Unexpected People

Unexpected People:

    This blog entry is about people.  It will tell you more about me and who I am as a person.  It will also tell you about different people that have affected my life since diagnosis.  There are many people I want to write about.  I will discuss some of them in this entry and others will be mentioned in the near future. As a disclaimer Stephen has already told me that this post is disjointed.

    The other day I broke the isolation rules and took the girls to a park.  I was hoping to get out in the fresh air.  Sitting inside on the couch all day gets rather boring.  I was good, I sanitized every time I touched something.  Anytime someone came near me, I was quick to leave.  We didn’t stay long because it was tiring, but it was nice to be out in the fresh air.  The girls had fun running around and playing on the swings.  It was so cool to see Elisheva lift herself up on the swing.  Her big sister Ruthie gave her a few pushes and then they were both off and swinging.  I was glad that I could see them do these fun activities.  Sometimes you do what you gotta do to get through the day.  

      Some of you know about my relationship with my Grandma. For those of you who don’t, here is a little peak into our relationship. She lives in Kentucky but that does not stop me from being very close with her.  As a child we would drive down to Kentucky to spend time with her.  Some of my greatest memories come from Kentucky.  I loved climbing trees with my cousins or doing the same Peanuts puzzle over and over again.  I loved swinging on her rail and doing flips even though I was hollered at several times not to do it.  Thinking back, I was pretty stupid because it was very dangerous and I could have seriously hurt myself.  As I got older, I wrote her letters and called her frequently.  I got into the habit of calling her every other night to say hi and check in with her.  When I was in college, I remember calling her when I found a particular state quarter (we both collected them and she always found the newest state first).  I remember my friend saying “you are calling your grandma in the middle of the afternoon to tell her you found a state quarter?”  Yet, it seemed so normal to me at the time.  After I got married, we continued to take our yearly car ride down to Kentucky to spend time with my grandmother.  After I was diagnosed, I found it very hard to call her.  I didn’t have the courage to call her and tell her that I was sick.  I knew that I would never be able to get the words out without hysterically crying….so I just didn’t call for a while. Since diagnosis my grandma has been unbelievable.  She just had her 89^th birthday.  She has sent me so many cards that I have lost count.  Not only does she send me cards but she finds inspirational quotes, poems and sayings to send to me.   Her last card contained the poem by Edgar Guest which is titled “Things Work Out.”  She even sent me a four leaf clover that she had found many years ago to give me good luck and strength to beat the cancer.  I am not sure if she realizes it but her cards and letters have really helped me through the past few months of treatment.   For those of you who are wondering, I have found my voice to call my grandmother again.  I have not gotten back into my every other day call but I am sure that will happen again real soon.  Thank you Grandma!

      Adele without even realizing it has put me in contact with many different people who have affected the way I fight this battle.  I am not sure if everyone is aware of the fund that Adele set up to help me take care of my family during this unexpected journey.  Without telling me she went to the bank and set up an account.  I was really shocked at first when she told me.  As the days went on people started contacting her.  I got cards and letters from people near and far.  I was so surprised with some of the letters and the amount of money that people sent.  People that I have not seen or spoken to in years opened up their hearts and their wallets.  People that I do not know personally (friend of a friend) sent money.  Former students sent money.  Former student’s relatives sent money.  Reading some of the message brought tears to my eyes.  No lie, the money is important and very, very, helpful----but those kind words and kind thoughts were what really got me through those first few rounds of Chemo.  Being diagnosed with Breast Cancer was a lot to process.  I was really mad and angry when I first heard the news.  Of course, I realized that it was not going to just go away and I had to deal with it.  Getting a daily text from Adele saying “I got a card today from….and another one from….” really helped me see light on those dark days.  Those personal messages that were sent were life altering. I am sure the people that wrote those few words didn’t realize how much it has affected me during this time.

      I had to remove myself from Facebook for a while.  It was too depressing for me to see my friends having a blast on vacation or at the beach.  I was stuck on the couch begging my stomach to stop churning while others were enjoying life.  I admit it, I was jealous of their fun and mad at my situation.  Just as there are dark days for me, there are also awesome days.  One day Adele ran into a woman. Not too long ago, this woman was in a similar situation as I am currently in.  This woman who I have never met before gave Adele a donation.  After she told me of her encounter with this amazing woman and the donation, I got butterflies in my stomach.  Someone who I do not know and have never met made it a point to help me.  Knowing that there are people out there that are going out of their way to help me get through this journey helps me push those depressing thoughts aside.   It makes the light at the end of this very long tunnel brighter and seem just a little bit closer.

  Rabbi Zwickler….You will be in my next entry.  Writing this to see if you are paying attention. 

Quotes:  Only a few people will truly understand why I put this quote at the end of this blog post.  It is my way of personally saying Thank You for pushing me to stay positive and helping me make it through Round 3.

“People are just as happy as they make up their minds to be.”---Abraham Lincoln

As for the video clip….this blog entry just reminded me of this song from my childhood.  I hope you laugh at the silly jokes.