Hello again,
It's been a busy but very enjoyable week since my last post. On Thursday, Dad and I participated in the Heart of a Champion 5k to raise money for the McDonough family. Andrew McDonough, who goes to Salesianum (the brother school to my high school), was hospitalized in January and has been battling Leukemia and serious infections. Though I have never met Andrew myself, my parents know the McDonough family, so Dad and I really wanted to go and show them our support. It was an AMAZING event. I was nearly brought to tears by the overwhelming strength of the McDonough family, especially Andrew. Shortly before the race he had managed to pull through a difficult brain surgery and MRI. He faces a much tougher journey than I do, and he is so young. He really is an inspiration and a true champion. Please keep him and his family in your prayers!
About 800 people from the community came out and ran or walked the 3.1 miles around the Brandywine River and Salesianum. It is comforting to live in a community that truly feels like a big family. Dad and I saw so many people we know at the race. We all wore t-shirts bearing the slogan "B+" (Be Positive) on the front and "Pray for Andrew" on the back.
Dad and I agreed that I should walk (though I really wish I could have run) while he ran. I power walked the entire way without stopping and finished in about 50 minutes. You cannot imagine how happy I was to discover that I could walk up and down all those hills and not feel out of breath for the first time in months! Hopefully this means that my left lung has re-inflated and my lung power has been restored to some extent. A month ago I was gasping for air just trying to walk to class at Loyola. I pushed myself to walk as fast as possible (which may or may not have been a good idea...), but it really lifted my spirits to see that I could do it.
On Saturday I went down to Annapolis to reunite with Mary Beth, Annette, Susan, Janine and Lindsay at Lindsay's graduation party. We had the best time!! Lindsay's house sits right on the water and is absolutely gorgeous. I felt like I was on vacation. We had a delicious dinner and cake and then watched a movie. On Sunday we had breakfast out on the Bellomo's deck overlooking the water and then went to downtown Annapolis for an Irish festival. The streets were filled with tents selling food, clothes, and all sorts of Irish goods. There were several groups of Irish dancers and a bagpipe troupe. We walked all around town, had lunch at a pub, and then got ice cream. It was a great weekend and I was absolutely exhausted when I got home! I can't wait to see my roommates again. I am so lucky to have those girls in my life :)
Monday was another busy day. I had lunch at Bon Appetite with Jenny, who I haven't seen in ages. It was great to catch up. Jenny's mom works at the Helen Graham Center where I am being treated, and she ran into me there when I was getting my first round of chemo. Not the place one would hope to run into old friends, but it was definitely meant to be. If nothing else, I can thank this darn disease for helping me to rekindle some friendships and really appreciate the people in my life.
Monday afternoon I attended a networking meeting at the Wellness Community for people with Leukemia and Lymphoma. It's a drop in group that meets once a month, so I was a bit hesitant to go, not knowing what to expect. All I can say now is that God and most definitely both of my grandfathers had a hand in my decision to go.
The meeting ended up consisting of just me and one other woman along with a nurse named Susan and social worker, Danielle, who were both there from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to facilitate the meeting. The woman and I introduced ourselves and shared our stories. Despite our age differences (she was in her 60s I believe), we ended up having a lot in common. She is in remission, having been treated last year for stage 4 NHL. She had 8 rounds of chemo followed by a transplant: the exact same treatment that I am receiving now. Knowing that there is a huge variety of lymphomas and treatments, this was pretty amazing in and of itself. The transplant is a procedure that I will be given the option of having once I finish chemo. Hearing this woman's story really made me sure that I should do it. She was hospitalized for a month, but she says it was the best decision that she ever made. She credits the transplant with helping her beat the odds and be cured from stage 4 cancer. It meant a lot to me to hear her advice. But that wasn't the best part of the meeting...
While making my introduction to the group, I mentioned that both of my grandfathers had battled Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and had passed away due to complications from additional cancers. The nurse, Susan, asked me when they had been treated and I told her the general time frames. She paused and then said "Oh my goodness...I think I treated your grandfather! Was his name Dan?"....I got chills. Not only did Susan know my Dedad, Dan O'Connell, but she also worked with Memom back when she did volunteer work for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. After the meeting ended, Susan and I chatted about what a great man my grandfather was and how I remind her so much of him and my grandmother :) She said she knew immediately that I had to be Dan's granddaughter. I left the meeting, went out to the parking lot, called my parents and cried. This just confirms for me even more that my grandfathers are watching over me and sending me signs of their support as I go through this journey. I think everyone left that meeting feeling that some greater power had brought us together.
After an emotional afternoon, I finished the day by going out to dinner with Chiya and Colleen at La Tolteca. We got ice cream for dessert at a new place that just opened on 202, Sweet Lucy's. It was decent, but no Bruster's. We then came back to my house and sat up on my bed chatting until about 2am....yikes! I just love those two. It was great to have a girls' night.
Today was a day of reading, baking, and watching Arrested Development with Mom and Dad. If you haven't seen that show, I suggest renting it. It is perhaps the funniest show ever made, which makes the fact that it got canceled after 3 seasons very disappointing. It won several well-deserved Emmy's though.
In other happy news, I received my second post card from Dan today, this time from Germany! It has a picture of the interior of a beautiful cathedral in Munich. He wrote that he has been adding my name to prayer books in churches and cathedrals all over Europe so that I'll have thousands of people all over the world praying for me. He is amazing :) I can't wait for him to get back. Only 5 more days!
Well, it's way past my bedtime, so I'm signing out for the night. I will try to update more frequently so these posts aren't so ridiculously long. I hope you are all well and enjoying the sunshine. I learn I have new readers every day. It amazes me! Thank you for all the love :)
Lots of love to all of you,
Lauren
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4 comments:
Hi, Lauren. I'm glad to read your recent upbeat entries and happy to hear that things are going pretty well. Dan, the girls and I were in Emerald Isle, NC last week, and we missed reading your blog. I have to say I was a little worried about you during that time since I couldn't check in. It's nice that your blog has the effect of taming our concerns a little.
Congratulations on participating in and finishing the 5k. You are a true inspiration and I will never again dread a walk on the treadmill. I'm very happy to hear that you were not short of breath - that's great news.
I, too, believe that your grandfathers are looking out for you. How could they not? McKenna is spending this summer in a summer camp that meets near Grandpop's cemetery. Every day, when I drive past there to drop her off, I send him a little message. I do think he's listening. I remember that he always liked to bird watch, and he particularly liked to watch this mocking bird that often perched itself on the roof of our house in Wilmington. The summer after he died, a mocking bird would sit on our roof and sing to us during all the hours that Dan and I spent landscaping and putting in our new patio. We thought for sure it was him, and our mocking bird friend still hangs around much of the time. While we were in Emerald Isle last week, we noticed that we had not seen or heard a seagull during the time we were there. The day after we got home, Dan and I both noticed our little friend sitting in a tree overlooking our deck and singing like a seagull! Now, doesn't that sound like something Grandpop would do?
Well, I've gone on long enough. Hang in there. You're doing great!
Love, Aunt Kelly
Haha...despite my animosity towards the place after five years of being a slav...er...employee, I'm glad to hear the line, "It's no Bruster's."
I'm glad to hear everything's going well. Not sure if you're around (or if you'll get this in time), but I'm at Bruster's tomorrow (Friday) 12-4, so stop by if you're in the area! The earlier the better, since I may be sent home early. The ice cream business just isn't what it was five years ago.
:)
Hi Lauren,
Each time I read your posts I can't help but think what an amazing young woman you are. We are so proud of you.
Completing a 5k power walk during cancer treatment was certainly a test of your lung capacity and stamina. Good for you. Exercise is such a wonderful stress releaser. Plus, it certainly was for a good cause.
There is no doubt that both your Grandpops and Great Grandparents are looking over you as you face this disease. Don't know if anyone told you, but my Mom and Dad's wedding photo (your great granparents) suddenly fell over on the dresser the day I heard about your cancer diagnosis. I was standing in our bedroom looking out the window at the beautiful morning and suddenly their photo fell over. Nothing knocked it over. The frame was not broken or damaged. I was so puzzled when that happened. Shortly afterwards your Grandmom Marylou called me and gave me the news. I know that incident was a sign from them that they are around. You have plenty of guardian angels watching over you.
So happy to hear that Dan will be home soon from Europe. I know you miss him terribly. He'll probably have wonderful stories to tell about his adventures on his trip.
Keep on keep'in on. You are never alone in this battle. Our prayers are with you and your family. B+
Love ya,
Aunt Joanne
My Dad, who also had NHL and had a fabulous attitude just like yours, used to pray alot to St. Joseph. He said that St. Joseph, being a relatively unpoular saint, had more time to listen. Goofy logic, no doubt...but I am certain St. Joseph listened.
I'm sure, when I ask him, that he'll be a guardian angel for you, too. You can never have enough.
xoxo
Kerin Dillon
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