Graf #7

One of the most cherished people in my life successfully battled stage III cancer 18 months ago, and her will to fight was amazing. I was with Dallas when she got the call. Her body shook. "It's cancer!" she sobbed. Her mom and aunt had both died of cancer. I held her and kissed her head. "It will be ok, Dallas. It's just a bump in the road." She cried. "It's a pretty big bump, Marj." I just held her and said that yes, it was more like a pothole, but we'd all get through it. My brave friend hit the ground running. The very next day she was in Boston seeing a specialist for her type of cancer. She started an aggressive routine of chemotherapy and radiation the following week, and cut her hair short so the cancer couldn't take it.I cut mine as well, and vowed that if she lost the rest of her hair to radiation, then I would shave my head as well. In addition, she went to Boston for two 50 hour treatments of brachytherapy, two weeks apart. "I've got to do it Marj." she said. "I've got weddings to attend and grandbabies to see someday." Her children were 7 and 10. Dallas has been cancer free for almost a year now. Her fight definitely puts things in perspective. Whenever I'm feeling down or going through a rough patch, my beautiful friend hugs me and says "It will be ok, Marj. It's just a bump in the road.". If she can fight for her life and win, I guess my minor problems can be overcome, too.