A new friend

At the CCOR (Cancer Center of the Rockies) yesterday I actually met my first person in a similar situation as mine. Jenny is her name. She sat next to me, looked to be similar in age, kept touching her hair. I introduced myself and we instantly started comparing notes. I was in my first visit, and this was her first as well. However, she informed me she was a cancer survivor of 15 years. She just found out she had lymphoma also presenting in the main vein of her leg. She proceeded to tell me about her hair cutting party she had just the night before. She told of how her kids and family each cut off locks of her hair, evidently which had been past shoulder length. She now had short curly hair barely longer than mine. She also said her boys then went out to the deck and each shaved their heads in her honor. Sure enough, her sister and her son walked in and he was cut very close but with some style rows going front to back. We all started talking as they sat by her while I was on my computer. While the "lounge" is nice with the big fish tank, it does fill up with extra people, nurses, and the six big easy chairs. Her sister works on campus in Las Cruces NM and Jenny and her family live in Greeley. As I tried to do other things, I could hear her sister tell the 16 year old he will be stepping up now, to reach out for support if needed. I could tell Jenny was very nervous and as she started getting her first treatment, she started to dose off. The nurse had to be with her constantly at that point. The same thing had happened to me the first time I received my first treatment while in the hospital. Constant supervision in case something goes "wrong". That's a funny word "wrong". Could be a little wrong, drastically wrong, but if wrong someone needed to be there to fix the wrong. Jenny is using some other type of chemo than mine. She explained that in the past the stuff that had worked for her before is now not available to her as she has already taken a "lifetime" dose of that particular drug. I didn't know that could happen. I am assuming she thinks she will lose her hair. She wound up asleep and her support family walked out. As I watched her and others around me, most of them sleeping, I felt so wanting to help someone. I was awake, feeling good, typing on a laptop, hooked up to my life changing juice yet I was feeling like I wanted to do something for someone. It's amazing the feeling that God can give you strength in the face of adversity. I used to take that so for granted,but now through all the support I have been given from all of you, I have on overflow to share. I wound up leaving before Jenny awoke. Her cycle is 14 days on, 14 days off for the next six months. I hope I get to see her again during that time. I am now looking into visiting a support group possibly this Thursday for the first time. It's a whole new world and I am still scared. Sometimes so bad I have bad thoughts. I looked in the mirror while there and thought wow, I am really changing and aging. I remember visiting people who are sick and telling them they look good. Now I look at myself and wonder what others see. But with your strong support, I want to move forward. Wound up having a great rest of the day with Bev for her birthday. Steph cooked and cleaned, Jeff and Sara came for dinner, then Muzz, Lavon, Stan, Leah and Lauren joined for dessert. A nice finish to a nice day.