Surrounded By Cancer

Both of Scott’s parents passed away due to cancer, and we both look at that in separate ways. To him, his parents were too young to be stricken down with cancer. While I agree that they were taken from him sooner than they had to be, I’ve discovered so very, very many blogs about women and men who have left their children when they were very young, so I consider it a small blessing that Scott’s parents were able to see their children fully grown and to meet many of their grandchildren and some great-grandchildren. That, of course, doesn’t stop him from missing his parents, and it doesn’t stop me from aching for him, of course. Because of how his parents passed away, Scott is very, very touchy about cancer.

Not very long ago my step-mother was diagnosed with cancer. In my eyes she’s young (probably how Scott felt that his parents were young, yes, I see that), and I have a big connection to her. When I was young and visited my father, she was the one I spent time with. She’s undergone surgery and has started chemo, which made her very ill very quickly.

Soon after I learned about my step-mother’s diagnosis and right after her surgery, we learned that our neighbor, a wonderful, sweet woman who absolutely adores our children, was diagnosed with cancer as well. A different type of cancer, but one that also required surgery. She’s much older than my step-mother, and her surgery required that she stayed in the hospital for quite awhile – she’s still there and it’s been a week. This is a woman who walked 5 miles a day and who ate only healthy foods – she doesn’t even eat red meat (how, I ask, HOW?!). We’re not sure what her next course of treatment is going to be.

So I feel as though I’m surrounded by cancer, and that may be one thing that is affecting my moods. I’m very worried about my loved ones and feeling impotent, which is a feeling that I definitely hate. I want to help but other than keeping in touch and constantly asking if there’s anything that I can do, and letting them know how much I love them.