Here I am, better late than never, finally starting a blog. Throughout my experience with Frank's illness over the past 20 months, I have written about it in notebooks, emails, a wonderful site for spousal caregivers (www.wellspouse.org), the backs of CBC results -- you name it -- but never in a blog. So this is a first.
A little history, and then the present-day situation. My significant other, Frank, was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer on June 6, 2009. He went to the ER at ECMC in Buffalo, NY with what we thought was severe constipation. He'd lost a little weight and had abdominal pain for a few weeks but was never sick before that. The man didn't even catch colds!
Twelve hours, multiple tests, and an agony of waiting later and we learned he had multiple liver tumors. A biopsy showed an aggressive form of cancer that had not originated in the liver. Many subsequent scans, tests and biopsies gave no further clue as to the nature of this beast. (The original source of the cancer is never found in about 6% of all malignancies; knowing the original cell type that became malignant makes for more effective treatment.)
In this blog, I hope to explore and record our journey and what we have each learned. Frank has shown amazing strength in battling a disease that was originally expected to be fatal within a few months. He is now on hospice care at home and living day to day with tremendous purpose and dignity. I have learned that there are far more amazing, kind people (sometimes right down your own street) than there are schmucks and losers. I also now know that I am stronger than I ever realized (though of course I'd prefer to be less admirable and have him well).
I don't know that it's true that "everything happens for a reason" but I believe that truth can be found in everything that happens. Thank you for reading this first foray into blogging and I hope to see you again soon.
