Some waits are worth it

Waiting. Water to boil? Takes forever when you're in a hurry, doesn't it? Babies to be born? Might happen too quick if you are on your way to the hospital is rush hour traffic. Waiting for test results? The time drags like trying to move your kids away from the TV.

Today is the day. To refresh your memory, my darling companion was diagnosed with bladder cancer in February 2008. The tumor was removed but not forgotten. For the first year he was tested every three months. Then every four months, now the Doctor feels good enough to test only twice this year. Today is the first test of 2010.

There is always a certain stress involved with a medical procedure but when it comes back negative there is real reason to celebrate. All that worry up until then is shelved for the next time period and as the negative results pile up you become a little more sure of your world staying the same.

We are lucky to live in a time where treating cancer can work, somethings. Two of my close friends have escaped that nasty old cancer, a few are still dealing with it and with my husband it's now a six month reprieve. Oh, his test; cancer free. Yes, celebration day!

We'll be watching and waiting

It has been a year since my beloved had a cancer removed from his bladder and four periodic test for the recurrence of that cancer. Now, instead of every three months he will go every four months for a test. Doesn't sound all that much better but it is because it a step closer to going every five months for a year, then twice a year, and finally yearly. You see, his type of cancer is what the Dr called an annoyance like some skin cancers. You just have to keep watching to make sure they don't come back.

So when you find yourself at your happiest you also get bad news. Why? Who the hell knows, it's just how the universe works. I'm thrilled and a good friend is sitting in the hospital with her husband and her news isn't so good. He has Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of cancer. I've read it responds well to chemo and I do hope this is the case with him. They are a darling couple and I think of her by his side and how lucky he is to have her. I also think of her pain and wish there would be something I could do or say to help. But there is no magic cure, just waiting.

Is it over; yet?

When you get a string of bad luck how do you know when it's over? Last week my darling companion was tripping over his string. First, his truck started backfiring and running real bad. Hmmm, no time right now, so he pulls out the '65 Mustang. Then, the Mustang has a problem. Isolating the problem, he finds a bad alternator. Fixes that. Next day, fixes truck. All cars; now running.

That evening we decide to go out to dinner. "Hey, I'm tired why don't you drive," he says. While driving to the restaurant, no more than two miles, all four of us in the car felt something "pop". I pulled to the curb, all got out for the inspection. Hmmm, no flat, on to dinner. When we got to our stop we noticed I'd run over a huge bolt and it was now firmly stuck in my rear tire. Next day off to Costco; two new tires.

Sunday evening, as I was cleaning up after a quite successful reception at our house, I flipped on the garbage disposal. Grind, grind, grind, nothing; smoke. Next day trip to Sears; new unit.

Monday my beloved had his second three month checkup for bladder cancer. With his current string of bad luck I was more nervous than normal. String broken; no cancer.