Treatment
It was a fine celebration weekend with no side effects crashing the gate.
Yesterday I turned 52. It would have been a somewhat routine birthday except for the fact that my family and I were celebrating it in a somewhat different light. Just days before I received my first Lupron injection, a reminder of my new status as patient in treatment.
In the morning I awoke to several e-mails. One was from a long-time friend from high school. She wrote: “I can only imagine the mix of emotions today–hope you can celebrate in your usual style!”
She hit the nail on the proverbial head. The weekend I spent with my wife and two sons in Newport Beach was filled with a healthy mix of emotions–all good. One can’t help but face one’s birthday with added zeal as the result of having been diagnosed with cancer. All of a sudden, growing older IS something to celebrate! We are reminded of the gift of living.
I really appreciated the moment of in-your-face humor when, trying decide if my cake should read “Happy Birthday Dad” or “Dan,” my 16-year-old suggested we consider “Happy Birthday Cancer Guy.” He was right. It is a primary identity for us these days. I smiled ear to ear knowing that we have found a way to live with this reality with a good sense of humor. (I also appreciated knowing that we share similar senses of humor.) In the end, not wanting to unnerve our dinner guests and their daughter, we settled on a more generic ”Happy Birthday Guy.” It was both wonderful and delicious as we shared an inside joke.
But throughout the four days of our time away, whether we were bicycling for miles, pumping tokens into arcade games, sitting on the beach, enjoying a nice glass of wine, or taking my son out for driving practice (pass more wine, please), I felt an inner glow and smile. Each act, every hug, every moment of relaxation delivered more satisfaction than ever before.
The weekend was made even sweeter by the fact that I haven’t yet experienced any side effects of my hormone deprivation therapy, except for having more vivid, totally nonsensical dreams. I am still hoping to fall into the 33% of men do not experience any strong side effects group. But, I will have to wait it out a few more weeks to see if I qualify for membership.
Yes, we celebrated in our usual style. Turning 52 and officially throwing myself into Man-O-Pause got off to a great start. So did my son’s first driving lessons.
Four months ago, when I heard some patients say that having cancer could change you in positive ways, I wasn’t sure I would ever be able to relate to that vein of thinking. After this weekend, I am beginning to understand.
Yesterday I turned 52. It would have been a somewhat routine birthday except for the fact that my family and I were celebrating it in a somewhat different light. Just days before I received my first Lupron injection, a reminder of my new status as patient in treatment.
In the morning I awoke to several e-mails. One was from a long-time friend from high school. She wrote: “I can only imagine the mix of emotions today–hope you can celebrate in your usual style!”
She hit the nail on the proverbial head. The weekend I spent with my wife and two sons in Newport Beach was filled with a healthy mix of emotions–all good. One can’t help but face one’s birthday with added zeal as the result of having been diagnosed with cancer. All of a sudden, growing older IS something to celebrate! We are reminded of the gift of living.
I really appreciated the moment of in-your-face humor when, trying decide if my cake should read “Happy Birthday Dad” or “Dan,” my 16-year-old suggested we consider “Happy Birthday Cancer Guy.” He was right. It is a primary identity for us these days. I smiled ear to ear knowing that we have found a way to live with this reality with a good sense of humor. (I also appreciated knowing that we share similar senses of humor.) In the end, not wanting to unnerve our dinner guests and their daughter, we settled on a more generic ”Happy Birthday Guy.” It was both wonderful and delicious as we shared an inside joke.
But throughout the four days of our time away, whether we were bicycling for miles, pumping tokens into arcade games, sitting on the beach, enjoying a nice glass of wine, or taking my son out for driving practice (pass more wine, please), I felt an inner glow and smile. Each act, every hug, every moment of relaxation delivered more satisfaction than ever before.
The weekend was made even sweeter by the fact that I haven’t yet experienced any side effects of my hormone deprivation therapy, except for having more vivid, totally nonsensical dreams. I am still hoping to fall into the 33% of men do not experience any strong side effects group. But, I will have to wait it out a few more weeks to see if I qualify for membership.
Yes, we celebrated in our usual style. Turning 52 and officially throwing myself into Man-O-Pause got off to a great start. So did my son’s first driving lessons.
Four months ago, when I heard some patients say that having cancer could change you in positive ways, I wasn’t sure I would ever be able to relate to that vein of thinking. After this weekend, I am beginning to understand.