Cancer Sucks! This is a phrase I saw on many shirts and various items at the Relay for Life over the weekend. It sums it up well doesn’t it? It may be your grandparent, parent, sibling, teacher or friend that’s sick or maybe you are battling this horrific disease yourself. Most of us have encountered cancer in some way at some point and no matter how you look at it…Cancer Sucks!
When the kids were very young (son was 2 and daughter was 2 months) my husband was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. He’d been sick for months and the doctors had tried to figure out what was wrong and in November of 1997 we had our answer. That Thanksgiving was rough and by Christmas Eve he’d lost his hair and that was only the beginning. Taking care of a toddler, a newborn and a sick spouse is terribly stressful but each of us do what we have to because no matter how hard it is on the caretakers…our ultimate goal is the same… to care for our loved ones and pray they survive.
Sadly there isn’t always a happy ending to the story and many of us know someone who lost the battle. My Aunt died at 32 and it was hard not to let this thought scare me as I tried to remain strong. No matter how much you believe in the power of prayer and that God is in control, there are moments when you wonder…how will I raise these babies on my own…will they remember their daddy…how can I live without him? There were questions my husband told me plagued him as well…will I see my kids first day of kindergarten or one day walk my daughter down the aisle?
1 Cor 10:13: No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
We’ve been blessed…my husband is alive and well and we’re celebrating his 11th “cancer free” year this week. I believe God gave me the strength to deal with all I had to during that difficult year as well as bringing comfort to my husband, constantly reminding him he wouldn’t give him more than he could bear. I’m not going to pretend it was easy and there weren’t days where one or both of us wanted to give up… but I still have my husband and the kids have their dad…honestly what else really matters?
Phil 4:13: I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
As I watched the SURVIVORS (big, small, young and old) take the first lap at the Relay tears filled my eyes. I was looking at some of the strongest people in this world and I wondered how many of them have a relationship with their Lord and Savior. Cancer Sucks…but the hope we have in Jesus is bigger than any disease (and the boogie man) so don’t give up and remember you are NOT alone.
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Hi Bridget,
Amazing story.. and while my religious beliefs are not the same, strong faith is necessary, no matter what the outcome. My son, Casey, and his wife, Diane, faced the same challenge – a new born and a toddler, but with Casey facing a sudden diagnosis of 100% fatal cancer in stage IV.
It seems odd to me that those who are the the fatalities – while alive, after passing, and their surviving families – are labeled and viewed differently because they and theirs are taken by the disease. Their status within the cancer support shifts. But death is like that… difficult for this society to integrate.
Thank you for the Word
Thanks Teresa for sharing your story. It’s tragic and a mystery why some beat this horrible disease while for others it is just too late. Faith is crucial in this situation.
Hey Bridget, thanks for adding me on Twitter. Looks like we’ve got some common acquaintances. Great story here! My mother battled cancer a few years ago. She was young-ish for cancer, but my brother and I were grown. Though it was the same cancer that killed her mother, it just never weighed on me that she might die. Thankfully, after about a year of treatment, she was given a clean bill of health. It’s often the trying times that shape life for the good. I think my parents can say that, and I bet you can too!
See you around. God bless and happy blogging!
Hi Matt-I look forward to “getting to know you” on Twitter! Thank you for sharing your story and I’m so glad it had a happy ending! Blessings to you as well
Bridget this was your most shining moment of your life. Don’t hold back. Open up more. Share even more. Let that light shine; it helped Dale, it might help another out there.
xoxo
Mom
Luv ya!
I honestly cannot imagine how scary and heart-wrenching that was for you (and Dale, of course) to have two small children and a sick husband. Cancer DOES suck! I commend you guys for not just closing the door to cancer and walking away completely… but instead you kept up the fundraisers, walks etc… when remission hits is when you want to pretend like it never happened and be done, not constantly reminded. But the reminder definitely brings extreme gratefulness and it is a true blessing in disguise because you end up being more thankful than people who have not endured such a tremendous struggle. I really like this blog.
Thanks Chan!
I try to pretend it doesn’t hurt anymore, but it certainly still sucks. I lost my long-time friend, Cathy to an rare, aggressive form of breast cancer, just as the streets started to clear up from our Arctic Blast in late December. Flying to CA for the funeral at the start of a New Year was surreal. I remember talking to my friend right before Christmas and sending her pictures of our snow storm. Cathy and I go way back; I lived with her family when I was a freshman in high school. I love the words, ” God provides a way out so that you can stand up under it.” I admire your courage Bridget to talk about such a tough issue still so close to your heart. I am glad your hubby is a cancer survivor
!
I’m so sorry for your loss. Thank you for the kinds words and understanding. The wounds still feel fresh after all these years and it’s hard to ever stop worrying completely…but we count our blessings and move forward.
I, too, have experienced (in family), “Cancer Sucks”. As you
write so honestly, and through a heart of never forgetting…faith
does keep us going.
Thank you, Bridget, for sharing like you do. I am truly touched.
Thanks M…