Comments on Comments

Welcome to a new feature at The Big "C," where I'll be commenting on your various comments from the week. I'm doing this because I miss this kind of interaction from The Name Game posts and because I so appreciate the comments y'all leave.

B, G and J Day! My mother commented that it took her a while to figure out what those letters stand for. But we have Mom to thank for this new Friday feature, because she is the one who commented earlier that she loved reading stories about her grandchildren.

I had hesitated writing much about them because I didn't want to be that kind of mother--the kind who thinks there's nothing more fascinating than her own kids. I'd rather be the kind of mother who thinks there's nothing more fascinating than herself. But Mom weighed in, and so you are all stuck with B, G and J stories.

Some Flood stories came in. I realized after reading KQ's comment that--oops!--neighbors who know the neighbor I disparaged in my story are actually reading this, so suggesting that said neighbor had a lover was tantamount to gossip. I've since scrubbed this neighbor's name from the post.

Nor did I realize that KQ thought Sister #3 was like a Barbie doll. You are all dying to know, now, what Sister #3 look like and/or what prompted a comparison to Barbie. Sorry. You'll have to ask KQ to expound.

MLQ e-mailed a Flood comment--that the same neighbor I disparaged a) hogged sandbags and b) posted a "No Wake" sign in their yard.

Could they have posted it as a joke? Sure sounds like a joke. . .

MLQ also reports about Pink Month in Pinehurst, NC:

"(T)he Spa at Pinehurst offered free treatments (facials, massages, mani-pedis) to breast cancer survivors and 50% off to their "breast friends" on October 1. Each participant got a goody bag and there was live music and a pink balloon launch - way to kill the birds! I cringed at the thought, but mellowed when I saw how the participants enjoyed it. It occurred to me that the locker room and lap pool were probably more comfortable when everyone had a badge of honor of some sort."

AP!: Clearly, I should be living in Pinehurst. Recall, also, that the policemen there don't give tickets to cancer patients and their families. . .

And the locker room comment gives me an idea for Sunday's story time. I have a word or two to say about Koreans in the locker room.

Also, MLQ explains:

"I understand putting the girls list on hold, but I plan to still add to it as memory serves. . . . Do you remember the Japanese story about folding 10,000 paper cranes? That's what your song lists remind me of. I can't fold worth a dam, or do anything requiring manual dexterity - ask your mother - but I have a steel trap memory. It's my way of participating in your support staff."

Well, thank you for that support. I shall endeavor sometime this weekend to update the Name List with about 4 weeks' worth of submissions.

Parin also had a flood story to share. She e-mailed about the time it rained so much, the sewer on base blocked up and her side of the street flooded. It was just weeks before Jason deployed to Iraq. Just days before Christmas. A disaster, though at least USAA came through very well for them.

She wrote, "The funny thing is that when Sarah talks about the flood she talks about it as an adventure. While Jason and I were dealing with insurance adjusters and clean up people; she was hanging out with all her friends in the neighborhood, going from house to house playing in candle light houses. She got to eat pizza and make decorate gingerbread houses. She still talks about the flood and how fun it was. I hope she always has that memory. And I remember how wonderful our neighbors were taking care of our kids while we dealt with all of the mess."

All of this--both Sarah's fond memories of a tough time, my own fond memories, KQ's. . .--it all makes me very hopeful that Gemma and Joshua will think of these chemo-days as a fun adventure, too. After all, they've spent weeks at Miss Betsy's, where Betsy and Amy make thorough plans to entertain them all day, and they get to spend their Monday's with someone who either plays with them or has kids who play with them. Many mornings, I cannot get out of bed and they get to watch movies until I do. What's not to like about chemotherapy?

I notice, too, from the comments that both Mom and the Adventure, a.k.a. Vonnie, have uploaded photos to accompany their comments. Well done, ladies!

And, of course, this week there was a lot of poop talk. I can now add, to the list of "Un-expected Benefits and Blessings of Cancer and Chemotherapy" the following:

Educated myself and my sister (perhaps others, too?) about a helpful medication for toilet issues.

Amanda also commented on the Venus flytraps. It doesn't surprise me that she had them growing up, nor that her daughter gives them as gifts because Amanda is a great example of someone who makes a literate home.

I, however, didn't even know these things could be bought in this country.

She suggests feeding it ground beef. But I've read up on the plant and all the Internet sites strictly prohibit this practice. They say the fat content will kill it.

Then again, the fat content of beef is supposed to kill humans, too. I eat beef all the time--iron content!--and haven't died from it.

So the Internet sites must simply be hysterical.

We re-potted the plants into 2 different Good Will glass containers, each with a lid, and each a lot prettier than a terrarium. The Internet sites say to keep it humid for them, and there's only one way to make that happen here in Colorado.

Into one of them, we put a piece of pair, hoping to attract fruit flies for the plant to catch. (Sister #2's idea!) The other, we plan to feed only water. We want to see whether the plant actually needs protein to live.

But the pear, as of yet, Day 4, has not attracted fruit flies. Maybe none will come now that it's already frosted and snowed outside? Maybe we will have to do the ground beef thing. If so, we shall do it with courage because it apparently didn't kill Amanda's plants.

Finally, Renee commented that a friend of hers who has had reconstructive surgery says "they" look terrific.

Reminds me of a story the genetic counselor told me when I went in for the blood draw for that screening.

He said he was in a seminar on reconstructive surgery, and was surrounded by 14 other nurses, all female. He sat in the back during the slide show of before and after photos and just kept his mouth shut.

Then one woman raised her hand and said, "I don't want to sound like a pig or anything, but it's not just my imagine, is it? I mean, these women look amazing!"

Which was this genetic counselor's way of telling me, without risking offence by owning the opinion himself, that he had seen the photos of post-restorative surgery, and that it looked pretty great.

Now confirmed by Renee's friend.

And I tell you: That moment with the genetics guy is one I have thought of many times and taken much encouragement from in the following months.

That's the round-up! Enjoy your weekend--I plan to enjoy mine now that I'm feeling great and know that Round 5 is on Monday.