The Bee's Knees

My father was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in early 2009.  It was life changing.  My father, the absolute strongest man I know was now weakened by a vicious monster that we refer to as cancer.  Multiple Myeloma (MM) is a cancer of the blood plasma.  This cancer runs throughout his veins on a daily basis.  He often receives plasma transfusions along with blood transfusions, these help raise his blood count and lower his protein count.  He receives his monthly, multi-day chemo treatment at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital.  This month was a bit different for him because it was the first treatment that my mom wouldn't be by his side.  He did great!  BUT, it's Jim Burns, so why wouldn't he?!?  This man is still, despite his bones literally deteriorating inside his body, and every single plasma cell coursing through his veins being contaminated with cancer, the strongest man that I know.  He CAN & WILL overcome EVERYTHING & ANYTHING that comes in his way.

The support of family and friends, thoughts and prayers from everyone who cares about him are what is keeping my Pop strong; that and the wonderful miracles workers at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital, the researchers at the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation who dauntlessly work at finding a cure for my father and everyone suffering from MM.

Cancer puts loved ones in this uncontrollable place; the same loved ones who would do anything for the person they love.  We are suddenly left helpless; all we have is our faith & put it ALL in every doctor and nurse, ALL of our faith in whatever higher power one chooses to pray to, EVERYTHING is out of our hands.

Clearly I couldn't just sit back, so I did a bit of investigating and found that the Philadelphia Multiple Myeloma Networking Group held an event called Miles for Myeloma (it was only the 2nd annual event).  This event is a 5k walk/run with one of the beneficiaries being Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation.  This is what I had to do!   I coordinated a team in honor of my Pop, called "The Bee's Knees", this year will be the 3rd year we will be 'stepping to take the sting out of MM'.  If you are in the Philadelphia area on Saturday, April 21st (which would have been my Mom's 70th birthday) and would like to join or donate to my team, THE BEE'S KNEES, please just click on the link and be as generous as possible!

We couldn't keep up this fight with out people like you.  HUMANS HELPING HUMANS!!

Sometimes you just have to LOL.

Sometimes people make it so easy to make fun of them.  I'm not talking about the mean "make fun of", I am speaking of the calling-people-out-when-they-do-something-dumb/funny/classic "make fun of", which can still be kind of mean if people don't know you (always be aware of your audience and know that if you are taking silliness too far it can end up being bad business).  It is hardly fair to poke fun of anyone if you can't poke fun at yourself; that brings me to a story that I just had to share.

The other day was a friend's birthday.  I told her that I would take her to lunch, but I also wanted to get her a little something more, so we detoured to another store to get her a gift.  She picked out her gift and I was paying at the cashier and right before I slid my card the cashier asks to see my ID.  I looked at this woman like she was an alien, in dead silence for 30+ seconds, she looked right at me and stated, "the back of your card says C.I.D".  Oh my!  I said out loud to her what I was thinking which was: "...how old do you have to be to buy lotion & body spray?" (looking back, I should've kept that in my head).  She laughed SO hard!  I totally had to call myself out on that one!  In my defense, there have been recent local events where young adults have been smoking bath salts, one of the them jumped from the top of a mall parking garage after smoking what is a seemingly harmless item.  Cashiers card now for cold medication because of those cooking up meth in their kitchens, so what next...lotion & body spray?  It all made sense in my head, but hearing myself say it out-loud that day, well...it was pretty damn funny.

I, of course, told everyone back at the office.  My office people are very used to me calling them out on the silly shenanigans they say & do on a daily basis; believe me they have just as much fun doing the same to me. 

When one has quirks that are as exorbitant as mine, it is so important to be able to laugh at oneself.  It is so much better to be laughing together, enjoying each other for every part of our personalities.  Not one of us is perfect, THANK GOD; keeping things light, fun, & relaxed seem like a much happier way to live.

COLLEGE BOUND!

Today was rough day.  Work was a typical crazy Monday, but what made it even harder was that I barely slept at all last night.  Sleeping is still a rarity these days, but I am still trying to plow through.  My support system is stronger than ever, and everyday I am feeling more like myself.

After this seemingly endless day, I came home and brought the mail up to "The Attic" (that's what I call my itty bitty living space).  Bryan had two pieces today; they were from two of the Universities that he had applied to.  He open the first one with the reaction "Oh sh!t!  I got into Bloomsburg."  We both had thought that the letter was a parking pass for our upcoming visit.  The second was his acceptance letter to Kutztown University.  How exciting!!!  He still has a school to hear from and he has until the end of April to make his decision, but it is exciting none-the-less!!

At that very moment I felt like I had fulfilled this huge accomplishment.  One of my main goals of this whole motherhood gig was to get Bryan into college.  Bryan knew exactly what I was thinking too.  He said, "Are you glad to know that I am definitely going to college?"  Am I glad?  I am elated!  My child, the one that I have raised...the one that we have collectively raised is college-bound.  COLLEGE BOUND!!! 

Another goal of mine was that I raised a child who wasn't completely effed up.  Now, that is still to be determined, but as far as I can tell the job that I have done isn't too shabby.  He is a typical teenager who gets in trouble because he doesn't use his head.  He knows it ALL.  His mouth is fresh & he is sarcastic, but weren't we all?  He also respects adults, is LOYAL to his friends and although he doesn't cuddle with me on the couch, like so many of my friend's little ones, he doesn't hesitate to tell me he loves me in front of everyone and anyone.

Today reminded me of how wonderful life is; the up and downs, sometimes all in one day.  The exhilarating roller coaster ride that someday we don't want to end and other days we are so ready to get off. 
Today was filled with wonderful news, a perfect Valentine's gift to receive from the one who is my "heart".  My love, my son.