2.05.2009

The Day I Was Diagnosed...

I wrote this today for the Liddy Shriver Sarcoma Initiative's Team Sarcoma's Moments in Sarcoma Project-which I encourage you to do if you have been touched by sarcoma. The link is: http://www.team-sarcoma.net/moments.html

The website says, It might be a moment of bravery, compassion, wisdom, humor, or grief, an experience that educates others or a time full of hope...

Mine is about the day I was diagnosed-

I will always remember the day I was diagnosed-Friday, Dec. 4th, 1998. I stayed home from high school that day because my legs and chest were numb. Through the course of fortunate events, we ended up getting into a very respected neurologist that day. He had actually had taken the day off to do paperwork, but had an inkling that something was up and wanted to see me right away. We did the usual neurological tests with the pins and instruments and I could feel some and others felt strange and could not feel much of others. I remember too, for some reason, I was wearing black fleece pants with zippers on the bottom and a light blue long sleeve t-shirt. After an MRI, he sat my mother and I down to let us know what they'd seen-an egg-sized tumor that was strangling the upper part of my spinal cord. I was admitted directly into the hospital and was raced around to different departments for other testing before an emergency surgery was performed early the next morning. I also vividly remembering listening to a song on my Dad's Walkman called 'Changes' while the nurse attempted to start an IV in my arm. The lyrics rang very true, "...things'll never be the same/That's just the way it is..."

Today, I am grateful for friends, family, God.

Rachel

2 comments:

The Blogger said...

I find it funny that you remember what you were wearing. I was wearing my new (at the time) kahki shorts and a teal green lacoste polo that I bought for $1.50 from the local thrift store and a bunch of bangles. I still have the shirt- I have some weird attachment to it.

Rachel's sister said...

A beautiful piece, as usual. :) You know, as much as I wish you never had to go through any of this, I also know I probably wouldn't have gotten the chance to know you if you hadn't, and having you for a little sister is a gift I am so grateful for each and every day! Love you!