I learned of some very sad news last week...my Aunt (one of my Dad's sisters), was recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. My understanding is that the doctors initially thought it had been caught early enough to surgically remove the cancerous portion of her pancreas, but later discovered it had metastasized to her liver, making her condition inoperable, and likely untreatable. Apparently, pancreatic cancer is quite treatable when caught in the early stages. However, typically, it presents with very few symptoms, so it often goes undiscovered until it has spread. Thus, the name "the silent killer".
Please include her and the rest of my family in your prayers...
Our family, apparently, is no stranger to pancreatic cancer. My cousin, Michelle, died in 2006 at the age of 39 from pancreatic cancer. As far as I know, she had very few risk factors, she was young, healthy, and a runner. She learned of her cancer in January, and died in May. She has beautiful twins, who were not quite 18 months when she died (they were born the week before Lilly...) My great-aunt Melva (my dad's aunt) died in her 80's of pancreatic cancer, and my great-grandmother (my dad's grandmother) also died as a result of this cancer. I also had a great-uncle who died in his early 60's as a result of colon cancer.
So, worried, I turn to the internet...the trusty internet for some answers. I did find some valid information (deemed valid because several reputable internet sites reported similar information--Johns Hopkins, some cancer center in New York), which provided some information on Hereditary Pancreatic Cancer.
"Sweet," I think...I can find a little info, bring it to my doctor, and that will earn me at least yearly screenings so that if I develop this horrible illness, we can catch it and treat it.
Only to discover that there is no screening method for this cancer. There is research, and hopefully, one day in the future, there will be.
To further discover, that while it is the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths (again, because it is generally untreatable), it is a cancer whose research is sorely under-funded...
So, I am more than a bit nervous. For myself, yes. But for my children. For my sister and brothers. For my nephews and niece. For my cousins and their families. For my dad. For my aunts and uncles. It is a tragic, tragic disease, and a horrible way to die.
On top of that, I am just sad for my aunt that she has to go through this. Please keep our family in your prayers, and consider donating to the research happening for the screening and treatment of pancreatic cancer
http://pathology.jhu.edu/pancreas/support.php
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Resiliency
-noun
1. The power or ability to return to the original form, position, etc., after being bent, stretched, or compressed; elasticity.
2. ability to recover readily from illness, depression, adversity, or the like; buoyancy.
I met this word as a sixth grader, when my teacher remarked that I was "resilient". I liked how it sounded, it sounded so much like brilliant (another favorite word of mine), so I knew it had to be good. When I discovered what it meant, I liked it even more, and realized that I must be a resilient person.
Resiliency is the ability to pick yourself up after you fall over and over again in the relentless pursuit of a goal. It is taking lemons and making lemonade. It is reaching for the brass ring, even after you miss it the first five times around. It is keeping your nose to the grindstone in the face of adversity for the long haul because, in the end, it will all be worth it. Yes, I am resilient...
But I have seen resiliency that I don't know I posses. I work with people who have special needs, who face challenges every single day because their body, mind, spirit, or background have prevented them from functioning at the level of their peers. Every day, they pick themselves up (sometimes literally), and face each day. Sometimes they stumble, but they never stop. They never give up. Because what is the alternative? The mom of the child who has "behavioral problems", who each day chooses to love her child, because no one else will. Who drives 45 minutes for appointments, who has carefully scheduled her life around the needs of this child to make things just a little easier. Or the person who grew up in poverty, in addiction, and a part of "the system", who grabbed that brass ring the first time around, and took the opportunity to build a life and break that cycle. A person who is intelligent, articulate, caring, and never forgets the barriers that were overcome.
So, while I believe that I am a resilient person, and that, perhaps, in the face of such adversity, I would hold true to my beliefs that it is better to keep on going. But, thus far, my "resiliency" is just an ideal, nothing compared to the grit that I have seen in some very special people recently. I am so blessed to have these people in my life, to teach me about true persistence, true resiliency.
So take those lemons, don't chew on them! Add a little sugar, water, and make it something sweet!
1. The power or ability to return to the original form, position, etc., after being bent, stretched, or compressed; elasticity.
2. ability to recover readily from illness, depression, adversity, or the like; buoyancy.
I met this word as a sixth grader, when my teacher remarked that I was "resilient". I liked how it sounded, it sounded so much like brilliant (another favorite word of mine), so I knew it had to be good. When I discovered what it meant, I liked it even more, and realized that I must be a resilient person.
Resiliency is the ability to pick yourself up after you fall over and over again in the relentless pursuit of a goal. It is taking lemons and making lemonade. It is reaching for the brass ring, even after you miss it the first five times around. It is keeping your nose to the grindstone in the face of adversity for the long haul because, in the end, it will all be worth it. Yes, I am resilient...
But I have seen resiliency that I don't know I posses. I work with people who have special needs, who face challenges every single day because their body, mind, spirit, or background have prevented them from functioning at the level of their peers. Every day, they pick themselves up (sometimes literally), and face each day. Sometimes they stumble, but they never stop. They never give up. Because what is the alternative? The mom of the child who has "behavioral problems", who each day chooses to love her child, because no one else will. Who drives 45 minutes for appointments, who has carefully scheduled her life around the needs of this child to make things just a little easier. Or the person who grew up in poverty, in addiction, and a part of "the system", who grabbed that brass ring the first time around, and took the opportunity to build a life and break that cycle. A person who is intelligent, articulate, caring, and never forgets the barriers that were overcome.
So, while I believe that I am a resilient person, and that, perhaps, in the face of such adversity, I would hold true to my beliefs that it is better to keep on going. But, thus far, my "resiliency" is just an ideal, nothing compared to the grit that I have seen in some very special people recently. I am so blessed to have these people in my life, to teach me about true persistence, true resiliency.
So take those lemons, don't chew on them! Add a little sugar, water, and make it something sweet!
Friday, March 12, 2010
A day off...
I took today off because the kids didn't have school today. There are quite a few days in the next month that they do not have school, so I thought I would take a few of those days off with them. I am trying to get the house clean, so that I can enjoy the rest of the weekend, but can't seem to find all of my motivation. Oh, well, it is about 1/2-way done and I have the rest of the day to finish the other half.
Fridays at work are my favorite day of the week to work, and now, they are my favorite day to have off from work, too. I am becoming a work-junkie, and with convenient remote access, I can check my e-mails whenever I want (oh, lucky me!). So, it is hard, if not impossible, for me to resist the urge to check my work e-mail. Because, you never know, the place could burn down if I'm not checked in. But, there is so little e-mail traffic on Fridays, and what few e-mails I have had, I was able to easily address. It is nice to feel like I can actually have a day off without the stress of work hanging over my head. Kind of like a mini-vacay, :)
Today, Lilly and I ran into St. Cloud to run a few errands. It was gloomy and rainy outside, and I didn't really want to be running around. But Lilly was feeling, oh, so chipper. She blabbed on and on from the backseat, mostly to herself as she was playing with some dolls. Gradually, the noise became louder and louder, until she was singing at the top of her lungs. This continued for about 10 minutes, when she stopped. I told her, "Lilly, that was a beautiful song,", and she informed me that she just made it up because she felt like singing. It was so perfect. She has so much joy, at times (when she isn't being a drama queen, :-)because she finds happiness in simple things.
I have always believed that I am a happy person, a person who can find and share joy, a person who looks at the bright side, and who believes in the value of hard work and persistence. But, as life moves on, it is starting to wear me down, and at times, I feel like I am losing those parts of myself that I have always believed to be "me". I think that I have shifted my priorities, both out of necessity, and out of a belief to fit into a certain mold, and those priorities aren't necessarily conducive to joyful self-expression. I will treasure that moment with Lilly that we had today, and I will always encourage her, as well as Alex and Cameron, to take a moment to find joy and to share it with others.
On a different note, we had conferences for all three kids last night at school. It was nice to hear that they are all doing well. They have all been blessed with very good teachers who complement their personalities. It has been such a good school year, I hate to see it winding down. You just never know what the next grade will bring...it could be great, but it could be terrible. I guess we have to just wait and see.
Hopefully, it stops raining soon and the spring flooding isn't too bad. Apparently the Sauk River is one that is being watched closely, as there is potential for significant flooding. Last year, one of the playgrounds which is on the river, was almost completely underwater. Hopefully, it isn't any worse this year, since many homes and businesses in our community are very close to the Sauk.
Stay dry!!
Fridays at work are my favorite day of the week to work, and now, they are my favorite day to have off from work, too. I am becoming a work-junkie, and with convenient remote access, I can check my e-mails whenever I want (oh, lucky me!). So, it is hard, if not impossible, for me to resist the urge to check my work e-mail. Because, you never know, the place could burn down if I'm not checked in. But, there is so little e-mail traffic on Fridays, and what few e-mails I have had, I was able to easily address. It is nice to feel like I can actually have a day off without the stress of work hanging over my head. Kind of like a mini-vacay, :)
Today, Lilly and I ran into St. Cloud to run a few errands. It was gloomy and rainy outside, and I didn't really want to be running around. But Lilly was feeling, oh, so chipper. She blabbed on and on from the backseat, mostly to herself as she was playing with some dolls. Gradually, the noise became louder and louder, until she was singing at the top of her lungs. This continued for about 10 minutes, when she stopped. I told her, "Lilly, that was a beautiful song,", and she informed me that she just made it up because she felt like singing. It was so perfect. She has so much joy, at times (when she isn't being a drama queen, :-)because she finds happiness in simple things.
I have always believed that I am a happy person, a person who can find and share joy, a person who looks at the bright side, and who believes in the value of hard work and persistence. But, as life moves on, it is starting to wear me down, and at times, I feel like I am losing those parts of myself that I have always believed to be "me". I think that I have shifted my priorities, both out of necessity, and out of a belief to fit into a certain mold, and those priorities aren't necessarily conducive to joyful self-expression. I will treasure that moment with Lilly that we had today, and I will always encourage her, as well as Alex and Cameron, to take a moment to find joy and to share it with others.
On a different note, we had conferences for all three kids last night at school. It was nice to hear that they are all doing well. They have all been blessed with very good teachers who complement their personalities. It has been such a good school year, I hate to see it winding down. You just never know what the next grade will bring...it could be great, but it could be terrible. I guess we have to just wait and see.
Hopefully, it stops raining soon and the spring flooding isn't too bad. Apparently the Sauk River is one that is being watched closely, as there is potential for significant flooding. Last year, one of the playgrounds which is on the river, was almost completely underwater. Hopefully, it isn't any worse this year, since many homes and businesses in our community are very close to the Sauk.
Stay dry!!
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