Today I was reminded of why I started this whole crazy idea of triathlons in the first place.
My beautiful and driven roommate in college Sarah started UT's Colleges Against Cancer in affiliation with the American Cancer Society and for some insane reason implored scatterbrained, flaky, undergrad me to head up her entertainment chair. I think I was supposed to delegate but not sure I did, but anyway, one of the first meetings, Sarah asked all the chair people why we were involved in CAC. I of course was running late and didn't know I'd be saying anything at the meeting, so I just started talking about the people I knew who had dealt with cancer - my paternal grandmother had just passed away from lung and colon cancer, my maternal step-grandfather died from pancreatic cancer when I was in high school, my dad and paternal grandfather both had bouts with skin cancer, my friends Chris and Joanna were diagnosed the same summer and then my dear Kelli had a scare as well later, and most importantly my mom, who was diagnosed with thyroid cancer when I was born and because of treatment wasn't able to breastfeed me.
Just this summer I've had two dear friends and mentors diagnosed with some form of cancer, as well as a scare in Kyle's family. A friend at work is having abnormal tests show up and is waiting on the results and earlier this week one of my newest, dearest friends just informed me that she's going in for surgery before the end of October.
People, to be honest this stuff scares the shit out of me. There are no more words at the moment.
3 comments:
Cancer makes me sick to my stomach, but I do have hope that treatments and preventative measures are getting better everyday. I am praying for your friend because it is the most powerful thing anyone can do for such a sucky thing.
thanks, Kel - I know she appreciates it.
Girl, it scares the shit out of me too.
Has this always been here and we didn't know it? I pray everyday for more and more treatments and more and more cures.
I pray hard for that.
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