November 18 2008 The News

It had been one week since my surgery, I had just picked up Jake from pre-school and was driving home to be in time to get William and Luke off the school bus and then I received a call from my surgeon. He told me that he "just about feel off his chair" when he read the results of the biopsy. He told me that I had synovial sarcoma and that he wanted me to call an oncologist in Salem. I quickly wrote all the information down, after I dug through my car looking for paper and pen. I had to compose myself and get the other boys off the bus. I am very fortunate to have a wonderful neighbor who I felt comfortable telling right away. I made arrangements with her to watch all the boys with her kids so I could make phone calls and research on the net. I think I was in shock most of the day and it took until the next morning to actually make an appointment with the oncologist for the next week. The hardest part of the day was waiting for Bud to come home so I could tell him the news - it had only been three weeks since we attended the funeral of his dear father who had died of cancer. Lots of tears that night. It still took me a couple of days before I was able to break the news to my family and my boys - they are so wonderful. It is still hard to shock people with the news.