...and I thought I was brave.

Happy Tuesday to ya'll out there in blog world. Life's been busy of late and I really underestimated how difficult it would be to find a new blog topic everyday. Like most things in my life, after not writing for a day or two, it became easy to forget about writing on my blog at all. Here I am however, writing my fool head off once again.

I'm sure most of you, like myself, are familiar with Relay For Life and the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. I even know they are organizations that help raise money for cancer research. I've never really gave much mind to these organizations. I've probably paid a little more attention since my Dad passed away with cancer last fall. Besides my Dad I've watched both of my Grandfathers lose battles to cancer and some of my Aunts and Uncles. All of the aforementioned where older with the exception of my Dad who died much too young at the age of 63. Then something happend that changed my outlook on this terrible disease.

My friend Nev (who just recently celebrated her 21st birthday) was diagnosed with Hodgkins-Lymphoma several months ago. Nev shaved the hair on her head rather than wait for the chemotherapy to take it from her. Nev is one of the most beautiful young women God has ever put on our Planet and one of the very few who can pull off still looking gorgeous with a bald head. Over the past several months she has truly been a beacon of light to many and personally one hell of an inspiration to me. Some of the most fun I've experienced in the last couple of months were days when I was priveleged to pick Nev up and drive around Toledo on amazing adventures. Then Sunday night came and she asked me if I could give her a ride to her chemotherapy treatment at the hospital the next day. I jumped at the chance to provide any amount of help to my friend.

Yesterday I picked Nev and her friend (and now mine) Sophie up and off to the local hospital we went. We stopped at Tim Horton's and Nev and Sophie had some Iced Coffees and I harrassed them about how God had intended for coffee to be served hot only. We had some laughs and jokes on the way to the hospital. I must interject here that Nev is one of the most vivacious and vibrantly full of life people I have ever met. Spend an afternoon with her and you will be hard pressed not to walk away smiling and feeling better about life. We get to the hospital and I drop Nev and Sophie off at the door (Nev also dislocated her knee and fractured her arm recently). I had stopped by twice before while Nev was receiving Chemotherapy to offer my support but I had never stayed the entire time. The Nurse and then the Doctor stopped in to chat with Nev and we all joked with them.

The doctor brought up the topic of radiation treatment after Nev's Chemo was finished. The best that I can tell radiation would increase the chances that my friend stays cancer free and for a longer period. Apparently radiation also increases ones chances of obtaining heart disease and breast cancer. So basically at the age of a college junior my friend is debating the benefits and drawbacks to this potentially life altering treatment with her doctor. She will go through radiation. This is Nev's second to last Chemo treatment.

We move on to the chemo center where Nev is put in a comfortable looking recliner. The chemo center is aesthetically designed to hopefully make these cancer patients a little more comfortable while enduring the treatments. Recliners and LCD TV's are staples in each cubicle. They also had a really neat large piece of glass with water running behind it. So they start Nev's treatment and over the next four hours I watched it transform my friend from a beautiful bubbly young lady to a scared very sick young lady appearing to be on the verge of death. Sophie and Nev informed me that this was Nev's most difficult treatment. I can't imagine having to go through Chemotherapy. I sat there with tears in my eyes, watching helplessly with Nev's Dad as Nev dry heaved consistently for a solid hour. The nurse administered dose after dose of medication to attempt to put Nev to sleep. She started getting hives and continued to dry heave. Finally after an hour she drifted off to sleep and I felt a little relieved to see her find a moment of relief. I finally started to realize that I had before my eyes a perfect example of courage and bravery.

Here is this beautiful 21 year old woman, all 5 foot of her, fighting head on one of the most deadly diseases known to man. She walked into the hospital yesterday morning knowing that what she was about to experience would make her very physically ill for the next 3-5 days (imagine having the worst flu you have ever had in your life and contracting that every two weeks). I have never once heard Nev complain. I've only seen her smile and try to encourage others while she endures so much. Watching her battle this Hodgkin's Lymphoma has been a life altering event for me as well. I realized it while watching her get her chemotherapy. I have a new hero in my life today. A hero with the courage of a hundred men. A hero so brave that I feel cowardly for ever complaining about anything in my life. My hero is short, bald and beautiful! My hero is Nev Gagne.

Just as a side note myself and some others are throwing together a benefit for Nev on June 25th at Pilgrim Church at 1375 W. Sylvania Ave Toledo, OH 43612. You can help Nev fight her battle by showing up and spending a little money to help her cause.