The First Day of the Rest of My Life

Thursday, September 07, 2006

I apologize for the rambling and length of this post in advance. (One of these days, I'll learn how to make those cool cut links...)

Yesterday afternoon, I decided to work out for the first time in a long time. 30 minutes of interval training on the elliptical, some ab work, and some lifting. After showering, I found two voicemails on my phone, both from my folks. The first asking if they could come over, the second asking to call when I got the message. I called, and my dad asked if I could come over. They'd make me dinner, so obviously, I said I'd be there.

On the way there, my mind raced with the possibilities. "Maybe they want to tell me the good news in person... maybe they can't say what they're going to say over the phone..."

When I got there, my mom was warming up some leftover sausage, rice and beans. I sat down at the dinner table and asked what happened. My mom (still standing a bit away from the table fixing me a plate) broke the news to me.

About the actual condition: it's stage T2A. In layman's term's still fairly early, only on one of the two lobes of the prostate. (I have a feeling there's gonna be a lot more biology on this blog in the coming months...) From what I always hear, early detection is key in treatment, so thank goodness for that.

My dad said he has three options: wait and see what happens, radiation therapy, or surgery to remove it. Each option has its own risks, so he didn't tell me which one he was leaning towards.

The drive home wasn't that great. The thought crossed my mind of calling the ex for support. (No, I haven't done it yet, and don't plan to.) I did end up calling Laura, and left a voicemail. I was somewhat surprised with how well I took it. Maybe it was because of the severity (or lack thereof) of my dad's condition. Maybe it means I'm actually becoming a mature adult.

Work helped get my mind off the situation. (Again, it's amazing how much angry clients can take your mind off personal matters.) Dinner from Subway and a trip to the walking track was how I spent most of tonight. During the walk, some old demons decided to make their presence known again. On the way home, Laura called. After a few second of (unintended) dramatic pause, I broke the news to her. She actually expected me to be upset over a girl. We talked for a few minutes while I drove home.

Before last night, I had ignorantly thought that cancer was something that happened to other people. Now I'm wondering on which box I might have packed the LiveStrong wristband I wore back in the day.

2 Comments:

  • Greg-- I'm so sorry to hear about this. I hope your dad will do everything he can to fight this. He's so fortunate that this has been detected early! Just remember that-- there's hope and all will be well, I'm sure.

    By Blogger krisluvswool, at 11:12 AM  

  • Greg,
    I'm also very sorry to hear about your dad. If you need anything - please let me know. Even if it's just a big hug, do not hesitate to ask.
    Talk soon?
    -Arianna

    By Blogger Thatgirl7278, at 10:03 AM  

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