And Here We Are

Cancer truly sucks.

Cancer.

It changes everything.

One razor word shreds and guts your insides. There is zero mercy.

Miracles begged, tears shed, screams unleashed.

And here we are.

My dad's cancer has progressed. The following steps are radiation and palliative care. His oncologist wants to focus the radiation on his brain and hip. The goal is to alleviate his hip and leg pain so he can be more comfortable. Radiation will be five days a week for two weeks.

Palliative care can be unnerving to hear; if there is a good thing about this situation, I'm educated in palliative care. It was part of my studies/certification as an End-of-Life Doula; therefore, I can answer any questions my parents may have. In addition, the Palliative care team will help with pain management, adjust medications, and put together a plan curtailed to him. My dad is ahead of the game and has already listed goals; he is determined, which is fantastic. We understand the reality of the situation, and his quality of life is the priority.

As his daughter, I'm honored to fight this battle alongside him. It's a war I never thought would occur, but who does? Our hearts are splintered and bruised, but they will never break because of love. Because my dad is the Good, he's an incredible human, and we joke about how Phil is exactly like my dad, Freudian Alert.

We are stubborn. We are resilient. We are strong. That is some damn fine DNA.

I'm confident I will have more to write later, but this is the current update.

Please, lift our family as we navigate these choppy waters. As we process, work through emotions, and recalibrate.