another soul...

I just found out that another soul, a very dear one at that, is on this awful journey. His fight began in February. I ran into his wife today, & she shared their sad news. I felt like my words were empty...

Of course his specifics are different, but his similarities are all too familiar. His wife is his helpmate, & she is in it for the long haul. She's studied up on this vicious disease, & she is going to fight back on his behalf with all her heart. His sons are on board too, doing all they can to accompany their beloved parents on this walk of life with so many uncertainties.

If you've followed my blog, you know I get angry at cancer every time I hear it is claiming another person's life. I don't necessarily mean taking his/her life, but definitely causing it to swerve off the intended path. Suddenly, plans come to a screeching halt. The victim is hit in the face time & again with cold wet rags. The info is overwhelming. It's surreal. There is no escape.

The details are too painful to hear. It is this pain that causes the experience to be surreal. The patient has to go into a mode of self protection to be able to process the news. It's too painful to hear that you have a disease that knows no bounds. It is seemingly random at times. No one is immune to it, not even the person who succumbed to yearly screenings & tried to live a healthy life.

Further tests & treatments begin ASAP. Sometimes needed scans are denied. The health team looks at the whole puzzle, at least as many of the pieces that are present. Decisions are made without a crystal ball. Some of them turn out to be in the patient's best interest; some of them don't. We only have today. There are no guarantees.

So... another precious family has been stripped of their security. Their rug has been pulled right out from under them. They are knee deep in treatments. In the blink of an eye, life has changed, never  to return to its normal state. The patient fights the fight. His family fights the fight.

My only words: Remember God has the whole picture. He holds each of you in the palm of His hand. He knows what's best. We don't.