For the next year or so, I'll be telling you Molly's story as it unfolds. She has given me permission to tell you this story, and I'm profoundly grateful that she is allowing me to share it with you. At present I expect there will be four or five installments on this blog, but I can't say for sure. Together we'll see how this unfolds, and I will act accordingly. Molly is my friend and a brave woman, who will be tested as she battles cancer very intensely over the next year. She's letting us witness this journey in the hope something useful for all of us comes from her experiences. I hope I'm worthy enough, and skilled enough, to do justice to this story.
I'm providing photographs of Molly and her husband, Jeremy, for a very specific reason. These are photos I did of them in December. At the time these photographs were taken Molly and Jeremy had known for over two months that she had an invasive form of Breast Cancer. Molly is (age) 34. She and Jeremy have a six year old daughter. Molly had asked me to do some pictures of her and the family before she was scheduled to begin treatment in January. She wanted these photos because she knew that over the next year her appearance will likely change dramatically as a result of the chemo therapy and surgery she will undergo. I specifically wanted you to see their faces in this blog because I believe their story is so compelling and I'd like you to know them better. It is a story that will, of course, describe their personal journey over the next difficult year dealing with this disease- but it's also a story that is at the heart of what's happening all around us in this country. By seeing the faces of real people, we can better relate to their story, and make a human connection to the issues that are so important in our public discourse. These are the faces of people I know, and care about. With her permission, I will be showing you her changing image throughout the next year.
I had written earlier in "Two Illnesses"- (October 2011) about Molly's condition. At that time she wasn't sure what the treatment plan was going to be. She was still going through the battery of tests that accompany the word "cancer". She was also dealing with the flood of different emotions associated with that dreaded word. I learned from talking with her that attitudes and emotions change constantly. She was having to deal with the constant highs and lows of not knowing what to expect. I learned about her sleepless nights wondering what will happen not only to herself, but what will happen in her husband's and daughter's lives as well.
In the time between late October and now Molly has undergone two lumpectomies. They were unsuccessful. The surgeons were not able to establish the proper "margins". Margins are areas around the cancerous tissue that indicate the surgery has safely removed all the cancer cells. Cancer has a way of teaching us a new language- or at least giving us new meanings and uses for words in "the language of cancer". With the bad news that these procedures didn't work, the plan is to do a long course of Chemo Therapy- which will likely then lead to a mastectomy and eventual reconstructive surgery. By now, Molly is in her second week of Chemo.
The week before Molly started Chemo the family experienced another severe (and unexpected) blow. Jeremy lost his job. A number of us are highly suspicious about the company's motives for firing him. He had worked as a manager for the same company well over eight years and was a hard working employee. But, you see, Molly was getting her medical coverage through Jeremy's employment. Did this large corporation get rid of Jeremy to save itself what are surely going to be increased premium costs for health care insurance? No matter the "official" reason, his employer committed a heartless act, considering the circumstances. Now Molly and Jeremy face this awful challenge of cancer, with financial uncertainty as an inescapable part of the equation. It is clear that public policy decisions, and the issues within our health care system are colliding with real people in our lives. This has gone beyond the senseless rhetoric of Presidential debates. Now it is real for them (and us), just like it is for millions of Americans. Each time I hear the politicians and the pundits squabble about corporate "personhood", unemployment rates, or "Obama Care"- I see the faces of Molly and Jeremy- as I hope you will too.
In an act of defiance towards cancer and support for Molly, her friends gathered at a local pub a couple of weeks ago to have a drink and a hug before she started her treatment. My daughter and son-in-law came too. Then I saw something unexpected. My son-in-law, Landon, is a cancer survivor. He had never met Molly before that night. But I saw these two young people establish a rapport immediately. Landon rarely talks about his own cancer treatment , but he could not wait to talk to Molly. Here were two young people who are facing, or have faced cancer. I was somewhat fascinated by how quickly they began to discuss her upcoming treatment in the "language of cancer". I could see how touched Landon was to be able to share his experience with another young person- and I could also see how (almost) relieved Molly was to know she was not alone facing cancer at such a young age. I came away from that night with a new appreciation for what the rest of us can learn from what Molly is experiencing, and what Landon has already experienced . This journey is just starting for Molly and her family, but I will do my best to tell you about it as we go- always with affection and gratitude to Molly and her family........................To Be Continued
No comments:
Post a Comment