Fuck you, cancer...
A couple years ago, before leaving the US and going abroad, I had made a tour around the east coast of America. I went to Toronto for a wedding, Boston to visit with college friends, NYC for my best friend from high school, and a close friend from California, Miami for another college friend, London for old work friends, and Raleigh, North Carolina.
I went to Raleigh because of family. I first wrote about it here.
What I wrote before detailed how I found out about the poor guy. Since then, he'd made a full recovery by the summer of 2006 was running around with a full head of hair, a dog, and absolutely no cancer. That's what the doctors told us, anyway.
He had osteosarcoma, a tricky sort of cancer that attacks the bones, and can travel all around the body. We had thought we were finished with cancer. When we found out about Phillip, it was just a couple months after we had buried my father, from lung cancer.
And now, the lung cancer is back. Last night after driving Vivi home, I received this e-mail.
Con oi, Dong Phi moi bi mo phoi, BS cat di mot ben phoi roi. Nhung Cancer van con trong nguoi Dong Phi. Hien Dong Phi con o nha thuong. BS noi, tinh trang Dong Phi nguy hiem lam. Vay hom nao con ranh, con Email tham Dong Phi nhe.
Son, Phillip just had surgery. The doctors have removed half of his lungs. Yet the cancer is still in his body. At this moment, Phillip is still in the hospital. The doctor says that his situation is very dangerous. When you have the chance, send him an e-mail.
Not having children yet, I love all my nephews and nieces like my children. Though a lot of them feel like I've abandoned them with my travels, I hope they realize that they're never far from my thoughts.
Phillip is my third nephew. He was born after Liz and Joe, and I remember thinking that I'd adopt him. Liz and Joe at that point were already much like my children anyway, and I like to take credit for any mistakes they have or will make with their lives. As a result of me wanting to adopt Phillip, I think his parents were very careful to keep him away from me.
Which didn't work very well. We're both very rambunctious, and enjoy a good ninja tail. So when he had gotten sick, I made it a point to sit on the internet and chat with him when I could. He'd be disappointed on days when I couldn't chat with him. He'd be disappointed when I would interrupt our conversations to do "renshu" or training, as they say in Japanese. I would often stop and do pushups or go run a mile or so during those days.
And when I went on my travels, he was jealous, and then he got a dog, and he forgot about me. And he got healthy and he didn't care about me anymore. And now, he's in a hospital, undergoing surgery and I'm stuck over here.
************
This morning, I sat and watched a little of Grey's Anatomy with my roommate, and we talked about DNRs (Do Not Resuscitate), etc. I forget what in the show triggered it, but Karlie took the moment to tell me that her aunt had been in a coma for a week. She told me it felt a little unreal, and she was powerless to do anything. One of our friends lost his father last week, and had to go up to Hanoi to take care of his mother, and the funeral.
Take care of your loved ones, friends.