It Isn't Over

How did this happen? I have not written a post since July 4th, when my world was filled with the ending of Sarah's chemo treatments and sharing fireworks with friends.

It will be four weeks on Thursday, July 15th, since Sarah had her last chemo. That time has been a mixture of feelings for me. I know that feelings never come one at a time. I know they come in multiples. Sometimes, they come so fast a person doesn't know what they are feeling or which feeling to give voice to first. They just live in you like they have taken up permanent residence. Sometimes they feel like univited guests. And, they won't leave until you do something with them.

I don't know for sure why I haven't written. Maybe I wanted everything to be over. Maybe I wanted to believe the hard part was over. Maybe I had so many feelings I didn't know where to start. Maybe I had feelings that were unexpected and I was silenced by their showing up. Maybe I knew there was unexpressed grief. Maybe things had been so busy that I hadn't had time to feel, and now there was, and I didn't want to feel.....so I didn't.

What made me write today? It has to do with what happened yesterday. I met Sarah at Dr. Miglioris's office. She hadn't seen him for six weeks. She was due for an injection for her reconstructive surgery. But, meeting with Dr. Migliori is so much more than that.

I have to change directions for a few minutes. This is where some feelings are.

I sat in the examining room with Sarah. I hadn't seen her much over the four weeks and I asked her how she was....not like how are you....but how ARE you. She said, "Crabby, really crabby...all the time." I saw it in her eyes. It was like multiple feelings had taken up residence in her body too, and were showing in her eyes. It is true that eyes are the windows to your soul.

When Dr. Migliori came in and she talked to him about how she was feeling, her tears started. He knew. He could finish her sentences. He understood. He said she was right where she was supposed to be in her recovery. He validated her reality...that when she is able to do something and seems to have some energy....at the end of the day it is like she falls off a cliff. He said there is no warning and no reserve. He told her it would take a long time. He told her it would take up to two years before she would feel like her old self. He told her it would be gradual and one day she would all of a sudden realize she felt better.

I sat in my chair and watched and listened.....and felt. I think in the last four weeks I let my defenses down. Things slowed down, chemo was over, I started to relax, cautiously, but I started to relax.

I think I took some time off. I think I knew there were feelings that I had to have. I think I didn't want to have them. I think I knew I had to have them. I think I knew I would have them.

I sat in my chair and watched and listened. There was a heaviness in my chest that threatened to show up as tears. I didn't cry. It wasn't the time or the place. I watched my daughter and took notes. And, today I had to write and cry.

We aren't done with this. We only finished some of what we have to do. It isn't over. It is just different.........for now.

Someday, we will all return to a life that will be closer to what we remember. Dr. Migliori said as much. I am going to hold him to his word.