The language surrounding cancer is nasty. It’s worse than Klingon. After awhile, you get sick of hearing words like Tumor, Carcinoma, Disease. Even the chemo drugs have nasty sounding names. Our Doc told us about one drug that goes by the name Zometa. Fine for the U.S., but in Israel they needed a fast name change because no one wants to take a drug called “this is death.”
So now we have a plan. We would have much preferred if the plan was based on Ben and Jerry’s and not Paclitaxel, but at least it IS a plan and at least we are once again going after the cancer.
Stella will take weekly chemo, starting this Sunday. The chemo is supposed to be a LOT less debilitating then the last series. So don’t be surprised if Stella not only declines chesed food but invites you to come for a Shabbat meal. She will get a central port put in so that she no longer has to be the human pin cushion. (Insert “holy” wife joke here.)
And I will do my part by riding to the moon and back and raising enough money so that Shaare Zedek can cure cancer. (I have it easy.)
So the question you will ask is: How many treatments?
The answer is: As many as it takes.
No need for a follow-up, o.k.?
Now not only do I have an amazing wife, but I have four amazing kids. (And an amazing dog.) So I will leave you with what Rivka drew on her school binder.
It says: “What cancer cannot do — Conquer the spirit, kill friendship, destroy peace, invade the soul, cripple love, shatter hope, corrode faith, suppress memories, silence courage.”
(OK — she told me she got the message from a bracelet that someone gave her, but still. She is so special to carry this around with her every day.)