at work, and I was just getting ready for bed when my new, sleek, black, touch screen phone sounded off. My husband quietly inquired as to who would be calling at this time of the night. I laughed and said, “Oh it just Anderson sending a text message. He has stopped and purchased a case of water in the airport to take with him to Haiti.”

I remember thinking, “Boy that sure cost him, and how is he going to carry a case of water through the airport?” as I turned of the lights and snuggled in our new flannel sheets. Little did I know, I would become so eager to have my phone bring me a message from afar at any time of the night or day. Not to mention from a total stanger.

I retained most of his text messages. Some I shared with others. Some were so heartbreaking to read, and I know that while hundreds of others were also receiving the message, they were very personable and real. They became small clips of information that I will think of always. They were raw, authentic and genuine, and it gave me an essence of what was happening and a glimpse of the guy they call Anderson Cooper.

I would like to thank Mr. Cooper, CNN and all who traveled with him for allowing me to share this experience with him through my cell phone and to all those tech-geeks who invented these social media outlets which have allowed me so many ways to get news. It’s just mind boggling.

I’ll share just a few of the text messages I received from AC. The rest I will keep to myself, and if I’m asked by my Grandchildren if I remember the earthquake of 2010 in Haiti, I’ll be able to tell them a few first hand reports I received from Anderson Cooper a CNN news man in the weeks that followed.

Thanks again, Anderson.

andersoncooper: From ac: I saw what I thought was a stone in the debris. It was the skull of a child. It had one tooth still attached to it…….

8:06PM Sun, 17, Jan

andersoncooper: From ac: aftershocks…maybe people here are used to it by now…this building I’m in seems pretty strong..but it really was moving

5:15AM Wed, 20 Jan

andersoncooper: From ac:….I guess I will try to go back to bed….what else can one do?

5:16AM Wed, 20 Jan

andersoncooper: From ac: when it starts to seem normal you have to shake your head and remember. Nothing is normal. Each day is new. Each struggle unique.

1:19PM Wed, 10 Feb

andersoncooper: From ac: at a collapsed nursing school. More than 100 died here. So many bodies crushed in the rubble. They’ve now fallen victim to dogs.

1:16PM Wed, 10 Feb

Andersoncooper: From ac: back in ny. It feels very strange. My heart is very heavy for the people of Haiti. Back on the air tonite……

4:17PM Tue, 2 Feb

Contact the Red Cross in your town. See what you can do!

 

Call your local Red Cross.