Prayers, good thoughts and vibes... anything that could help in anyway... for my cousin Linda. After going through chemo/radiation for a few months to try to get rid of the cancer that they never did figure out where the source was coming from... she just found out that the cancer is back. This time they have spotted some in her stomach and a spot on her lung and they aren't sure yet how they want to try treating it. Apparently she told my sister if the doctors can only give her a 50/50 chance she may decide not to do the treatments because the last time she was so violently ill with them, and also some of her flesh was burned and falling off from it. I had heard about people being ill with the treatments, and about some people losing their hair (depending on where the treatment was done on them)... but I had never heard of the flesh falling off part before. She is (and has always been) so painfully thin as it is, so it has to be really hard on her being sick to the point of not being able to eat. When we spoke a couple of weeks ago she told me that she was finally starting to gain a couple of pounds that she really needed to gain. She also told me that she still wasn't feeling wonderful, but that the doctors had told her that was normal as the chemo apparently stays in the system for almost a year, but it would fade away with time. Now this again! :'o(
My sister told me all of this on the phone on Thursday night when I called to find out if this weekend would be good for Matthew and I to visit (then we would surprise my cousin with a visit on Sunday). We had wanted to do this two months ago, but the weather had other plans, so we waited to be sure the weather would be nice. Unfortunately my sister is very busy this weekend, and Matthew is busy next weekend... so we're booking the first weekend in May on our calendars for this visit. My sister told me the last time she was talking to Linda, that Linda asked if she can come with them the next time they come to town to stay with their son as she wants to come visit me. She hadn't told me that she wanted to come visit when we spoke two weeks ago, and I haven't told her that we're trying to get there to see her either, so it looks like we both had the same idea of surprising each other. :o)
I have been trying to think of all the fun and funny things that have happened throughout our lives that had anything to do with Linda, but I'm finding it very hard not to end up crying even though the memories are funny. Of course when we go to visit her, I will put on my best happy face and try very hard not to let my worry show. I will most likely tear up when it's time to leave... we haven't *seen* each other (she doesn't have a car, and I couldn't afford to drive that far) for almost 23 years, even though we spoke/speak on the phone at least once a month or so... and now, God only knows when (or if) we will see each other again. I am going to do my best to try to be able to visit her and have her visit me a few times throughout the summer... and up until bad weather comes back, but I honestly don't know how many trips I will be able to afford if the price of gas keeps going up.
Anyway... if those of you who do pray would be kind enough to add my cousin Linda to your prayer list, and those of you who don't pray if you could send out good thoughts and vibes into the universe... I would really appreciate it. Thank you!
*hugs* Gemini