It's 3:30 a.m., and I can't sleep. Maybe a little stressed about what today's scan will find? Maybe! I know I can wake Dale up, but he needs his sleep too. And I need him at his best so he can help me. That sounds selfish, but it's true.
Shall I read? Watch a movie? Let me quickly scan through the TV channels and see if anything catches my eye. What's this? Some strange commercial about a man named Mike walking through a wooded path. It's beautiful. It's so ethereal.
He starts talking about Hodgkins lymphoma. What? Wait a minute. Am I dreaming this? Surely, my mind is starting to play tricks on me. No, there is the official seal of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
Okay, okay. I get the reminder, Heavenly Father. You are aware of me, my struggles, my fears. You know which random TV station I'll be watching at 3:30 in the morning and know that I need a reminder that I'm not alone.
Some random Hodgkins facts to throw at you:
* Hodgkins lymphoma is rare. Only 8,500 people are diagnosed each year. It makes up less than 1% of all cancers. Sure! And Sis. Terry and Mike just happen to be coincidentally talking about it where I can see and hear them. NOT!
* It's also one of the very most curable cancers in the world. About a 97% cure rate overall. Not bad odds. I'll take those. If I have to keep getting cancer, I'll take Hodgkins, thanks.
* There are four types of Hodgkins. I have the most common: nodular (think lumps), sclerosing (think hard lumps) Hodgkins lymphoma, which is also the easiest to treat.
* Hodgkins has the lowest recurrence rate of most cancers also. My case is pretty rare. If I had gotten other cancers (leukemia or breat) from the treatments I received as a child, it would be more understandable. But my body loves this stuff. I've heard Dr. Wendy say it must be genetically encoded in my DNA. Lovely!
* More men than women get it. And more children or people over 60 get it than those in middle years.
What am I supposed to learn from this curable, non-recurring thing that doesn't usually affect the middle aged that keeps coming back with me? Thanks for the thought, Jen, that maybe it's not me that needs to learn this time. That gives me some hope. Maybe I'm not as dumb as I feel right now. Try to sleep, Trish.
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