this is what i've got for today...: In The Know

Grace Catherine just texted me and asked me
a cancer question. (And I always use her full
Catholic sounding name when I'm talking about
her, or when she's in trouble. Not that we're
Catholic. And not that she's EVER in trouble.
Ahem.)

She used the word "mets" in her text.

'Mets' is short for metastatic cancer,
which means cancer that has spread from it's
site of origin.

(I couldn't even pronounce 'metastatic' correctly,
in the beginning.)

MET-UH-STAT-IK (...in case you're wondering).
Say THAT 3 times fast.

She was asking a question about a cancer that
had spread from breast to the bones and liver.

I said it probably wasn't a good thing.

A bone and liver "mets" usually are not
EVER a good thing.

Listen people, you just don't want cancer
to move ANYWHERE.

And you especially don't want cancer in your
dang liver.

But she said she already knew that,
she told me.

I texted back one last time and said I wasn't
sure that that I loved the fact she knew that.

Seriously, should a 16 year old KNOW that?

I didn't love the fact that she KNEW that
and was using the word "mets" in a text.

She responded that this our life now.

We know these things.

There are some things I'd rather not EVER have known.

But now cancer, and 'mets', and spreading, and good,
and bad places for cancer to be, are things we DO know.

We could teach a (short) class on cancer, as a family.

Does anyone want to come?

I will serve treats.

I make GOOD treats!

The treats would be worth it, I promise.
The cancer stuff?
Not so much.

I guess you could say (sigh) that we
are 'In The Know.'

Some days?

I would love to go back to being stupid about cancer.

Really really stupid.

-------------------------------------

And for the record, in case anyone is panicking,
the text was NOT about Kyle.

And for the other record, he already has cancer
in his dang liver.

And he already has metastatic cancer.

Which is why we are 'in the know.'

------------------------------------

I ALSO know a whole bunch of new swear words
because of cancer too.

Well, actually that's a big fat lie.

I always knew them.

Now I have just learned to arrange them in
longer, and more colorful phrases, around the
word 'cancer'.

I guess you could say I'm 'in the know'
in regards to swearing. And cancer.

In the same sentence.

I will count my talents where I can at
this point, right?