CANCER Sucks ~ Part III

An Eagle When She/He

Flies

The many faces of Cancer in all forms, types and treatments will find those who face illness, diagnosis, treatment choices as varied as the disease itself. As one reader commented yeserday, this series is indeed challenging, she wrote that she did not quite understand why one must fight a disease... Perhaps one can "embrace and just sit with a disease" I guess, but that has not been my experience with Cancer. It would appear that those dealing with Cancer mostly become pro-active, they feel a need to control the disease rather than be controlled by it! In most cases that requires a warrior attitude, a postive mental attitude as one woman named Denise once told me, "I have my PMA Sherry, my postive mental attitude each day when I go for treatment". So it may be that the reader is having difficulty with my choice of words rather than with the attitude that comes with a Cancer diagnosis and plan of those who are affected and infected; both the patient and those who love them.

But one thing is certain... I've been honored to meet many many people in my lifetime with this disease, many who are left behind to grieve those who have died...

Tonya Mae is but one of the survivors, one of my heroes who faced and fought Cancer head on... yes she loved and laughed, painted the toes of her beloved friend Elke, she read to her, stroked her head and said all the things that she could think of as she prepared to touch, hold and love her on this earth for the last time... she ached for her, cried for her, mourned for her... She had her lovely back made into a tribute to her; an outward expression of her pain and her grief! An ever present reminder to all that would see it that yes, CANCER SUCKS, but beauty of Elke will live on strong as she was a warrior with beauty, softness and lovely painfulness.

I know other such survivors; they too walk with pride, with confidence, one such survivor now cares for her spouse who also is a survivor of Pancreatic Cancer, who has just lived through the "Whipple Surgery" with his pancreas removed! Two Cancer survivors under one roof.... coping with four years of Cancer and threat of loss, illness and continual stress, constant doctors appointments and times of holding their breath awaiting PET scan results, blood tests... The resiliency of the human spirit indeed is alive and well in Northern Virginia! She even took her little teddy bear to see her brilliant oncologist and he got a great kick out of the bears t-shirt which said, "F*** CANCER"! He liked it so much in fact that he had a nurse take a picture of him holding the bear and standing with both Cancer survivors on each side of him. Just imagine that... an oncologist with two patients in one room, married to each other... both survivors!!!

And then I stop by and say hello yesterday to my dear Lovie, now if you read Healing Heartaches, you will know who Lovie is... and it is during the visit she tells me that her husband and she had just recently seen the doc who let them know that (whew...) her husband is now 7 years CANCER free !!! Yet another SURVIVOR and yes, CANCER sucks... the years of holding the breath and prayers of no return of this devastation and three generations of family that is still intact!

If you remember, I posted not so long ago of a woman who emailed me to let me know of her gratitude since I had been holding her in a white light of healing ... she had her final chemotherapy and PET scan which revealed NO CANCER... and was emailing all in her faith community and all that she knew... She would hopefully still be here to share memories of her son while being here for his children as they grow and learn and laugh!!!

I remember holding Walter in my arms until the Angel took him from me, gone to soon a young boy died from Leukemia; his Mother standing beside me unable to let him go; entrusting Bearly Bear to hold her precious child. He was ready, he knew that he would be embraced by light, love and the angels would take him, and they did. CANCER SUCKS.

Three of my buddies on Facebook posted this week that their beloved family members had died of Cancer ... they were preparing funerals, preparing to say final good-byes, their hearts were heavy.

CANCER SUCKS.

My deepest condolences to those who have lost loved ones to Cancer, to sudden and traumatic death. My heart aches for your loss.

I am closing my thoughts today with the picture of the Eagle that I took while boating with my dearest friends Laura and Mitch on Lake Tarpon... today my thoughts are of Tonya Mae and all the survivors of Cancer, the loved ones of those who have died and those who have fought the fight with Cancer...

Dolly Parton wrote and sings a fabulous song, titled "Eagle When She Flies". This song has very special meaning to me, personal meaning that I won't go into hear. If you haven't heard it, you may want to go youtube.com and type in the title and hear Dolly sing it a few hundred times!!!

Here's the lyrics...

She's Been There, God knows she's been there

She has seen and done it all

She's a woman, she knows how to

Dish it out or take it all

Her heart's as soft as feathers

Still she weathers stormy skies

And she's a sparrow when she's broken

But she's an eagle when she flies

A kaleidoscope of colors

You can toss her around and round

You can keep her in your vision

But you'll never keep her down

She's a lover, she's a mother

she's a friend and she's a wife

And she's a sparrow when she's broken

But she's an eagle when she flies

Gentle as the sweet magnolia

Strong as steel, her faith and pride

She's an everlasting shoulder

She's the leaning post of life

She hurts deep and when she weeps

She's just as fragile as a child

And she' s a sparrow when she's broken

But she' an eagle when she flies

I wish you enough.

author of Healing Heartaches, Stories of Loss & Life

http://www.healingheartaches.com/