"It is the duty of children to wait on elders, and not the elders on children" ~ African proverb
I finally talked with my stepson and his wife yesterday. They called sometime before my operation, but not since. I'm sure Hubby is keeping them up to date on the Breast Cancer Saga, but I've been hoping for a call or an email from them just to wish me well. I even admit to being hurt by the seeming indifference to my plight. Okay, that just sounds unbelievably whiney. I do not whine. Starting over.
I spoke with my stepson and his wife yesterday. My daughter in law has had her jaw surgery, which she compared to my breast cancer. I said hello, how are you and something to the effect that I do, indeed, have breast cancer. There was a brief pause before she said, "I've got something similar." You can imagine my shock and horror. "Oh no! What's wrong?" She broke her jaw while she was eating a taco. I know. Exactly the same as breast cancer.
We talked about how the jaw surgery went and I just started blithering on about what's been happening and what is yet to come on the breast cancer front. She advised me that she knows a guy whose father had prostate cancer, went to Mexico to be treated herbally and is now cancer-free. She didn't exactly advise me to head on south of the border, but there was an implied suggestion there. I'm not going to Mexico. She suggested Tai Chi. And accupuncture.
These things may be an expression of caring. Sometimes people don't exactly know how to say they're concerned or they wish you well. Suggesting you go to Mexico and abandon conventional treatment just isn't the way to do that.
My stepson seems to be working steadily. He's also been recording some new music. We discussed his mom's bout with breast cancer several years ago. I've wondered how the prospect of another family member with cancer would be for him. I could be wrong here, but I think he may be avoiding the necessity of acknowledging it. Who knows. I'm not interested in additional speculation as to why he hasn't been in touch. He's a guy. That pretty much sums it up, probably.
On the work front, we may be losing another employee. Ed, the computer guy, died several weeks ago. I think he was in his late 70's or thereabouts, so it wasn't a tragedy. I just don't think I've ever experienced that before. Now another person, a woman, is in the intensive care unit at one of the local hospitals. An insect bite became infected, she went to the minor emergency clinic and they summoned the ambulance immediately. After she got to the hospital, her kidneys failed. The infection had reached frightening proportions, an 8" x 10" section of her tummy. She's responding to dialysis and antibiotics, but I think there's still some question as to her eventual recovery.
My other dearly beloved co-worker, k., is out of the office again. This time her husband had a really, really bad headache yesterday that sent him to the emergency room. They didn't know what was wrong with him. (Let me hazard a guess here: a headache?) He woke up with the headache again today so she decided to stay home with him. She was afraid to leave him alone. He called the office early this afternoon and reported to us that he's feeling better (let's all celebrate!), but his wife is spending the rest of the afternoon with him. This is the woman who thought her sinus infection was comparable to breast cancer. The world is just filled with nitwits and I seem to attract them.
I woke up feeling down today. Who the hell knows why. It's just been one of those days when the sun is shining, but I'm completely incapable of bucking up. Yoga tonight may help.
America held hostage day 1424
Bushism of the day:
"You know, let me talk about Al Qaida just for a second. I made the statement that we're dismantling senior management, and we are. Our people have done a really good job of hauling in a lot of the key operators. Khalid Shaikh Mohammed. Abu Zubaida. Ramzi--Ramzi alshibh or whatever that guy's name was."
—Bush, at a July 30 press conference
Source: Washington Post, July 30, 2003
Website of the day: Recovering from Workaholism
http://www.io.com/~workanon/
