Aaannndddd…………..WHUMP!!!!

Life has once again come up from behind and whacked us upside the head.

We learned late last night that my husband’s 25-year-old nephew has just been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

This nephew is 6 months younger than our youngest son. He is a great guy. He works very hard at a very physical job. He is kind, and a bit of a joker.

This is one of the three children of my husband’s brother. The brother who is intolerably awful.

Here is just another example:  This young man’s father is angry with his son, because he feels that his son’s lifestyle has caused his disease.  Yes, he believes that the young man’s working the night shift, not “eating right”, and “partying too much” is the reason he has cancer. Seriously.

After reviewing the Mayo Clinic’s website on this disease, I learned that the risk factors for Hodgkins’ are things out of our nephew’s control: age, sex, sibling health history (he was adopted, so we don’t know about that), socioeconomic status. That last one can be blamed totally on my brother-in-law, not our nephew. I have also learned that of the lymphomas, this one is most often treatable. He has not been given a “stage” yet, but is likely at least stage 2, as he has had symptoms of shortness of breath and very itchy skin which has kept him from being able to sleep.

Please keep in mind that my brother-in-law’s idea of “eating right” involves eating a can of tuna and/or green beans FROM THE CAN, while standing at the kitchen counter. This is the same man who kicked his cousin out of his home while she was here to handle their aunt’s estate this past summer, primarliy due to their differences in eating styles. She ended up staying with us, even though we had a house full of guests from my side of the family.

I’m so sorry for our nephew. It is horrible enough to get a cancer diagnosis when you are at that invincible time of your life, let alone have to go through it with a crazy parent who will want to control everything. He is apparently having issues with his health insurance as well. (Damn the tea party and their agenda to keep people from accessing universal insurance in this country!)

We are still taking it all in. So is he. My sister-in-law told me this morning that his concerns are centered around whether or not he will lose his hair and when they can stop the itching so he can sleep. She is a wreck. Both her father and our mother-in-law died of non-Hodgkins lymphoma, the worse form of the disease.   The first appointment with an oncologist is Tuesday.

Feeling a little woozy about it all.

These whacks on the head truly make your head spin.

Advertisement