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What’s Going On Here?
I've written about:
being an aimless college graduate. being a student. being a nurse. being pregnant. being a mom. being a mom to a little girl with leukemia.
I hope to add to that list someday but, for now, we are learning to live in limbo.
Writing here to keep a record of Elsa's treatment. Writing here to reach out to other families dealing with leukemia. Writing here for a little bit of sanity.
I was sent to your blog through a friend at work (Claire Henry). My nephew just finished his treatment for Medulloblastoma (brain Tumor) after 6 months of treatment. I look forward to reading more about your observations, but one thing definitely struck me. That last thing you did before you brought her to the doctor, you bought her a sun hat. I will never forget what I was doing when I got the call from my father. I was buying a car when I found out my nephew had cancer.
Hi Betsy! Sorry that you have your own close connection to childhood cancer, but glad to see that you are here reading along. Hope your nephew is in remission and getting on with his life! We know a few kids at our clinic with neuroblastoma (different, I know) and the treatments are just so intense for brain cancer – I really hope your nephew is doing well. Thanks for leaving us a note
Dear Georgia,
I was talking to your Dad last night and through some twist or turn (imagine that…), we arrived at the topic of writing, specifically GOOD writing. He suggested that I might enjoy your blog and, for the past hour, I very much have. You are, indeed, a very good writer and teller-of-stories! But what kept me reading and reading just now was that you are, simply put, a great human being who is gracefully “being” with a lot of human mess!!! Through this blog you beautifully express your true, authentic self despite all that swirls around you and could rob you of your authenticity. Your writing is imbued with the grace, generosity of spirit, compassion and hope that sustain you and your family and inspire us who connect with you here or in real life.
I heard from my mother last year about Elsa’s leukemia and I got an in-depth update in August from your father when I was home visiting my family. I have often thought of you and Elsa and John (and, thanks to the pictures, I will, in future, include your pup) as I live my life and reflect on what is happening in the intricate tapestry of lives through which we are all connected by more or less colorful threads. Through the brilliant rainbow-and-flower-hued thread that connects us, I wish you and John and Elsa a year filled with courage, strength and gratitude but most of all love, abundance and joy! Keep writing, keep loving and stay with it…
Sending you much love and twinkling star light!
Elisabeth
(Peter von Halem’s daughter)
Wow! Elisabeth! Thank you! I am a little bit flustered in the face of such nice things said.
I don’t think I have written about it enough, but living with Elsa’s cancer has [unfairly to her] illuminated a number of actually very wonderful things for us . One of those lessons is about that intricate tapestry and those colorful threads you speak of! I think I mentioned somewhere that I am now aware of this whirring cloud of electrons that floats around us – a cloud of love and support and friendship that I would have never known about. It’s nice to know that you are there in the cloud too
It’s really, really wonderful to hear from you. Thank you!