It's a Family Diagnosis

What has impressed me most over the last few weeks is how hard my diagnosis has hit our family and close friends...not just me (various pictures of our kids, Mo, Finley and Parker and our kids friends over the holidays included here , so you can see them)! Everyone naturally supports the person with the problem, but Ted, our kids, our family and closest friends are hurting and trying to get through the shock of it all, and having those sobbing moments where they're just devastated at the thought that I would have to go through this, and trying to cope...often at a distance and yet, as a general tendency, we don't naturally think to provide them with the support that I get everyday.

I am very aware that with all the great medical care that I'm getting, there's this HUGE need for our family and friends to get care and that's nearly always missing from the acute care system. I've had the most special and optimal of medical care situations. I had connections...I had people! I've had the optimal medical care. I got in for surgery so very quickly with Dr. Goulet, who was just wonderful to us. Our oncologist, Dr. Kathy Miller, spent nearly two hours with me, Ted, Kyle, Joel and Jo on Christmas Eve afternoon for heaven's sake! What a special woman she is...and Dr. Goulet as well plus all the staff at the Simon Cancer Center at IU. Every person who has touched us has been so very kind.

But this is where you all come in. We continue to need you...our kids need you, our closest friends need you, our Meek and Lukens nuclear family needs you, so I'm requesting that your comments on this particular blog posting be directed to them and that I've also given you our kid's emails in my "Favor" list. Post comments for them, not me this time!

On a very operational note, thanks so much to Joel for his savvy technology solution to permit you all to so easily see what we need and to give you an easy way to sign up! Please continue to watch your input to my "favor" list in the "notes" section as that's the easiest/most efficient way for me to respond to you, so really, our use of this tool is a favor to me in and of itself. So if you've posted an offer for help or want to sign up, please return the next day to the "favor" list and see my response in the notes section OK? Or you can email or call me with your plans if you wish as well. Love you Joel, for helping me with this!

Bless you all and thanks be to God for your love and kindness.