Gimme Gimme Gimme That Sweet Cancer Swag

I did not know about all the free stuff and special treatment that having cancer will get you. I don't know if there is some kind of cancer code that I'm breaking by revealing this, but it's true. I'm kind of scared to post this cause I'm pretty sure that Susan G. Komen will come kicking my door in trying to confiscate my treats and goodies. (Google her non cancer losers:)

Back to the loot. I've gotten meals, cards, letters, monetary dontations, slippers, jammies, blankets, foot creams, inspirational jewlery, chicken soup, candy, books, magazines, clothes, A LADY COMES TO CLEAN MY HOUSE!!!, stuff for my kids, my sister has visited me 3 times and my dad once, another sister comes over most Tuesdays and we sit and watch movies and she watches me sleep, my mom comes over to help me clean and again watch me sleep, my MIL watches my kids on Tuesdays and any other day I need her to, my sweet cousin and FIL mow the grass every Saturday (that may seem like something for Eddie's list of loot, but actually it's more for me. Eddie is impervious to the evil glances and passive aggressive comments about the yard. In their defense, they do not know about my cancer and cannot be expected to treat me accordingly with helpful offers, heart felt smiles or inspiring stories of someone they knew that had testicular cancer and lived).

That reminds me, I have gotten so used to people treating me in this manner, that now, it surprises me when they don't. Like how dare the lady at the check out counter glare at me when my children misbehave? I have some other examples, but for some reason, all of them involve my children misbehaving in a public place. Weird.

So, back again to the loot. I am seriously amazed at how giving people are. At first, I felt guilty about the obscene amount of giving, but I slowly started to realize something. Cancer is a tricky (insert your level of obscenity here--I've got a wide variety of people reading this). Melanoma is especially tricky. Treatment is hard and not very effective for my stage. Ok, that part I knew. Here's the realization: People want to cure you and make you better. They can't do that, so it makes them feel better to help you. But guess what? All you people have NO idea how much it actually does help.

Every smile, pat (just don't pat my left arm or any part of my back...you know what can we just quit with the pats already? Though well intentioned, someone's gonna get a reflex slap.), prayer, prayer, prayer, ridiculous treatment option you know of that so and so took when his body was riddled with cancer, but now they are cured, but the doctors told him he wouldn't live past the year, all of the above mentioned things plus more I probably forgot, make this doo doo situation so much more bearable.

I'm gratful beyond words and even though I have only written one thank you note (that is addressed and stamped somewhere in my van), you can't blame me because in case you didn't know, I'm that sweet young mother of 3 small children who has been stricken with *hushed tones* cancer.