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Quick... when's your anniversary? Your partner's birthday?
Those of you who have a Date to Remember with someone- be it first date, first kiss, partnership/civil union/marriage date, birthday - you know the terror that comes with Forgetting. Yearly anniversaries are near-sacred things. You may remember my recent ode to one such date.
Well, I forgot one yesterday, a biggie. A 10-year anniversary. Totally slipped my mind til late in the evening, when I went to Mr. Brillig and confessed I'd forgotten. He'd forgotten too. We shared a smile together, hugged each other close, and agreed it was good we'd forgotten.
Ten years ago, Mr. Brillig was in a hospital bed recovering from an uneventful appendectomy. I arrived there fresh from work (I was a postdoc at Brigham & Women's Hospital, in the Pathology Department) to find a silent, white-faced husband staring at an equally silent doctor.
"We got the pathology back, and it was malignant. We need to do more surgery tomorrow." Yup, ten years ago we joined the club no one wants to join- the cancer club.
This diary isn't about that, though (even if I will make the ObPublicServiceAnnouncement and remind everyone to get checked what can be checked, and don't let symptoms wait). No, this diary is about Faith, Hope and Love.
Faith in Mr. Brillig's doctors, that they knew what they were talking about. That the surgery did in fact get it all. That the chemo and radiation got whatever slipped through. That the followups were accurate.
Hope that we would be the "one in < insert number here > cases" with a promising prognosis. That the prognosis would be true. That Mr. Brillig would be healthy, with as few complications as possible. That we would someday think of ourselves as just a family, not a Cancer Family. That Kid Brillig would grow up with her Daddy here.
Love that would see us through the hard days of treatment. Strengthen us through fears of recurrence.
Faith, Hope and Love got us through. It also allowed us to slowly, slowly NOT attribute each ache, each pain, to a recurrence. To believe that yes, he was cancer-free. Permanently. And, eventually, to lead us to now.
Ten years ago, I was in a hospital waiting room while Mr. Brillig had large chunks of his small and large intestine removed along with a whole lotta lymph nodes. I occupied myself watching the NATO bombing of Kosovo on TV. My world was that room, and that hallway as I watched for the doctor.
This year, I forgot the anniversary. Me, who Does Not Forget. Life is indeed good. Blessed be.
- - - -
And Blessed Be for Top Comments, so that we don't miss a single good one!! First up, the contents of the TC mailbox. Did you send yours in?
From lcbo:
about the teachers' donation to Michael Steele, marketgeek's comment has succinctly described the adherents of the Randian view of society as described by MacJimi here. (diarist's note: this didn't seem to make it in last night)
From ms citizen:
A great comment by Sunflower Blue in the diary about Teach for America lays out the problem with mediocre teacher education schools. (Diarist's note: yes, the comment is from before 10pm yesterday, but the nomination wasn't. Deal.)
From Jill Richardson, the diarist formerly known as OrangeClouds115:
I think if I was drinking while I read this comment by jwinIL14 I would have had the liquid come out of my nose.
josebrwn has a good reply to a troll.
From cskendrick:
funluvn1 on the Party of No.
DocGonzo on Arlen Spector's likely fate in 2010
AWhitneyBrown on eating well for a dollar
From Phonegery:
andsarahtoo wants to adopt a lobbyist. CParis elaborates.
From malharden:
Kovie takes Chuck Todd, Chip Reid, Jake Tapper and the rest to the woodshed with this comment during the Press Conference LiveBlog...
From Yours Truly:
webranding speaks for everyone who can't afford to avoid Wal-Mart. The thread, as well as the entire diary by Jill/OC is a great read for anyone who eats.
sillycilla points out what I was thinking.
And now on to Top Mojo!! Calculated with the ancient formulas of cskendrick/sardonyx, and brought to you here:
Top 30 (plus ties) Comments excluding search-identifiable tip jars, first comments, and C&J:
1) I like Gibbs, too. by AmbroseBurnside — 213
2) Look like he might be laughing too by Muzikal203 — 195
3) We don't need to rape the planet by greendem — 192
4) Why is he smiling? by skybluewater — 164
5) Medicare for All- will you support this? by MD patriot — 160
6) Which Paul Krugman do you want me to argue with? by The Termite — 147
7) How can we get more progressives in congress? by lgcap — 130
8) It's not the clothes, it's how you wear them by bronte17 — 129
9) I pay over $1300/month by Sarge in Seattle — 116
10) Class is the ability by AmbroseBurnside — 111
11) Then he's DOA by gchaucer2 — 105
12) Not at all. by Angry Mouse — 104
13) What sucks most about being poor by Pager — 99
14) What a great update. by Pager — 96
15) I love the little girl by gchaucer2 — 93
16) One disagreement (it should be on rec list) by FishOutofWater — 90
17) How about you tell me why he's wrong by beemerr — 89
18) Class is embracing every human and respecting the by rontun — 81
19) If the adjunct Press Secretary's by gchaucer2 — 80
20) Exactly, she's comfortable in her own skin by Muzikal203 — 78
21) Exactly!!!!! by theKgirls — 75
22) Here's the Sierra Club's response by gloryous1 — 75
23) I like it. Troll secretary. by feeny — 74
24) I don't know how you grew up droogie, by brooklynbadboy — 73
25) as is her husband by kainah — 72
26) The hypocrisy is amusing by TocqueDeville — 72
27) Sheah...he probably laughed at a joke one of by grannyhelen — 71
28) You Have Mine, Too. Undying Gratitude, That Is. by mattman — 70
29) Krugman is in many ways by Dont Just Stand There — 70
30) Class is the ability to look outstanding by MarkInSanFran — 69
31) How can we get money out of government? by JohnB47 — 69
32) Hey Muzikal isn't it hilarious by JNSD — 69
33) Arlen just opted for retirement. by citizenx — 69
34) How about John Cleese by Chaoslillith — 69
Top 30 Comments with no exclusions:
1) Tips are welcome by Gov Howard Dean MD — 1149
2) Classy Tips Only Please by Muzikal203 — 692
3) Tip Jar by Muzikal203 — 357
4) Btw - this is OrangeClouds115 by Jill Richardson — 329
5) Tips for story-swapping. by droogie6655321 — 326
6) Tip Jar by RogerShuler — 312
7) Tip jar by The Termite — 293
8) Who could best fill this job? by marybluesky — 269
9) Well that was a labor of love. by Eddie C — 238
10) I was gonna say, I like Gibbs by dssv12 — 232
11) I like Gibbs, too. by AmbroseBurnside — 214
12) Look like he might be laughing too by Muzikal203 — 195
13) We don't need to rape the planet by greendem — 192
14) Tip Jar by Winter Rabbit — 190
15) Tips / Mojo: 23 March 09 by A Siegel — 181
16) Why is he smiling? by skybluewater — 164
17) Medicare for All- will you support this? by MD patriot — 160
18) Which Paul Krugman do you want me to argue with? by The Termite — 147
19) How can we get more progressives in congress? by lgcap — 130
20) It's not the clothes, it's how you wear them by bronte17 — 129
21) I pay over $1300/month by Sarge in Seattle — 116
22) Good news. NT by 2laneIA — 116
23) Class is the ability by AmbroseBurnside — 111
24) Then he's DOA by gchaucer2 — 105
25) Not at all. by Angry Mouse — 105
26) What sucks most about being poor by Pager — 99
27) What a great update. by Pager — 96
28) I love the little girl by gchaucer2 — 93
29) One disagreement (it should be on rec list) by FishOutofWater — 90
30) How about you tell me why he's wrong by beemerr — 89