When the Circle of Sisters Is Important

Women can be incredibly catty. But there is a ying/yang side to this behavior. On the opposite side they can be incredibly supportive.

From the Wednesday before Thanksgiving to today I have had a major shift in my world. The changes that are taking place are going faster and faster. The Wednesday was a bad day for me. I either had food poisoning, the antibiotics I had been on were working overtime on the digestive system, or I had a big honking ulcer. Until the Friday after Thanksgiving I wasn't eating anything. I didn't get the stuffing or the pumpkin pie. Even the thought of them was more than I could bear. I saw the doctor on Friday.

Saturday about noon I got a call one of my best friends had died in her sleep the night before. She was only 38. Yes, she did have health problems. She was narcoleptic and was on strong drugs to help her stay awake. But for some reason her brain short circuited Friday night and she had a major seizure.

When I saw the doctor on Friday, he told me he had no problems treating for that big honking ulcer, but he wanted to make sure nothing more was going on. OK, I respect that. But, when they stuck that damned thing down my throat the gastroenterologist found something he didn't like. In fact, he thought it was probably malignant. This was not a happy thought as my friend drove me home.

Thursday night the Circle of Sister started to form. They brought my car home and spent a couple of hours making sure I was doing OK with the possible diagnosis.

Friday was my friend's funeral. Immediately after that I got a call from the gastroenterologist. The pathology reports were in. It was confirmed: I have esophageal cancer. I just stopped. I quit feeling for the rest of the day. I had to have another test run that night.

The Circle of Sisters again convened Friday night. I tried to get drunk. I had almost 2/3 of a bottle of wine. It didn't work. What did work was I was finally able to eat solid food for the first time in a week. Wine has wonderful relaxing qualities. And, once the traumatic moments were over, we had fun. The Circle of Sisters is planning another night soon. I'll let you know what "porn night" is like...where we turn off the sound and create our own dialogue.

The Circle of Sisters extends beyond those physically here. It exists across the country and all the way to the tip of South America. The Circle of Sisters is tightening. I receive daily messages and phone calls. I will survive and thrive with the help and love shown by my Circle of Sisters.