Last week I began what I am referring to as The Tour of Doctors 2014. The last couple of years I’ve been consumed with my back and the rest of me sort of got neglected. Part of The Simple Year for me is focusing on my health, because that is and should be a priority.
Not only am I still consumed with my back, but we had to work through a medical issue for the Girl and a celiac disease diagnosis for Stephen. I felt like we were finally sort of maybe catching a break in the Fall for non-back related issues. And then my friend Kara passed away from an aggressive form of cancer 4 weeks after her diagnosis, leaving us all stunned beyond measure. The result of that was overwhelming shock and grief, as well as lots of questions from the kids about cancer: cancer detection, prevention and treatment. The Girl begged me, after one of those conversations, to go get the mammogram I was overdue for. So, last week I did, as well as taking care of the annual visit with my OBGYN.
The mammogram was not fun. I’m not sure which hurt more: the girls or my back. They both hurt like hell. Regardless, though, I couldn’t get beyond the fact that the last time I visited that side of the hospital, I was going to see Kara. Her death still haunts me. I miss her and my heart continues to ache for her husband and kids.