suck it cancer

Although I live thousands of miles away from the place I call home, I really have not felt very far because I can get home in an instant. Which is what I am doing this weekend. One of my number one honored heroes Connie is nearing the end of her battle with multiple myeloma. I had the honor of meeting her through her daughter Julie while training with the TEAM in 2004. We were both training for our first Boston Marathon with the Leukemia Society and were instantly bonded not only through running (we were the same slow poke pace) but because she was just beginning the journey with her mother and her diagnosis. I can recall feeling like I didn't want to tell her the truth because I was afraid to scare her with my own mothers experience. I never had to hold anything back because she was just there for me always and I hope I have always been there for her. Connie has kept me believing that living with myeloma does not have to be all bad like I remembered it with my own mother. She was able to live life for 5 plus years with this disease, as the healthiest sick person I have ever met. Not only that but she was able to see her first granddaughter and bond with her. Unfortunately the disease has reared its ugly head and is taking over the body of a beautiful and strong amazing woman, mother, grandmother and friend. True I am going home to try to lend any support I can do my friends, but also to help feel like maybe there was some reason that I had to go through this before. I know that if the tables were turned and Julie lost her mother first, that she would be beside me to hold my hand, and make me laugh, and possibly yell at crazy people who try to show up at their house to say goodbye. This family is definately one of the stronger ones I have ever met and I admire their ability to speak so freely about death with one another. I think that helps quite a bit to know how their mother feels about the process. It is a very difficult thing when death is pretty much smack dab in your face all day every day for years and years. To live life with that dangling in front of your eyes is a difficult thing to do. They have all battled this together with such "grace" and I truly admire them. I look forward to spending some time with them and to hopefully be a reminder that even after death they can continue to have a relationship with their mother, and that life, although extremely difficult will go on. And one day down the road, they will know why they had to go through this.
And yes, expect another fundraising letter to come soon, because I am pretty pissed that this disease is going to claim yet another amazing woman.