Thoughts About Cancer

We all have our crosses to bear.

Life often gives us difficult things we have to manage and get through.

My cross has been a caregiver for someone who has cancer.

For the past six months, my wife has been receiving treatment for her cancer. It has been a slow and agonizing process. I wouldn’t wish this plight upon anyone. Nobody truly understands what is involved unless you’ve been through it.

When she was first diagnosed with cancer, there was genuine concern and those who thought since it was “treatable” that it would be easy. It has not been easy. I have spent endless days obsessing over platelet counts, temperatures, medications and transfusions.

Early on I was upset with people not helping but I had to realize that we have to get through this whether people help or not. You simply can’t worry about who’s helping or who’s not helping. It’s all about treatment and keeping her alive.

There have been moments that I haven’t been as strong as I wished I could be. I’ve been mad at the hospital staff for their lack of compassion or the Uber driver making us both sick on the drive to/from the treatments and many times I’ve just been plain mad.

I have learned that the only thing you can do is to trust the process and keep going.

The only thing worse than being the caregiver is being the one going through it themselves. Many times I would have gladly traded places with her. Let me be the one getting stuck in the arm for the transfusion and the seemingly endless treatments.

We have come a long way since March but with cancer, there is no deadline for it to be over. I don’t know how much further we will have to go, we just have to do it.

Of course I have relied on my faith during this time but honestly my faith has been pathetic at times. It’s easy to stand in a church building dancing to the praise and worship songs but another when you are sitting beside your wife as the platelets are being fed into her body. I had believed God would heal her but He’s apparently doing it His way. It’s not the fast or instant way either. That makes it hard to be strong and keep the faith.

Any fears I have I keep to myself. That’s the only way to manage it. Only God knows.

I know that I am not alone. We all go through things. We cling to whatever helps us to get through the difficult times in our lives.

Basically it comes down to trusting God and leaving the results to Him.

Football Friday Night: Week 6

It's hard to believe we are already at the halfway point of the high school football season. My teams were 2-1 this week as Warner Robins and Clinch County got wins and Villa Rica was defeated in their games.

WARNER ROBINS 55, EAGLE'S LANDING 0
After giving up 70 points two weeks ago to Newton, Warner Robins has rebounded with their second straight win. Quarterback Chandler Dyson completed touchdown passes of 58, 43 and 38 yards as the Demons built a 35-point halftime lead and cruised to a 55-0 region victory at Eagle’s Landing. Warner Robins finished with 388 yards while limiting the Golden Eagles to only 26. The Demons completed all five of their passes for 180 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for another 208 yards.

Next:  Friday vs. Locust Grove

Warner Robins is 4-2 overall, 2-0 in Region 2-5A.  They will host Locust Grove is 1-5 and 0-1 in the region losing to Perry 57-14 last week.  Warner Robins is 6-1 all-time against Locust Grove.  They won their last meeting 51-21 in 2023.

CLINCH COUNTY 14, SEMINOLE COUNTY 9

Clinch County trailed 9-0 at halftime and scored two touchdowns in the third quarter for the final margin. Seminole County made no deep threat in the fourth quarter. Lamarcus Bryant had an interception at the Seminole County 31 to set up the winning drive. Traviian Miller was 6-of-14 passing for 79 yards and rushed for 76 yards on 20 carries. Clinch held Seminole to 122 total yards.

Next:  Friday at Irwin County

Clinch County is 3-2 and opens region play this week against Irwin County which enters the game at 2-3.  Irwin County lost to Berrien 42-13 two weeks ago.  The teams are tied 25-25-1 in their all-time history.  Clinch County won last year's meeting 61-14.  

CARTERSVILLE 58, VILLA RICA 0

The Wildcats were humbled by the top-ranked team.  Cartersville led 58-0 at halftime. Harris Turner was 12-of-13 passing for 229 yards and four touchdowns. Madoxx Davis had five receptions for 75 yards and three touchdowns. Brayden Doss rushed for 89 yards on five carries. Cooper Melvin returned an interception for a touchdown.

Next:  Friday vs. Woodland

Villa Rica is 4-2 and 0-2 in Region 7-5A.  Woodland is 2-3 and 0-1 in the region.  They lost to Cass 42-21 last week.  Villa Rica is 7-1 against Woodland.  They won their last meeting in 2019 by a score of 14-8.  Woodland's only win in the series was their first meeting in 2000.  

Thoughts About Cold Weather

And suddenly it’s cold here.

I don’t like it.

I’m okay with fall weather when it is cool but I’m not good with cold weather.

It went from lows in the 70s to lows in the 50s.

Since moving to New York, I have not adjusted to the cold weather and the length of time we experience cold weather here. It will now be cold until early June.

It was bitter last winter and I’m not looking forward to this change into the months of cold.

Having lived in the South most of my life, I am used to the schedule where I would be mowing the grass for the last time around mid-November and starting again in mid-March. Although I don’t have to mow grass here, the window for mild weather is much shorter here.

Time to pack up the shorts for the season. Good bye long days of daylight.

With the cooler temps I must also contend with my feet. They are freezing during the winter and nothing seems to remedy it. My feet will be permanently frozen for several months ahead.

Time to bundle up.

When it does snow, it eventually becomes a nuisance and then turns to slush making it difficult to walk on the sidewalks. The wind cuts through you like a knife. Indoor spaces become over-heated and crowded.

Ugh.

I honestly don’t mind having four seasons when they are indeed FOUR seasons. In my perfect world I would want three months of each season. Instead, the seasons here are Winter (7 months), Spring (1 month), Summer (3 months) and Fall (2 weeks).

This year I have been determined to prepare for the cold. I don’t mind the Christmas season but from January-early June I would prefer to skip it and just hibernate through those months.

Time to put on the big coat and cover my face for the winter season.