cancer sucks

this blog is supposed to be about the adventures of the brannon clan and not anything down and depressing however, i do want to be serious for a minute. we have all been touched by the dreaded “c” word in some form or fashion. my daddy has lymphoma or more scientifically, chronic lymphocitic lymphoma, a blood cancer. he has been winning the battle for 10 years and he will continue to win it for another ten years. my father in law won the battle against hodgkin’s disease (another type of lymphoma) some 30 years ago. literally months after my daddy was diagnosed with his cancer sean’s father was diagnosed with non-hodgkin’s lymphoma. he passed away in 2003, not from the cancer but from complications due to just having a weak body after fighting for so long.

cancer is a part of my family on a daily basis. there is not a day that goes by that sean doesn’t think of his dad and wonder what he would do with his grandkids. would they get private tours of the rainforest at the zoo since he was a docent at the tulsa zoo? would they enjoy personal basketball shooting lessons? i know there are times that he just wishes he could pick up the phone and ask him if he just saw that play that the rangers made (a love they shared together and I hope that will can share with his dad) or can they talk about march madness and their brackets.

i wake up everyday thanking God for allowing my daddy to still be with us and healthy, well as healthy as a man with cancer can be! i live with the fear that this might be the last birthday or Christmas or father’s day or that he won't see his grandkids learn to drive a car or graduate high school. i have no regrets with him, he knows i love him more than anything in this world. there is a special bond between daddies and daughter and i only hope kate and sean have the same.

my friend deana, many of you have heard me talk about her, is currently in houston at md anderson undergoing chemo for burkitt’s lymphoma. her doctors in california told her to call hospice in, that it is a matter of weeks if this last treatment doesn’t perform a miracle. deana and jack have two boys – zane (4) and zach (2.5). you see, deana and I have a bond, adoption. i met deana through the most wonderful online community you will ever encounter http://www.carolynsboards.org/. i became a part of this community while researching the adoption process. deana was one the first ones to reach out and answer questions. she checked up on me while i was pregnant with kate. she is one of the most wonderful mothers and adoption advocates you will ever meet. deana’s plight was setup as a cause on facebook and now has over 1000 members praying for her, not to mention thousands of others who have heard about her through blogs, emails and word of mouth.

i believe in miracles, God brought me two healthy, beautiful children that i thought i would never have. i believe God willl grant deana a miracle so she can raise those two boys and watch them learn to drive and graduate high school. so, if you are the praying type please say a prayer for deana and all those out there fighting cancer.

if you are the donating type, you can click on the button to the left to help jen raise money for the leukemia and lymphoma society team in training. jen is training for a marathon and will run in honor of our mutual friend deana. this is personal to me, lymphoma is around me way more than it needs to be. please help find a cure!