The Sun Is Rising

 As if having cancer wasn’t bad enough, towards the end of my cancer treatments Nolan broke his leg while working on his Ultralight... Nolan had bought an Ultralight (it's like a hang glider with a seat and small engine) that he could fly around in since he couldn't fly regular planes because of his accident. One day while he was working on it he started it up and it took off, hit a tree, flipped, and landed on his leg. When he got to the hospital we found out this wasn't just a regular leg break... his leg was broken in two places so not only did he have to have surgery, but his leg swelled so much beforehand, he had to have more skin graphs put over his old ones to cover the wound. I know by now you guys are probably starting to think I'm making things up, I mean who in the heck has a life like this???  

It wasn't good (remember all those meltdowns I had in the last post, this was part of the reason). Because I didn't feel good and had my own problems, I couldn't really be there for Nolan and now, he couldn't be there for me. Thank goodness for our wonderful families. They really picked up the slack and offered to cook dinner, help with the girls, and take turns staying with Nolan in the hospital. Nolan's surgery was at the IMC hospital in South Salt Lake, about 45 minutes away and, because I was going through chemo, I wasn't really suppose to be hanging around hospitals because my immune system was so low so I had to sneak in there a few times to see him. Most of the time, however, Nolan's family was there to help. Throughout this time, I could barely cope.  I felt like I was just in survival mode and walked around in a daze.  One of the days I was leaving the hospital I walked out to find someone had hit my car and just left without a note or anything. Luckily it was just a small dent, but still! So I sighed, got in the car, and decided that I wasn't going to tell Nolan because it would just add more stress, and he didn't do well under stress. I started the car and turned on the radio to hear "Oh this is going to be a good life, this could really be a good life, a good, good life..." by one of my favorite bands, One Republic. However, instead of this cheering me up, It made me mad so that's when I said super sarcastically, "Really God? Because right now this is a really sucky life!" 

Nolan's surgery went well and he was sent home to recover. Since he was camped out on the couch for the time being, the rest of us slept on the floor of the living room so that we could be there if he needed anything in the night. This went on for awhile since he could barely move from the couch until his skin graphs reattached. We tried to resume as usual and Nolan's mom took care of  Nolan while I took the kids to school, dance, etc. and then off to my treatments. One night when all of this was going on we heard a knock at the door. I opened it to find our good friends the Hoggans, and the Proctors, and another good friend, Becky Anderson, standing there with dinner and a gift. Becky had battled breast cancer herself and started a foundation for cancer survivor's called Anything For A Friend so they brought us a Giving Tree filled with uplifting quotes, money, gift cards, and wooden blocks that spelled HOPE. This was such a wonderful surprise and very much needed and appreciated. They truly made our night and I'll never forget their love and kindness. 

That next August I gathered my sisters, sister in laws, and nieces together to walk in a fundraiser for Anything for a Friend, and walked along side others who were either supporting someone with cancer, or who had battled cancer themselves. What a great day that was and one I'll never forget. It was such an uplifting and inspirational experience we did it again a few years later for my Mother in Law who was battling liver cancer at the time and had another great experience supporting a wonderful cause. 

The song that seemed to be the theme for me during this time was The Sun is Rising by Britt Nicole. Nolan's leg eventually healed and I was on the mend so life resumed as somewhat normal. Indeed, The Sun was Rising, and it was beginning to be a Good Life once more...

"Even when you can't imagine how, how your ever going to find your way out, even when your drowning in your doubt, just look beyond the clouds..."
























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