Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Like a Hurricane

I have decided that Cancer is like a hurricane. Some storms are a category 1 or 2 and we make it through with very little damage. When the storms are 3,4, or 5 it beats us down. It may take years to rebuild or eventually destroy us. Sometimes we get a small reprieve in the eye of the hurricane which is called 'remission' or 'no evidence of disease'.

Having been diagnosed with BC I feel like I am a coastal city now. I carry on with my normal life watchful on the 'weather'. I try not to focus on it too much until I have a doctor appointment, blood test or scan. Once I get through an event, it is peaceful again.

There is no way to predict accurately how bad real hurricanes will be, it is the same with cancer. I have read too many stories where they thought they 'got it all' only to have it come back with a vengeance. But then again I have read stories where the outcome was expected to be dire, and the storm passed quickly with little damage.

For cancer survivors it is always Hurricane season.

Friday, June 09, 2006

Frog catching

Guess what I did last Sunday? I went frog catching with my boys. Here I am in my forties and I am catching frogs. We had nets and a pond, we were good to go. What more could anyone want on a beautiful sunny Sunday Morning?

I was amazed how my little babies 'jumped' right into the spirit of the hunt. They stepped in mucky water and never blinked. If a frog was jumping around them they showed no fear. They scooped the frog up like it was power ranger toy. I was worried a few times that they were holding their new treasures a little to tight. I continue to tell them that they were just to look at and we will be letting them go after we showed their daddy and be gentle. I have great frog empathy.

We spent a good hour and a half at the frog pond. As I stood there watching them, I thought to myself, now this is what growing up is all about. Experiencing things, doing not watching. My only other random thought was...Where was my camera I am missing a great scrapbook moment!

I don't think I conscientiously tried to raise 'manly' boys, but they are sure turning out that way. They love creatures, bugs and slimly things of any kind. They have been begging me for pet lizzards. Give them a few worms and they will play for hours. They love to play in dirt, play with animals, superheroes, cowboys, Indians, cars, dinosaurs, the list continues to grow. Just yesterday I came home to find their toddler sand- box emptied and moved around the side of the house. They wanted to show their babysitter how 'strong' they were.

Once in a while I will catch them in a testosterone duel. They start breathing heavy, snorting and try to 'take' each other out. Picture two five year olds in a big time wrestling match. At first it starts out as play but I can tell that it turns quickly into more than that. I let it go on for a while. I think it is good to let it out of their systems.

Little boys have too much energy. For example, the current obsession is jumping off of things. My couch, chairs, stairs, swings and their beds! We actually had one get a 'goose egg' after landing incorrectly the other night. It was ugly. I am fearful of the day we take our first trip to get stitches...But then fitzhappens with little boys.