In February, a very good friend of mine shared with me some rather dire health news. Growing up as I did in a family of health professionals, and with my own health crises, I have "the burden of knowledge." While a regular patient goes into surgery believing that the surgeon had a fabulous night of sleep, awoke feeling refreshed and happy-I knew that my father usually went into the OR hungover with pieces of toilet paper stuck to his face because he cut himself shaving. Not only do I know the truth about doctors and nurses (they are actually people, who despite their professionalism, make mistakes) I also know the truth about diseases. I know of a 34 healthy man who broke his leg playing soccer with his son and discovered that he was literally filled with cancer. He was dead within the month. I also know of someone who was told he had six months to live thanks to an aggressive terminal cancer. Six years later, he's not only alive, but writing, taking photographs, and driving his friends pleasantly crazy.

When X* told me that she had cancer, I hoped that she would come through it quickly, but I knew that even the best case scenario would be devastating and painful. And while I didn't want to think about the worst case scenario, I couldn't help fearing the worst case scenario-her death. For a young woman, I've had far too many friends die (cancer, diabetes, AIDs, suicide-a whole unfortunate range).

It turns out I feared the same thing she did, that she was dying. And during the following couple of months I sent her emails to let her know I thought of her, but not wanting to be a burden. I waited, hoping, to hear back good news.

And now the good news is here. I sat with her today, and she is just as beautiful and vibrant as she was befire, only more so, as I knew how much she had gone through to get here. We chatted about her health issues, and while it pained me to hear her describe the insensitivity of others, most egregiously some doctors, it was wonderful to just be with her and see her smile. And while it hurt me to hear her talk about how she thought she was going to die for the last 6 months, I was glad to know that period is OVER. She concluded her visit by saying soon we would take walks in the park together. I do so look forward to walking with her, enjoying the summer sun, and talking about all the wonder that still exists in the world-and all the more so because she is still so much in it.


*Out of concern for her, I will not even give her a nickname to protect her privacy.

Labels: friendship, health issues, illness

Being a writer who uses her personal life for material, I often run the risk of offending people, particularly people I know or have known in real life. In the past, I've refrained from posting material here to protect the interests of others. Unfortunately,when I have, the results of have been messy. So now, consequences be damned, I write what I want. As I said, this may be painful for others, but my closest friends accept and understand this fact. I am, and always will be, a writer first.

If you find the material here hurtful and offensive, then you should go elsewhere. The blogosphere is filled with brilliant writers, and my side bar is filled with nifty places to go visit. It is not my intention to cause pain, but the chief purpose of this blog is to be an outlet not just for my creative work, but also for my feelings. If you find yourself being hurt or insulted, then it is your responsibility to protect your own sensibilities and find another site you enjoy.

For those of you who continue to enjoy and support this blog, thank you and I hope you will be pleased to note that I intend to resume posting on a more regular basis. My next series of posts will be about my trip to NOLA as I know how popular my travelogues are.

Now, this post is entirely too serious so here is a picture of the margarita I enjoyed at Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville in NOLA. I post it, belatedly, in honor of Cinco de Mayo! Hope you all enjoyed some quality tequila.

Labels: advice, writing