I decided I wanted to write a blog..... partly because I like the word "blog" but partly because anyone who knows me knows I am a book nerd. I love to read and I used to love keeping a diary. It helps me to put my thoughts on paper, even if it's virtual paper.
I have a friend who asked me if I wanted to write a book with her from the perspective of a cancer caretaker. I told her I couldn't do it yet, because I was too pissed off about the whole situation to look at it objectively. That was almost a year ago, and I am still pissed off, but I think it's time to blog.
Background: On September 25, 2006, my husband was diagnosed with lung cancer. He was 47 years old. I remember the date because we had a birthday party for my dad at my house the day before. I was a nervous hostess, to say the least. Todd (my husband), had had a really bad cough for months and it wasn't going away. It was so bad that he couldn't really talk very well. He would have a coughing fit before he could finish a sentence. So, he went to the doctor's thinking it was probably allergies. She said she couldn't find anything wrong with him, but to go to the hospital to get a chest x-ray, "just to be on the safe side." He didn't really think he needed the x-ray, but we decided he should go. Guess what ? It was lung cancer. Did I mention he is a non-smoker, did not grow up around smokers, doesn't roll around in asbestos ... no reason he should get this disease. After many, many stops and starts, false hopes, false information, etc. it ends up he has a really bad kind that surgery won't help but the upside is that he is relatively young, very healthy, and a non-smoker !
