A few weeks ago, the NYT published an article written by a renowned oncologist titled “Condolences, Felt But Not Expressed”. In it, the author ponders why it’s so difficult for doctors to offer words of encouragement or sympathy to families after a loved one’s death, when it seems so easy for other professions. For instance, [...]
Check out new photos from our time in the mountains, etc. in the photos>Craig section. Thanks to our helpful photo putter-upper man (a.k.a. Steve).
More to come …
– J
Wow. Well, it’s official. When things couldn’t get any more wild or exciting, Sammie (the cat) pulled a number to thicken the plot. Somehow, some way, Mr. Samcat — an indoor cat, mind you — wound up breaking his left hind leg (poor little guy). Who knows how it happened, really. A WWF reenactment gone [...]
Craig asked earlier if Erin and I were blogging a lot. I answered yes, and asked if that was okay. After responding enthusiastically in the affirmative, Erin asked if there was anything he wanted us to convey. So, in parting from the exacting nature of symptom reportage, I write tonight about Craig’s highs and lows, [...]
August 25th. To many, it was just August 25th - just another day in the month of August, one more Monday to get through. To many more, it was also “Day 1″ (as CNN astutely tracks) of the Democrat’s largest pep rally, the DNC. But, to the Lawler family, August 25th took on a different [...]
I’m sitting in Craig’s room as Erin and Diane prepare dinner. As I sit quietly by his side, a single tear streams down his face, leaving a thin wet mark behind. It’s hard to know the origins of that tear. Is he dreaming? In pain? Are his eyes dry? Maybe it’s not for me to [...]
Offsetting the larger uncertainties that stir the nerves on any given day are those situations that occur with a kind of certainty that would put dollar signs in the eyes of gambling pro’s and neophytes alike. Without fail, starting as early as 2 in the morning, we’ll faintly hear Craig stir in his bed and [...]
Life is changing quickly here at Denver Place. Every morning, we awake to a slightly different situation. His moans of pain are like a snooze alarm, reminding us that even as we sleep, Craig’s process continues. And with every new symptom, Craig grows more frantic. His body is betraying him, while his mind and spirit [...]
These days speak of a helplessness so profound it stops in the throat somewhere between your voice and heart, taking both. It’s a panicky, agitated feeling beyond comparison. There’s no one to reason with, nothing to stop or manage. It’s as desperate and unsatisfying a feeling as throwing rocks at lightening and screaming at the [...]
Craig just woke up from another bout of pain; the culprit this time was not his stomach but his tailbone. He’s starting to have skin breakdown just near the bottom of his tailbone. Like we’ve done so often, Erin and I pulled his boxers down just enough to see the source of his pain. A [...]