My Father's Perspective - Part one

This is written by my dad it is unedited and as he sent it to me....interesting to get a fathers perspective. As I have said previously this process affects the whole family, this is part one of two parts.

Wednesday 13^th September 

When the Brain Defrags.

It’s four in the morning and once more the dawning,

Well actually it’s 03.34 and what am I doing sitting at my computer typing.

My daughter is going for her first session of chemo in a few hours time.

This all started for me the day after Elizabeth and I came back from visiting our old friend of 37 years, Hermann the German. We had known before going on holiday that Lorna was waiting the result of tests.  Hermann was first to pick up that something was not right when no communication was coming from the rest of the family. This lack of news is not normal.

Breaking News

We came home on the Thursday evening and Lorna and Craig came to see us on the Friday afternoon. Craig told us straight Lorna had breast cancer. A mastectomy was required along with the usual chemotherapy etc etc.

Four weeks tomorrow. Might as well be a year ago.

Understanding Strategy

A lot has happened since. We and I mean we our family, Lorna, Craig, Claire, Elizabeth and myself have attended meetings with the surgeon, oncologist, specialist nurses etc. to get a handle on all of this.  On the whole I’m managing to follow what is going on, and what I am uncertain about I discuss at the family team brief later.

But the feeling of running on the top of clouds is hard to understand, you daren’t stop, where will you fall through, where will you end up. 

It is regroup and ready for the next meeting.

I think of it as an extra mural class.

Ulster rugby team strategy and back to dugout.  It all helps.

Hospital staff, words cannot describe.  Lorna and Craig will tell you all about them.

Concern and Communications

Telling relations and friends?   What order?  Whose wedding anniversary or birthday do you mess up if the timing is wrong?  Whose holiday do I ruin?

Simple events create an issue.

Luckily for me some good friends were closeby.

Maybe that will be my addage in future. Keep relations close and your friends closer. As if another phrase needed to be coined.

Lorna and Craig were to be going on their delayed honeymoon shortly. Now postponed.

PART 2 TO FOLLOW VERY SOON