My grandmother from Massachusetts was the only grandparent that I heard from during my diagnosis and recovery of lung cancer. My grandmother that's 300 miles away, isn't that a shame? I made sure my concerns about it were heard in Maine. Well, I addressed it the best I could anyway. Long story short.. A misunderstanding about who was driving my grandfather back to the shore house turned into attacking Heather (me), to my aunt bashing the way my father raised me and my brother among other things that completely shocked me, and so I felt it was my chance to express my feelings on my cancer experience and the little support I felt I got from that side of my family. Honestly, for the most part I'm sure it was completely ignored, because that's how it felt.
Basically I have virtually no relationship with most of my family members on both my dad and mom's side. It is what it is. I can only hope that one day I have my own family, which I hope to have a larger one, and I can start over fresh. For now, I can count on only one hand the family I talk to and would say I have a strong relationship with.
Some of the best family members in my life are...
My father and grandmother
They have always supported me whatever up and down my life goes through.
Staying on a more positive note, here are some highlights of my trip so far:
- On Sunday July 21st I attended an annual lung cancer event in Massachusetts called Paddlepalooza which benefitted both LUNGevity Foundation and Upstage Lung Cancer, a lung cancer non-profit in Massachusetts. To learn more about this annual event you can go to: http://2013paddle.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=1048721
- I went to this event with my grandmother. And I recently learned that her father died of lung cancer. I never knew that.
- I went to McCray's Farm with my grandmother where we got GREAT homemade ice cream!! It's the best, they have so many flavors, and you surely can't find that in NJ :-)
- Me and my grandma went to The Mohawk Trail, which is our favorite place to go! They were having a festival, which is more like a townie thing but anyone can go. We are going back in a few weeks to a cabin at The Mohawk Trail State Forest. I am really looking forward to it!!
I got to make my own glass pendant!
- I've been going to Mount Holyoke College to run, but it's not the same as NJ. The trail is okay, but it's only a mile long, there's horse poop all over, it's heavily wooded and the Mosquitos are just nuts here even during the day! Today I hiked for about an hour at Mt. Tom and I took my dog, Oscar, with me.
That's about all for now. Overall, I am having a good time and making the best of the down days. I am excited to get home (the first week of September)and have a HOAGIE from WAWA!!!
