My wife was diagnosed with Breast Cancer in March 2009. Back then we didn't know that I was going to receive my own cancer diagnosis only seven months later. But in this mini series of six parts called "Our Breast Cancer", I intend to talk about how our lives have changed when we learned about my wife's cancer. It's important that you understand, that the following text is from my point of view only, not my wife's .
It was the 3rd of March of 2009 when Ann called me up in my hotel room. I was out for business attending a conference in Raleigh, North Carolina. A few weeks prior to that, she just had her annual mammogram done. She was called back into the doctor's office because apparently there were some irregularities seen on the slides. Nothing really to freak out over, since it happened before and her mom and her sisters had a few biopsies done, too, and they always came back okay.
So I was completely in shock when she told me, that her doctor had just called her to tell her, that she had Breast Cancer. It was brutal. I cannot even describe what and how I felt. I felt empty and overwhelmed at the same time. This couldn't be true. Not my wife. I started crying and maybe that's what made me feel so guilty. Because I knew I had to be strong now for Ann, yet, there I was, crying my heart out.
It killed me that I couldn't be with Ann. Instead I was trapped in a hotel in North Carolina. My flight back home was scheduled two days later - but maybe there was a chance to get me on a plane heading back to Jersey the next day.
When we hung up the phone, I completely fell apart. I pray for you that you will never have to go through anything like that.
And in the midst of all that, all of a sudden all the things in my life got assigned with different priorities. Ann's health was now the single most important thing. All our struggles with the mortgage, the bills, etc. became irrelevant instantaneously. I prayed and asked the Lord for help. I was never into organized religion, but I always had faith. Well, he might have been a little surprised that I asked him for help, but for some reason, I felt that he was there for me and I experienced a sense of comfort.
Now it was time o figure out a way to get back to Jersey as soon as possible. I went on the Internet to check my airline's schedule and to my surprise there was a flight going out that same night at 10:00PM and so I changed my reservation accordingly. My airline called me back about five minutes later to let me know, that this flight was likely to get cancelled because of the weather situation, however, if I could make it to the airport within the next 40 minutes, they could get me on an earlier plane. I knew that this was practically impossible, but I told them that I will try. I had to pack, check out, organize a cab, get through customs, etc...and all that in 40 minutes?!
The hotel told me that there was no way to get a cab that quickly, so they jumped in and gave me a ride to the airport. That was fantastic. The only problem: my driver had not the slightest clue of the area since he was from Kentucky and just signed up for his new job a few days earlier. As a consequence, he missed the airport exit off of the highway we were on. That was it. Since the next U turn was miles and miles away, I had to say Good Bye to my plane.
Whether it was coincidence or did God pulled a couple of strings for me, I don't know. But miraculously, I did still made it. The airline held the plane for me and three other customers. And a few hours later that night, I was back in Jersey and together with my wife. - 29763
It was the 3rd of March of 2009 when Ann called me up in my hotel room. I was out for business attending a conference in Raleigh, North Carolina. A few weeks prior to that, she just had her annual mammogram done. She was called back into the doctor's office because apparently there were some irregularities seen on the slides. Nothing really to freak out over, since it happened before and her mom and her sisters had a few biopsies done, too, and they always came back okay.
So I was completely in shock when she told me, that her doctor had just called her to tell her, that she had Breast Cancer. It was brutal. I cannot even describe what and how I felt. I felt empty and overwhelmed at the same time. This couldn't be true. Not my wife. I started crying and maybe that's what made me feel so guilty. Because I knew I had to be strong now for Ann, yet, there I was, crying my heart out.
It killed me that I couldn't be with Ann. Instead I was trapped in a hotel in North Carolina. My flight back home was scheduled two days later - but maybe there was a chance to get me on a plane heading back to Jersey the next day.
When we hung up the phone, I completely fell apart. I pray for you that you will never have to go through anything like that.
And in the midst of all that, all of a sudden all the things in my life got assigned with different priorities. Ann's health was now the single most important thing. All our struggles with the mortgage, the bills, etc. became irrelevant instantaneously. I prayed and asked the Lord for help. I was never into organized religion, but I always had faith. Well, he might have been a little surprised that I asked him for help, but for some reason, I felt that he was there for me and I experienced a sense of comfort.
Now it was time o figure out a way to get back to Jersey as soon as possible. I went on the Internet to check my airline's schedule and to my surprise there was a flight going out that same night at 10:00PM and so I changed my reservation accordingly. My airline called me back about five minutes later to let me know, that this flight was likely to get cancelled because of the weather situation, however, if I could make it to the airport within the next 40 minutes, they could get me on an earlier plane. I knew that this was practically impossible, but I told them that I will try. I had to pack, check out, organize a cab, get through customs, etc...and all that in 40 minutes?!
The hotel told me that there was no way to get a cab that quickly, so they jumped in and gave me a ride to the airport. That was fantastic. The only problem: my driver had not the slightest clue of the area since he was from Kentucky and just signed up for his new job a few days earlier. As a consequence, he missed the airport exit off of the highway we were on. That was it. Since the next U turn was miles and miles away, I had to say Good Bye to my plane.
Whether it was coincidence or did God pulled a couple of strings for me, I don't know. But miraculously, I did still made it. The airline held the plane for me and three other customers. And a few hours later that night, I was back in Jersey and together with my wife. - 29763
About the Author:
A few months after his wife Ann got diagnosed with Breast Cancer, the author of this article Tony Ulrich started his website called Our Breast Cancer Info Page. You just read Breast Cancer Story Part One from his mini essay 'Ann's an Tony's Breast Cancer Story'.
