For Charlotte~

This is my story of Charlotte, a true inspiration of faith, hope & love in friendship (if you will) in a chemo room. I first met Charlotte in chemo, sitting in what I thought was my chair, although I quickly learned it was hers.. she was and is as hard headed as me. I loved being in the very back of the room, in the corner, secluded. It was a safe place if that makes sense, not around others to ask questions and bother me about my age my dx, and why I was there… not that I wasn’t there for the same reason as the others in the same room as me… but I just felt better back there. And obviously she did too.  The only difference between us was she has small cell lung cancer (also called oat cell) [ http://www.mylungcancersupport.org/learn-about-lung-cancer/lung-cancer-basics.html ]  and I have non small cell lung cancer. She is fighting for her life right now and I am beyond sad. I feel its completely unfair. IFHC.  She is so completely and utterly amazing. In my eyes, I see her as a warrior. Not myself. 

As I scoot along here, we would have our chemo and talk about our kids and her grand kids and her hardworking husband and how he just loves her to the ends of the earth… while giggling over her cute sneakers and how we both loved the color purple [the actual color, not the movie, however its good too] we would joke about how we have to write everything down because of chemo brain and we forget everything!! UGH! But it was just so hilarious the nurses would laugh at us and want to know what was so funny, we just “clicked”… I remember us taking selfies and becoming closer and closer… then it was time for her to move on and go to radiation. I missed seeing her everyday, damnit! But, we kept up on texting and calls. Thankful for this, I made sure to continue to ask how she was and her to check in on me…. She took some time for herself and for her family to vacation and spend time together, as she really deserved it. What really stuck out for me was when she came to see me on her last week of being at chemo… she passed the torch as she explained, and passed her chair to me, wrote me a letter, decorated my area in ALL PURPLE, made me dress up in purple boas and then gave me a few small gifts in purple… such a giving, loving woman! She is just a wonderfully upbeat, caring friend. And I have had the privilege to know her. 

What I’m trying to say here is, I am blessed. Because even though she tries to say that I am the fighter and brave and strong and all the things that she is… Charlotte is MORE.  And now she is in the fight of her life, clinical trials, medicines to keep her comfortable. Cancer is the most terrible thing I can even think of, since my diagnosis it’s everywhere, kind of like when you buy a new car you see it practically everywhere you turn… now I see this disease everywhere. But we don’t give up just like that. We keep going. We fight until its over. And right now, its NOT over. You see; Charlotte refuses to give up or go down without a fight or plan of action. She just got the news that her stupid cancer is back with a vengeance. BUT– she has her boxing gloves on with her dangly earrings and is ready for the fight, the fight of her life. Personally I don’t know how she does it, I did 7 weeks of chemotherapy and radiation, she has done SOOOOOOO much more than that and I thought it was torture. THIS is why I call her amazing! Because its so true! Charlotte, you are a hope, and an inspiration to so many others fighting this fight. Keep it up girl, I am BEYOND proud to know you, and even more of being your friend.    I love you~