What Cancer Cannot Do

     As Amy finishes her 7th round of chemo, we knew I wouldn't be able to be with her for all her treatments and still maintain my work schedule.  Knowing this upfront doesn't make it any easier.  The cell coverage is lousy inside the clinic rooms, as you'd expect, but every once in a while we're able to get a text through or a phone call will slip in.  I was pleasantly surprised when the call at work came through and I heard my baby's voice on the other end.

Ashton & Anthony on Lil' Blue

     Half in tears and half in laughter, she updated me on her progress, how she was feeling (legs aching, stomach cramping, anxious to get it all over), and also the condition of her mother who took my place today.  I could hear my sweet mother-in-law snoring in the background.  I suppose the thought of being in a quiet room with only a bed and chair was too much an opportunity to pass up...She has a lot on her plate and I pray I'm never sharing a bed with one of my children trudging down the same path.  Still, the sound of her "sawing logs" in the background was too funny to ignore.

Family time on the bay

Destin Beach, Florida

So we talked about what we normally talk about; anything not having to do with why we're here.  Trying to focus on better days isn't easy when you're not having a particularly good one.  I have yet to see anyone smile on the way in or out of this place.  Any yet, everyone seems to be friendly and kind.  All unwilling members into a club that welcomes folks from every walk of life...lucky us, huh?  We talk about happier times; enjoying the days in the sun, our only care is where to have our next meal and what time the next tour might be.  We remember our walks on the beach and wonder if the people who live here still appreciate the beauty of this place?  Crystal clear beaches and blue green waters.  All these beautiful places we can remember like we were there yesterday, trying hard to remember like it was just yesterday, as the blood pressure machine kicks on and drowns out her soft voice on the phone.  We're instantly pulled back into Cancerland and the seventeen more rounds we still have to endure - trying to count this one as done, even though it seems to take longer and longer on each visit.

     I try hard to keep reminding her that this time next year it will be over.  At least this portion of the treatment and we should be enjoying recovery with some hormone treatment and follow ups...ok, so it will never be completely over, but this too shall pass.  And we can manage this, we can survive this.  There is so much cancer really cannot do, and those things are truly worth fighting for.  I hate that my wife has to go through this; but if this is the cost of admission, we'll take two please.

What Cancer Cannot Do

Submitted by: constancelynn from scrapbook.com

Author: Unknown

Cancer is so limited...
It cannot cripple love.
It cannot shatter hope.
It cannot corrode faith.
It cannot eat away peace.
It cannot destroy confidence.
It cannot kill friendship.
It cannot shut out memories.
It cannot silence courage.
It cannot reduce eternal life.
It cannot quench the Spirit.