Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving!  I have so much to be thankful for this year, but even so, this holiday always takes me back to the year Hodgkins was such a huge part of my life - likely because my radiation ended just in time for me to celebrate Thanksgiving with family.  I am so thankful to be in remission and that I happened to live so near the Massey Cancer Center.

I'm also thankful for the friends who made that year bearable.  One in particular.  So I'm going to say thanks to her today.

Loren and I met the summer before our senior year of college.  Ill be honest - I didnt like her at first (don't worry - she knows this already!) but we quickly became inseparable.  The following years brought lots of fun together, like annual birthday pictures with the Fells Point Elvis:

Tons of miles logged while hiking:

Her attempts to teach me to ski, perfecting our performance of Ice, Ice, Baby, slumber parties, and establishment of our "designated drinker" regimen, which would allow us to play beer pong while also keeping one sober driver.  She once left me as collateral with a bouncer so she could go inside and use the phone (yeah - before cell phones).  This may or may not have happened because we spent all of our money at quarter bottles night.  And we had more than $5 with us.

We've also had bigger stuff in our friendship - a months long non-speaking fight.  Weddings.  A divorce.  When my dad passed away, Loren didn't bat an eye before calling out from work and driving my brother and I to Connecticut through a snowstorm.  She is THAT kind of friend.

My step-dad once told me that there are very few people in the world like Loren.  Its true.

So it shouldnt be all that surprising that Loren logged a LOT of miles traveling between Baltimore and Richmond while I was sick.  She visited almost every other weekend to hang out with me, even when I couldnt do much.  But one weekend, when Tim was throwing a party on one of my "better" weekends, Tim and Loren decided I should come to Baltimore for a weekend before getting my next round of chemo.  There was really only one problem - I needed daily shots of Neupogen and couldnt give it to myself.

It shouldn't shock you that Loren volunteered to do it.  Even though she had never given anyone a shot before.

Evan loaded up the syringe, packed it in a cooler, and told Loren to call him when it was time for the shot.  One of my funniest memories ever is Loren trying to cradle the phone while holding the syringe listening to Evan tell her what to do.  And she did it. 

Later that night we were off to the party, and our "designated drinker" system came in handy since I wasnt drinking. 

(This isnt from that party, but I felt it was a good representative).

A guy noticed the band-aid over my injection site and kept asking about it.  Over.  And over.  Finally, Loren had enough and yelled at the guy "She has CANCER okay?  Now shut up!"

Tim and I thought our 5'3" friend was about to drop the peoples elbow on the guy.

He was very apologetic.  And probably scared.

It was one of the funnest weekends I had that year.  And I wouldnt have had it without Loren being willing to give me that shot.

Loren - Im so thankful for your friendship.  You're amazing.  And I clearly love you since I willing posted such unflattering pictures here.

*   *   *
Who are you thankful for this year?  Why not honor someone who helped you through a hard time by making a donation in their name to the VCU Massey Cancer Center?  You can do so here.