Remembering

Anniversaries seem to assume a celebration of sorts.  But people who have lost or have been hurt also know there are sad or somber anniversaries.  It has been a year (Feb 11) since we found J's lymphoma.  Talking with J tonight he said, "It doesn't seem like it could have been a year since that all happened, it doesn't seem like it has been that long."  I reminded him he was in a bit of a daze during a few months of treatment.  He chuckled a bit and said, "Yeah".  I asked him earlier what he thinks about regarding his experience over the last year.  He said he kind of prefers not to think about it at all.


Mom and I have talked a bit about this last year, particularly over the last week.  Her strong memory is all the meals and prayers and gifts and cards and notes that J and our family received.  It was a stressful time and it was so nice that we did not have to go through it alone.  Our burdens are truly made lighter when shared with others, and with all the community help, I can hardly remember the weight of the burden.  One of the most touching moments of support came at J's 5th grade graduation/awards day.  The teachers called each of their class members one by one to receive their graduation certificate.  There were little pockets of cheers here and there from groups of friends.  When J's name was called a cheer broke out from the entire school.  It was so touching, and even now one of those touching moments that makes me appreciative of the kindness that can be found in people all around us.  Why do we spend so much effort being indifferent to the people we live around?  Why don't we always show this kind of love and kindness for everyone around us?  Maybe you do.  I definitely can improve.

I was looking over some of the messages I had sent the day we found the mass.  I had texted a friend letting him know I had put my signed contract for my new job in the mail.  He was moving away a week later and I told him we were going to wait until their move to announce our planned move because I didn't want to detract from the glory of their departure.  How ironic that just a few hours later our news became such big news.  Mom had texted a friend about getting J together to hang out with one of his friends that afternoon, but that was a plan that was disrupted by the pain he experienced in the afternoon.  The thing that struck me is how suddenly things can happen that change your life, change your routine, may even change what you eat and where you sleep.

J has had a few appointments since the last post.  He is doing well.  He has a tiny amount of blood in his urine.  With the next CT scan next month we're going to try to look particularly close for any kidney stones that may still be hanging out and then visit urology again.  If this CT scan remains good regarding the lymphoma, then there will be another scan beginning of June.  If that remains good, he will have remained in remission for one year and they will start scanning only every 6 months.  Wahoo.

In the meantime, J is doing well in 6th grade.  He is participating in the middle school play.  They are doing Willy Wonka, Jr. and he is an Oompa Loompa.  That was the part he wanted.  Go figure.  His grades have been good.  Sometimes chemotherapy can significantly impact ability to focus and school becomes hard.  Maybe it's not even the chemotherapy, but just the memory of the experience.  Either way, any impact it may have had has not dropped his grades.  We are very grateful with how well things are right now.