Call from eldest 46 yr old son
We as mainly Cathoics, love the idea of keeping spirits high. Prayers are what does this for us. Ach, my son has declared himself as someone who only sees what life gives him through his eyes. Yet he has a catholic mom and religious aunts and uncles and his wife and her family share this belief as well. We are all praying for him and have enlisted others prayers and I know he respects our beliefs even if he doesn't participate. Sean's spirits are high now. My belief is that it is from all of the prayers he is receiving to keep his own joyous nature intact.
My experience is that even people who don't have strong religious beliefs appreciate it when others "pray" for them, which can take the form of genuine prayer or simply strong positive thoughts. It's amazing how encouraging it can be to know that others are thinking about you and hoping for a positive outcome.
Absolutely! He is loved by so many. It is a very strong positive emotion for him to receive. Even from strangers. I feel it in my own life as well. People wishing the best for a positive outcome. What's funny is that if the outcome of this disease is just that Sean gets to stay Sean, his old happy self, I am good with that. His father at the age of 83 has dementia yet keeps himself intact for the kids to enjoy him. That my dear Peggyc is our gift in life to others. I see it in your posts about your mom. I had it more kindly in my brother Bill's later life. Brother Chas's life could never be sweeter than towards his end. Let us all just keep the love flowing, the rest, like my Irish mom says, "Uch, pay no attention."
Weird Silly stuff. I emailed my sisters and used abbreviated mm and DIL. Two sisters out of five asked me who DIL was. I had to explain I meant daughter in law. One sis chose to describe my mm to mean his wife's initials and I meant to describe I meant multiple myeloma.. Of course Sean will be living with his wife as well as his disease. Uch. Hopefully us 50 - 70 year olds will eventually get on the same page to what we think is communication. ;-)
ootg, thinking of you so often and praying. the large number of siblings does create some communication oddities doesn't it. the thought occurs to me that the best thing you can do is to just keep on, keepin' on in love and compassion as you always do. hugs!
Right critter? They really don't mean harm. I just need to take time to explain what I really mean,same as I would do. If I was having this conversation side by side with them. I take short cuts with my people on line. My elderly sisters don't have the same experiences I have. It's like jumping from this century back to the last with some of them. I do keep on keepin' on and loving them all. It's the new language barrier that is getting in the way. Thanks critter, my sister from another mother. You get me and I love you so much for it.
critterlover said:
we cross-posted. beautiful couple!
Hah! I love that we cross posted. You are always in my thoughts as well.
Today, I spoke with Sean and His wife. He doesn't have the results back yet from his full body scan and was waiting to contact us when he does. Yet he does have a scheduled chemo for next Thursday and Fri and the same for each of the following weeks until a follow up appt with his drs on June 10th. He has a nutritionist. He loves his main dr (a Robin Williams type) and another who also includes eastern medicine philosophy. He is open to to his aunt Clare's suggestions of acupuncture and asparagus daily use. I emailed Clare's asparagus info to he and his wife.. He loved talking with aunt Sue and will follow her suggestions as well.
He sounds healthy and wise. I'll speak with him again this weekend.
He sounds healthy and wise. I'll speak with him again this weekend.
Yeah PeggyC. Good for him. He listens to,his aunts and is covering all of the bases. Yet it is your comment that brings tears to my eyes and makes me ask God Why? And then I have to remember my mom' s words to me in response to my prayer to her. "Uch. Pay no attention. It is life." For now, my son is enjoying his life.
Man this sucks.
Man this sucks.
Why am I such a scaredy cat? I have prayers coming from Canada and the US. My son is in the best of doctors and a nutritionists' care. He has the most amazingly loving wife, children and nanny's care I could ever hope for. Plus his extended in law family. And all of my siblings and their mates.
God grant me the serenity to accept what I cannot change, to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.
My thought now is ii can let go of being afraid of the unknown and embrace that I do still have my loving son with me.
This post is my future. Thank you all for your support in our daily lives. It truly is hopeful and Sean and his wife count on me to be supportive as well.
I can change being a scaredy cat. Catch me if I ever give in to it again. Thanks everyone.
;-)
God grant me the serenity to accept what I cannot change, to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.
My thought now is ii can let go of being afraid of the unknown and embrace that I do still have my loving son with me.
This post is my future. Thank you all for your support in our daily lives. It truly is hopeful and Sean and his wife count on me to be supportive as well.
I can change being a scaredy cat. Catch me if I ever give in to it again. Thanks everyone.
;-)
WHAT CANCER CANNOT DO:
Cancer is so limited.
It cannot cripple love.
It cannot shatter hope.
It cannot dissolve faith.
It cannot destroy peace.
It cannot kill friendship.
It cannot suppress Memories.
it cannot silence courage.
It cannot invade the soul.
It cannot steal eternal life.
It cannot conquer the spirit.
From an anonymous plaque I got D when he began his chemo.
Cancer is so limited.
It cannot cripple love.
It cannot shatter hope.
It cannot dissolve faith.
It cannot destroy peace.
It cannot kill friendship.
It cannot suppress Memories.
it cannot silence courage.
It cannot invade the soul.
It cannot steal eternal life.
It cannot conquer the spirit.
From an anonymous plaque I got D when he began his chemo.
Say it to yourself, in the mirror - morning, noon and night. And send your son a copy.
joanne said:
WHAT CANCER CANNOT DO:
Cancer is so limited.
It cannot cripple love.
It cannot shatter hope.
It cannot dissolve faith.
It cannot destroy peace.
It cannot kill friendship.
It cannot suppress Memories.
it cannot silence courage.
It cannot invade the soul.
It cannot steal eternal life.
It cannot conquer the spirit.
From an anonymous plaque I got D when he began his chemo.
Very beautiful and moving. OOTG, my heart goes out to you, Sean and your family.
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May 10, 2014 at 10:08am Edited
oneofthegirls said:
My thought now is ii can let go of being afraid of the unknown and embrace that I do still have my loving son with me.
;-)
This is one of the biggest challenges in life, OOTG -- to allow yourself to be afraid, admit you are afraid, and then return to being in the moment. I decided that the most important thing for my family was to be able to look each of them in the face when they got home from school, and feel truly happy that I was there to see their faces. I might have been terrified earlier in the day, but I was mostly serene when I interacted with them. Each moment was precious.
It is the irony of being so uncomfortably close to not being here. I was able to appreciate the moment -- to be so very grateful that I was here. Now that I am hopefully on the other side of this scary situation, I am back to being less grateful for every moment, and feeling more fearful about money, and this and that, and to be more cross about this and that.
I have faith in you, OOTG. You will find that place where you feel more accepting of what is at this moment, and to be grateful that you have your son right now at this moment. We are not gurus, so we cannot be in this place always, only sometimes.
Moreover, you have a strong family. This family is a safety net not only for your son as he goes through this challenge, but for his entire family. It is reassuring to your son whether he says so or not that the family is there. And you, as the grandmother, are one of the most important members of the family. Don't let him be worried about you and how you are handling it. Let him lean on you, as I'm sure he is doing. Let him think of you as a strong post holding up the safety net with all of the others in the family. Perhaps you can imagine yourself in the center of the net with the other posts, other members of the family, standing guard and standing strong with the net. Feel the strength that each of you has alone and as each person is added, feel the strength of that person acting as a post holding up the net and the other people. Really feel it, and imagine your son and his family bouncing on the net, holding hands, and laughing.
What wonderful advice as I do feel this way about my family and my other two children. We are a great team and Sean has already expressed this how lucky he is to have us all. :X
Sean texted to his sister:
Well it puts it all into perspective because I think a lot about at least having a chance to fight it vs someone who dies without a chance. I feel very confident we will look back on this time from far in the future. I will never forget the outpouring of love and helping hands I have gotten.
Well it puts it all into perspective because I think a lot about at least having a chance to fight it vs someone who dies without a chance. I feel very confident we will look back on this time from far in the future. I will never forget the outpouring of love and helping hands I have gotten.
I just read about a woman who was successfully treated for MM with, of all things, the measles vaccine.
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