cancer: tired of talking about it?

Last Thursday night while out at Nellie’s celebrating Kyle’s birthday, I saw a few good friends that I hadn’t seen in a while. Partly because I moved and partly because–as you may well know–it was a bit of rough Summer for me. So it was good to see them all and there were the conversations I expected about whether or not I’m doing well and how glad they are that things turned out all right. Then I was asked a question that no one’s asked me before about my cancer & treatment…

Are you tired of talking about it yet?

The question sort of took me by surprise. It was asked out of concern and thoughtfulness and I appreciated it. I don’t think anyone with cancer wants to be defined by it, even though they go through a lot, to put it very lightly. Over the past year, I, my best friends, co-workers and acquaintances have all been affected by cancer. For a while, it seemed that every other week, I was hearing of someone, their friend or relative, etc. that had just been diagnosed with cancer. Just last month, my best friend lost her mother–very suddenly–to lung cancer. Obviously, it isn’t something that we want to talk about all the time, but there’s no ignoring it, either.

When I was going through those initial surgeries and getting the scans and having the daily treatments, I was pretty tired of it, no lie. After a conversation with my mother, the Suzanne Vega song “Tired of Sleeping” kept running through my head as I made the daily train⇒bus⇒waiting room⇒radiation trips…

Oh Mom, I wonder when I’ll be waking
It’s just that there’s so much to do
And I’m tired of sleeping

You do get tired of it–sometimes literally, you’re exhausted from treatment–even though you know it’s what has to be done to take care of yourself. But now that’s it’s past the treatment stage and just in the maintenance phase as my doctor says, I’m not tired of talking about it because I’m here to talk about it. But that doesn’t mean that, from time to time, I’d also rather talk about other things.

While I’ve got you here… perhaps you’d consider making a donation for and in memory of those affected by cancer.

• My friend Carlea Bauman, president of the Colorectal Cancer Coalition (C3) had a birthday wish to raise money to help fight colorectal cancer. With this birthday wish, I don’t think she’ll mind if its fulfillment is a little belated.
• In honor of my aunt and my best friend’s mother, please make a donation to the National Lung Cancer Partnership.

If there are any charities I’ve missed or any stories you’d like to share, please let me know in the comments.