We all know someone who was effected my cancer.Cancer runs in my family. My great-grandmother on my mother's side died of breast cancer before I was born. My grandmother on my father's side died of lung cancer when I was younger. She never smoked.
Breathe.
And I lost my father to cancer 6 years ago. He was diagnosed with lung, liver and bone cancer around this time in 2001. He passed away the following April. We knew it was terminal when he was diagnosed. It was a quick growing cancer.
That is my father in back of my mom, the shorter lady.
He was a strong man. He was a quiet, laid back man (but don't get him mad). I have a lot to thank my father for. I have a lot of his personality traits. I have his use for one line-zingers that my husband is so thankful for ("How did you sleep?" "With my eyes closed"). I have a lot of his frugality.
It was one of the hardest things I have been through watching my father subcomb to the cancer. I wish I could always remember him as the strong man he was and not the frail man he became. He had the strength to stand up for cancer for a while. When he was diagnosed, the doctors said that he probably would not survive past Thanksgiving. What a great and wonderful Christmas present we got that year. We had him until April. He tried going back to work in February but, he couldn't do it. He tried. He was strong for trying.
There are many things that I missed with my father. And when I start to think about it, I cry. The emotions are still raw. He never got the chance to walk me down the aisle. We never had the father/daughter dance at our Wedding. He never got to hold my son, his name sake, William. But I know he was there through it all. He wasn't there physically, but he was there.
I worry. I dont want Will to have to lose his parents to cancer. I don't want to see my mother or my in-laws have cancer. That's why I am Standing Up 2 Cancer. If you can't afford to make a donation, you can email you Congressman or Congresswoman. Its easy, there is an already written letter that you can use. At 7:30 you will find my family on the couch watching the telethon.
Please, Help us to Stand Up 2 Cancer.
3 comments:
Thank you for sharing your story. I got very weepy at the part when you talked of the great gift you had of having your dad through Christmas. A gift indeed.
Linked you on the post.
Thank you for standing up!
I'm sorry about your dad. I lost my dad to cancer too, although it was much longer ago (20 years), and now unfortunately I'm battling breast cancer -- but I'm doing pretty well.
Anyways, thanks for sharing your story.
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