If you follow me on Twitter, you probably have seen my scattered Tweets alluding to my grandfather’s health. Back in March, Grandpa was diagnosed with cancer. He was originally told that it was just a growth that needed to be removed, but when they biopsied it, it ended up being the Big C. It started out as discomfort in January, then the discomfort gradually became pain and that pain suddenly became relentless.
Beginning April 9, the day after Easter, my grandpa has made several trips to Sloan Kettering Hospital in NYC to undergo a series of tests to determine what stage the cancer is in, whether or not it could be removed, and if his body could even undergo surgery. It was, thankfully, only in Stage II, but aggressive and we were told surgery to remove it needed to be done quickly. At 81 years old, chemotherapy was not considered an option. There was concern over whether or not it had spread, which lead to another nerve-racking week of tests and waiting (it had not) and then concern over whether or not he would pass a stress test that would determine for certain whether or not they could even do the surgery. There’s been so many trips to S.K. that I can’t even keep them straight, but they’ve all led up to today. It has been very difficult to sit at work or wait up til 3am or go take a final exam, all while just waiting for a text or a phone call with information. My personality isn’t really one to sit still and wait on the outskirts; I need to be there, to be know what’s going on first hand. I’m a first hand kinda gal. (Yeah, I know…that’s what she said.)
Being stuck in Raleigh during most of this cancer crap, I didn’t understand the full scope of what was going on until I made a day trip up to Long Island on May 6. That’s when the sentence, “It’s very difficult to see Grandpa like this” became real. Cancer sucks. It makes strong people wince in pain and mentally eats away at not just the inflicted, but their loves ones as well. Yeah, cancer happens, but it’s not fair.
Today, Grandpa will go in for surgery to remove the area affected by his cancer and hopefully we will all be cancer free from hereon out. I’m nervous, but hopeful. I wish I could be there to kiss him goodbye before surgery and hold his hand when he gets out of it. I’ll be taking a trip to NY this weekend to do at least the hand-holding part. The May Photo-a-day topic for May 20 was “Something You Can’t Live Without.” I (half) jokingly took a picture of Zoe and said I couldn’t live without taking gratuitous cat pictures. Honestly, my grandparents are something I can’t live without and I’m going to finish this post by asking for anyone reading this to please, please send good vibes and a prayer for a successful surgery and quick, long lasting recovery. Thank you.
