Friday, August 29, 2008

The Good and The Bad

Busy weekend and week coming up. The final rehearsals for Don Giovanni, which means once performed on Sept. 6th I've got to start learning Nannetta in Falstaff and Gianetta in L'elisir d'Amore...not to mention polish Lucy in The Telephone. It's good to be busy and it looks like even more film work is on the horizon for me...so my mind is swamped with all the things that are coming up and what needs to be accomplished. Eventually I'll actually be able to quit my day job and concentrate on the arts. This is the good side of things.

The bad side of things is that my family is dealing with a very sad time right now, something that I've been keeping to myself for awhile. My brother-in-law / friend James has been diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma cancer and is having surgery today to remove what they can...then he undergoes radiation and chemotherapy after that. According to my mom, they're removing skin & muscle tissue on his right side from his pectoral muscle up to his ear & mouth, all the while trying to maintain his ligaments and nerves...then in about 2 weeks they're going to take muscle and skin from the left side and graph it to the right...at least this is how I understood it in my hysterical state...I could be totally lost in the procedure, but no matter what it is, it's horrible and a very long recovery time. He's really the sweetest guy in the whole wide world and a great dad. My niece is such a daddy's girl I don't know how this will impact her...and I fear the worst for his true condition, because apparently even with the surgeries and treatments its a slim chance. Completely breaks my heart and how it is affecting my mom who loves him like her own son, my sister of course because she's watching her husband suffer and their kids, well I don't even have to go into it. Please pray, meditate, send good thoughts or what ever positive energy you can send to James would be much appreciated. I know he loves life and his family and I want to see him survive. He's not the kind to care about his looks and would rather live to see his little girl grow up instead of an early grave (he's only 35). I know this is a graphic and very personal blog, but I just needed to get it out.

-Bex

6 comments:

Cory Drake said...

I'll be praying. Dad is also going through cancer and it can take it's toll on everyone in the family, immediate and extended.

Rebeca said...

Oh Bex,
I <3 You,
and I'll be praying for your brother and your family (and you).

Take care of yourself,
<3.
R

Anonymous said...

skin cancer is such a horrible disease.

sending you/him/all of you my thoughts and prayers as well.

M.

Anonymous said...

I'm so sorry to hear about James. I will be praying for him and your family.

Anonymous said...

Wow, Bex...I am so sorry I missed this post this weekend. That is three, four more days I could have been praying for him.

I will be praying for him, though, and I will ask everyone I know to do so, also. I'm so sorry to hear this...but I am so glad you shared.

I very firmly believe in the power of prayer, positive thinking, whatever you call it...same thing, different names. I will be doing all of the above for James, for you, and for your family. Keep us posted.

Much love and many, many hugs.

V.

Anonymous said...

Hey chick-
First of all, some major hugs for the sad news.

The egg replacement post is coming this weekend. I promise! xoxo