Sunday, March 20, 2016

Some days I suck at life

We found out about a month ago that my wife has cancer. We've had lots of ups and downs since receiving that news. This weekend was a down weekend, and it's all my fault. Since her diagnosis, I've been pretty preoccupied with things that seriously did need my attention, but none of those things mattered as much as my wife's cancer diagnosis. She has been working on trying to get a 2nd opinion and needed to obtain records. She thought she had it under control, but found out very late in the day - on a Friday - that her records were never sent. She called me and asked for phone numbers so that she could call. Here's where I suck... I didn't offer to make any calls for her. I gave her the phone numbers. She's driving down the road at 80 mph, upset, and trying to call two different inefficient hospitals, while her partner does absolutely nothing. Of course she was angry. I would have been, too. Things went from bad to worse when I seemed like I didn't give a damn about what was going on. In reality, though, I'm feeling pretty helpless right now. Should have I called? Should I be doing more? Am I wrong? Yep. I own that. I suck at life. Friday night was a pretty important meltdown. It needed to happen. She said lots of things that I needed to hear.

She said one thing, though, that has me really thinking. She told me that I've been acting like this is all about me. Maybe I have; I'm not sure. Here's what I do know. Her diagnosis is scary to me. No - let me rephrase. Her diagnosis is terrifying to me. I know she's living with cancer, and she's the one who is sick. There are no "buts" to that statement. I think, though, that folks forget that the person who loves the one with cancer is horribly impacted by the news as well. No, I'm not sick with cancer. I feel helpless. So, do I act like it's all about me? Maybe, because the things that I feel are all about me and my love for her. I can't know what's going through her mind. I can't fix what's going on in her body. I can own the anger she has toward me for not stepping up to the plate. I can't own that it's all about me. It isn't; it's all about us because us has been forever changed.

Do I suck at life? Yeah, I do. I am too busy doing everything but helping my wife do the things she needs to do to get better. Can I change? Yes. Will I? I hope so. Not changing may change us even more than her cancer diagnosis, and that is a possibility I just can't wrap my head around.

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