The Other C-Word

Two of my friends have recently been diagnosed with cancer, both quite suddenly and unexpectedly. One, S, has what is hoped and expected to be a very treatable kind. She is incredibly positive and proactive, with lots of support from family and friends. It's difficult for her, I know. She has a family she needs to be strong for, and that is an additional drain on already strained resources. There's no history of this cancer in her family, so it came out of the blue. She's amazing.

The other, K, is on morphine and dying, and probably soon. I saw her two weeks ago. She hadn't been feeling well for some time, but no one expected this. So far she is very peaceful about it, and refusing any further testing or treatment in favor of hospice. She's a solitary person, with no family that I know of, or that she wants to see. I need to go see her, if she's feeling up to company today. I need . . . She needs me to . . . Both.

It's been interesting to watch other friends discussing "how K got cancer." There must be some reason. Family history? Chemical exposure on the job? I see this happen a lot with sickness. For some it may just be about needing a reason. Or checking off the the boxes of "what I didn't do/haven't been exposed to so I won't get it." Mostly I think it's human to wonder how our physical frames can suddenly become untrustworthy. If it happened to them, it could happen to us. Of course it could, and something will. But we don't think about about, even deny it, until it stares us in the face. Impermanence of self.

I'm not sure how I feel about prayer these days, but if you have a moment to send a good thought to S and K, please do. It certainly can't hurt.