REMISSION

It's a word with many meanings. Do we think about these meanings. I myself not so much.

re·mis·sion
1.
A)The act of remitting.
B)A condition or period in which something is remitted.
C)Medicine Abatement or subsiding of the symptoms of a disease.
D)The period during which the symptoms of a disease abate or subside.
E)Release, as from a debt, penalty, or obligation.
F)Forgiveness; pardon.


Is it a natural instinct to ignore the word remission in it's true meaning? That the problem it doesn't really go away? That it will likely come back again and possible again and again after that? That it can be a very short remission, like a year and then someone you love is faced with the battle once again. The battle to fight the dreaded "C" word since you are no longer in "remission". Cancer is not a kind word it, I think affects more people that it doesn't. Don't we all know someone that has had cancer??

I posted about a friend that was battling Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia APL (I've tried to link the post but still not sure if I've figured it out it was posted Aug 13/07 since I don't tink the link thingy worked)
as of a week ago this past Friday the fight was back on. A wonky blood test resulted in a Bone Marrow Biopsy a fast result and bam back in the hospital for chemo the following day.

See this is where my misunderstanding of the word remission comes in. I mean don't they do chemo to kill the cancer so it doesn't come back? Isn't that what all the evil drugs, the losing your hair, the throwing up, the feeling like you are at deaths door are about? To KILL THE CANCER?? But then I guess that would be a cure and there isn't really a cure for cancer is there? Well atleast not that they tell us, is there money in a cure? Likely not as much as in the treatments provided (but that is a discussion for another day)

My bubble was bursted when the real meaning of "remission" was kindly pointed out to me by my Mom (thank you by the way as I was clueless, really I was). I really did think that when you went into remission it wasn't going to come back, ever.

So I sit here now 14 hours away from my life long friend and all I can offer her is phone calls of support, my love and I don't know. It is times like this that being away from home really sucks.

Please pray for my friend Jennifer and her family as she battles this round of APL