Two
articles managed to piss me off this morning.
This one tells of the decision by the mayor of New York City to exclude first responders from the 9/11 ceremony this year. They have been specifically excluded. In past year, they weren't invited, but they weren't turned away when they showed up - they were allowed to attend, mourn, remember, and heal. This year, they can't attend. Apparently, Bloomberg has decided that it's morally okay to exclude these heroes due to space constraints. Really? Hard to imagine. I think that it probably has more to do with the fact that they don't want the ceremonies to be tainted with the in-your-face reality that the very people that helped save countless lives and recover the bodies of those killed that day are now suffering unimaginable health problems, from PTSD to cancer. And, they don't want the ceremonies to be a reminder of the fact that the government is denying those first responders coverage for their cancer, on the basis that there isn't enough documentation to prove that there is a direct link.
Can you see the steam coming out of my ears? My blood is BOILING! As the daughter and sister of fire fighters, and as someone who has many, many friends that risk their lives daily trying to keep us all safe (fire fighters, police officers, etc.), I am beyond livid that this is considered a valid reason to a) deny these people coverage, and b) deny these people their rightful place at the ceremonies to remember, honor, and mourn what happened 10 years ago next month.
The other article that got me going this morning was in regards to the stage-four breast cancer survivor in North Carolina that just custody of her two children on the basis (at least in large part) that her cancer diagnosis is unknown and that the children are better off with the healthy parent than they are with the ill parent.
*sigh*
I really have tried to see this from all sides. I understand that there are so many other facets of decision making that must go into a decision like this. I also understand that since I'm not one of the parties directly involved in this decision, I can't possible know all of the details. Having said that, to use a person's cancer diagnosis as the justification for taking the children (who have been in the primary custody of the mother for the majority of their lives, based on what I've read) away from their mother is terrifying, infuriating, and a downright #$*(#&$ SHAME. I can't imagine what kind of precedence this sets, but as a cancer survivor, it absolutely terrifies me. I've never felt much discrimination (or threat thereof) in my life - I've been very lucky in that sense. However, having this looming beings all sorts of emotions to the surface, and makes me seriously rethink some of my own personal beliefs.
On a lighter note, I'd like to update you on roomie, a.k.a. Eden. My last post asked for your prayers - well, I'm so happy to let you all know that Eden is now home, and is working towards recovery. She walked the other day, is in PT and OT, as well as other rehab therapies, and is currently seeking acceptance into Sloan-Kettering in NYC (stupid Bloomberg....ahem) to try a new therapy. Good news - such good news.
And, with that, I'll end this blog post. Another one is soon to follow - you'll see why they need to be separate. :)
This one tells of the decision by the mayor of New York City to exclude first responders from the 9/11 ceremony this year. They have been specifically excluded. In past year, they weren't invited, but they weren't turned away when they showed up - they were allowed to attend, mourn, remember, and heal. This year, they can't attend. Apparently, Bloomberg has decided that it's morally okay to exclude these heroes due to space constraints. Really? Hard to imagine. I think that it probably has more to do with the fact that they don't want the ceremonies to be tainted with the in-your-face reality that the very people that helped save countless lives and recover the bodies of those killed that day are now suffering unimaginable health problems, from PTSD to cancer. And, they don't want the ceremonies to be a reminder of the fact that the government is denying those first responders coverage for their cancer, on the basis that there isn't enough documentation to prove that there is a direct link.
Can you see the steam coming out of my ears? My blood is BOILING! As the daughter and sister of fire fighters, and as someone who has many, many friends that risk their lives daily trying to keep us all safe (fire fighters, police officers, etc.), I am beyond livid that this is considered a valid reason to a) deny these people coverage, and b) deny these people their rightful place at the ceremonies to remember, honor, and mourn what happened 10 years ago next month.
The other article that got me going this morning was in regards to the stage-four breast cancer survivor in North Carolina that just custody of her two children on the basis (at least in large part) that her cancer diagnosis is unknown and that the children are better off with the healthy parent than they are with the ill parent.
*sigh*
I really have tried to see this from all sides. I understand that there are so many other facets of decision making that must go into a decision like this. I also understand that since I'm not one of the parties directly involved in this decision, I can't possible know all of the details. Having said that, to use a person's cancer diagnosis as the justification for taking the children (who have been in the primary custody of the mother for the majority of their lives, based on what I've read) away from their mother is terrifying, infuriating, and a downright #$*(#&$ SHAME. I can't imagine what kind of precedence this sets, but as a cancer survivor, it absolutely terrifies me. I've never felt much discrimination (or threat thereof) in my life - I've been very lucky in that sense. However, having this looming beings all sorts of emotions to the surface, and makes me seriously rethink some of my own personal beliefs.
On a lighter note, I'd like to update you on roomie, a.k.a. Eden. My last post asked for your prayers - well, I'm so happy to let you all know that Eden is now home, and is working towards recovery. She walked the other day, is in PT and OT, as well as other rehab therapies, and is currently seeking acceptance into Sloan-Kettering in NYC (stupid Bloomberg....ahem) to try a new therapy. Good news - such good news.
And, with that, I'll end this blog post. Another one is soon to follow - you'll see why they need to be separate. :)
Later:
Somehow,
the summer flew by and it's that time of year again - school started yesterday!
I'm not really sure how it happened, but I now have two school-age
kids.
Julia
started fourth grade yesterday.
Kevin
started kindergarten yesterday.
My babies
are growing up.
Can you believe how bug they are getting?
Yesterday was one of the first times Levi has been in town to see
Julia off on her first day of school. I'm so glad he was able to be here,
especially since it was Kevin's first day of kindergarten. We were both
able to take the kids to school, hang out with them as they got the lay of the
land, as Jules found long-lost (well, since May) friends, as Kevin started
navigating the playground and tentatively meeting new friends. And, Levi
was there to hold me as we walked off campus and I shed a few tears, realizing
that my babies are, indeed, only babies to me.
Part of the reason that I was crying was that I inevitably thought
back to this time three years ago. I took Julia to her first day of
second grade - we had moved that spring, and she was starting a new school.
It was also the first year I had to talk with other parents about my
cancer diagnosis. It was the year I had to go into her teacher and go
into pretty extensive detail what I was going through, so that she'd understand
the inevitable changes that Julia would be going through over the next couple
of months. It was the year that Julia kept green army men on her desk
when I was in chemo, as a reminder of why Mommy wasn't feeling too good that
day. *sigh*
It's amazing to me to look back at where I was three years ago.
Trying to make it all work - chemo, side effects, work, kids, etc.
I had help, but even now, thinking about what I was going through is
exhausting. To know that I can now, thanks to what I went through, be
free to do what I want - well, it's pretty freaking amazing.
So, yes, there were tears shed. I think the most of them
were shed when I realized, with a thump in my chest, that if I hadn't been
tested, I wouldn't be here to see this happen. I wouldn't be around to get
my kids dressed, to pack their lunches, to send them off with hugs, kisses, and
a few salty tears.
How's that for a pretty amazing thing to think about?
The kids wanted a picture
making funny faces - I obliged. Jules is crossing her eyes, and Kevin's
being goofy. This is the perfect picture of them. :)
Comments:
blog said...
I
love her haircut! And I am always impressed by the green army men, no matter
how many times I hear/read about them. Such a great, tangible reminder!
And it goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway — the four of you aren't the only ones glad you stuck around to see them off to school yesterday! Here's to health!
And it goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway — the four of you aren't the only ones glad you stuck around to see them off to school yesterday! Here's to health!
August
17, 2011 at 9:24 AM
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