Hey, guys. I know that this isn't LiveJournal, or grouphug, or whatever, but the fact is that I consider a lot of you people to be good folks, and some of you friends, and I need a friend right now.
My childhood best friend, Chad, his wife Kim (whom I have also known since childhood), and their family are going through an almost impossibly difficult time.
Now, I have known Chad literally all my life. Our mothers were best friends in high school, and were pregnant with Chad and me at the same time...the friendship we shared was practically forged in utero. I don't have a whole lot of memories from my childhood that don't involve Chad and his family. He is the sort of guy who seemed to spring from the womb with a compassionate heart and a fully-developed sense of right and wrong. Despite the fact that he was bigger than me for most of our friendship (and I have always been a lippy smartass), the only time we ever fought was when I hit my sister in front of him. And he beat the snot out of me for that. Important lesson. He is the manifestation of all of the working-class sensibilities of our hometown, so we grew into profoundly different people, but we have always kept in touch.
Anyhow, a couple years back, practically on Christmas, Kim seized during the middle of the night. When she came around, she wasn't able to speak clearly, and they were afraid she'd suffered a stroke. As it turns out, it was even worse: a massive, 3" brain tumor, sitting almost on top of the speech center of her brain. A couple years and a lobectomy later, she was mostly better. Then, almost simultaneously, they discovered that the cancer had returned, this time spreading to her frontal lobes (therefore making it inoperable), and that she was also suffering from a totally unconnected breast cancer.
Then, Kim and Chad's daughter, Kaylee, was diagnosed with leukemia.
Her brother, Tyson, is not a match, and because Kaylee is half-Native American, half-Caucasian, they are virtually certain to fail in finding a suitable donor. On top of this, Kaylee's leukemia is exceedingly rare; it is only the 5th case of its kind seen in the US in the last 10 years. And even if they
do somehow manage to find a perfectly compatible donor, the doctors say that she faces a less than 60% chance of recovery.
They are living out of their camper here in Seattle, splitting time between Kim and Kaylee's treatment facilities. Chad's coworkers have graciously pooled 12 weeks of their vacation time (as much as their employer will allow), and given it to him, so that he can spend as much time with his family as possible.
I'm not sure why I felt it necessary to mention all this, except to say that it is really tearing me up. My friend Erika just stopped by my office, and I spent fifteen minutes sobbing about Kim, Kaylee, Chad, and their family. I am not, but if you are a praying person, please feel free to do so.
I am sorry if this is meandering and nonsensical, but I am extremely torn up about this.
tl;dr Life shits on my old friend Chad's family.
KING5 news story about them (wouldn't run on Firefox for me...had to use IE).UPDATE ABOUT KAYLEE, 10.27.07UPDATE ABOUT KAYLEE, 04.10.08
Posts
hug
He's gonna need you to be strong.
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I don't think you understand cancer
Tell him random people from the internet wish him and his family well.
Secret Satan 2013 Wishlist
least they have a good friend in yourself.
It is unfortunate that I do.
Very well.
And no, they do not live near a toxic waste dump, high-voltage power lines, or anything like that. Kim and Chad's families do not have a pronounced history of cancer. Neither of them smoke, and prior to all this, they were all in outstanding physical shape (Kim, Chad, and both the kids).
I am not sure what could've contributed to this, outside of, as the title says, profoundly bad luck.
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Seriously
Life is unfair that is one constant, sadly
You don't have to apologize or explain, you're torn up because they're your friends and you care about them. I'm so sorry to hear about all they're going through.
or grandfather nurgle?
i hope that somehow, their luck turns around. i know, cancer and all, but i honestly hope something comes out right for them.
the high incidence of cancer in an otherwise low-risk family leads me to think that they have been or are being all exposed to something carcinogenic...
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That aside, man. That sucks so hard nap, so hard. It's just not fucking right. I hope they do something for the daughter. I don't pray but, I'll think positive thoughts.
Yeah. Cancer always wins eventually.
i have a sneaking suspicion that uriel will post tl;dr or something and we will all yell at him
It cheats and misinterprets the rules too, like a malignant Bill Belichick.
Secret Satan 2013 Wishlist
topical
Thanks.
This made me laugh.
And guys, thank you all. I generally take a pretty dim view of people, and it's nice to see so many of you being so sympathetic.
^5 guys. Really.
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free radicals exist naturally but things we use increase them and lead to cancer
did you know they found out fabreeze and air fresheners are carcinogenic
How can we hate on you with that avatar?
^5
oh shit
It's such a fucking bitch dude.
Hey look the only way you can treat me is slowly killin yourself! And I ALWAYS come back!