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Danielle Bean

Danielle Bean
Danielle Bean, a mother of eight, is Editorial Director of Faith & Family. She is author of My Cup of Tea, Mom to Mom, Day to Day, and most recently Small Steps for Catholic Moms. Though she once struggled to separate her life and her work, the two …
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Rachel Balducci

Rachel Balducci
Rachel Balducci is married to Paul and they are the parents of five lively boys and one precious baby girl. She is the author of How Do You Tuck In A Superhero?, and is a newspaper columnist for the Diocese of Savannah, Georgia. For the past four years, she has …
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Lisa Hendey

Lisa Hendey
Lisa Hendey is the founder and editor of CatholicMom.com, a Catholic web site focusing on the Catholic faith, Catholic parenting and family life, and Catholic cultural topics. Most recently she has authored The Handbook for Catholic Moms. Lisa is also employed as webmaster for her parish web sites. …
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Arwen Mosher

Arwen Mosher
Arwen Mosher lives in southeastern Michigan with her husband Bryan and their young children Camilla and Blaise. She has a bachelor's degree in theology. She dreads laundry, craves sleep, loves to read novels and do logic puzzles, and can't live without tea. Her personal blog site is ABC Family. …
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Rebecca Teti

Rebecca Teti
Rebecca Teti is married to Dennis and has four children (3 boys, 1 girl) who -- like yours no doubt -- are pious and kind, gorgeous, and can spin flax into gold. A Washington, DC, native, she converted to Catholicism while an undergrad at the U. Dallas, where she double-majored in …
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Robyn Lee

Robyn Lee
Robyn Lee is the managing editor of Faith & Family magazine. She is (yikes!) an almost 30 year-old, single lady, living in Connecticut with her two cousins in a small bungalow-style kit house built by her great uncle in the 1950s. She also conveniently lives next door to her sister, brother-in-law …
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Hallie Lord

Hallie Lord
Hallie Lord married her dashing husband, Dan, in the fall of 2001 (the same year, coincidentally, that she joyfully converted to the Catholic faith). They now happily reside in the deep South with their two energetic boys and two very sassy girls. In her *ample* spare time, Hallie enjoys cheap wine, …
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Fr. John Bartunek, LC

Fr. John Bartunek, LC

Fr John Bartunek, LC, STL, received his BA in History from Stanford University in 1990, graduating Phi Beta Kappa. He comes from an evangelical Christian background and became a member of the Catholic Church in 1991. After college he worked as a high school history teacher, drama director, and …
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Kate Lloyd

Kate Lloyd
Kate Lloyd is a rising senior, and a political science major at Thomas More College of Liberal Arts in New Hampshire. While not in school, she lives in Whitehall PA, with her mom, dad, five sisters and little brother. She needs someone to write a piece about how it's possible to …
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Elizabeth Foss

Elizabeth Foss
Elizabeth Foss, an award winning columnist for the Arlington Catholic Herald, published her first book, Real Learning: Education in the Heart of My Home in 2003. The book is now in its third printing. Her popular blog, In the Heart of My Home is a source of inspiration and support for Catholic women …
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Previous Mom Memory Home Therefore, I Always Make Perfect Sense Next

Running on Empty

Fatigue begins to set in - emotionally and physically

Posted by Lisa Hendey in Health on Wednesday, January 14, 2009 7:00 PM

Despite my determined attitude, the realities of having been diagnosed with and being treated for breast cancer have begun to sunk in a bit this week.

First off, let me reiterate that blessedly my battle is relatively simple since mine was caught so early through a mammogram - I had surgery and am now going through 7 weeks of daily radiation, but no chemo, so I’m one of the lucky ones!  I’m in good shape physically and have every confidence that all will be well following my treatment, so I’m not having any undue anxiety about my own health.

But life feels a bit topsy turvy this week even though I am not feeling physically sick.  One of the most difficult parts of this whole situation is going to the Cancer Center every day, where I am surrounded by men, women and - very sadly - children who are very ill.  Every day, I walk in feeling positive and walk out feeling sad.  Every day, I meet a new “cancer friend” with a new story and my heart breaks for most of them.

The hardest situations to accept and to process emotionally are the children who are ill.  A few days this week, a young boy name “Ozzie” followed me on the treatment table.  I think Ozzie is likely around ten, and he comes to the center transported by ambulance and accompanied by a mom who looks like her heart is breaking.  Every time I see him, I give him a smile, say hello, and let him know I am praying for him - what I really feel like doing when I see Ozzie and his mom is crying my heart out.  As a mother, I would much rather face illness any day than see one of my children go through something like battling cancer.  I’m sure Ozzie’s mom feels the same.

So every day, when I am on the table, I pray for whoever has crossed my path in the waiting room.  It feels like a drop in the bucket of the miracles that most of them probably need, and St. Peregrine is likely tiring of hearing from me - but at least it feels like I’m doing something to help.

My inability to cope with the pain of others is likely why I’d make a terrible social worker or physician.  It’s dragging me down a bit emotionally, so I’m asking all of you today to carry this weight with me and to pray for all of those families coping with pain, illness and loss.  Together, we can lift them in prayer and maybe that will make the burden they bear just a tiny bit lighter.

Comments
9
Filed under breast cancer, children, intercessory prayer, prayer

Comments

Page 1 of 1 pages

 
Posted by Therese on Wednesday, Jan 14, 2009 9:30 PM (EDT):

As a fellow cancer patient, I understand how you feel.  Each of us has a cross to carry and often it is hard to understand the “why” part of carrying those crosses.  I once read a book titled, “It’s Not About Me”.  I learned a lot from reading it and gained the perspective that sometimes we are given crosses to carry, not for ourselves, but for others.  Perhaps that is why you have been asked to carry this cross of cancer right now…those people at the cancer center now have more prayers then they would have had if you had not crossed their paths.  So go each day and keep praying each day and know that you are touching lives that Christ, Himself, has called you to touch.  God bless you!

 
Posted by KatieButler on Wednesday, Jan 14, 2009 9:43 PM (EDT):

Prayers as you continue your treatment, and prayers for all those affected by this devastating disease.

 
Posted by Suzi Lunt on Wednesday, Jan 14, 2009 10:09 PM (EDT):

Lisa:  I love to read your posts, but I don’t always have the opportunity to do so.  However, how touching are your moments in the day as you bring Christ to others just in your very presence.  You will be in my prayers and those you cross paths with.

 
Posted by Tracyl on Wednesday, Jan 14, 2009 10:55 PM (EDT):

Lisa, I will gladly help you carry that cross…adding those YOU are seeing each treatment day (Ozzie & the like) to my prayers as well, dear friend. Please know that you are helping by “sharing this experience”, bringing awareness to some of us who may have it in our own future, or the future of someone we love. My thanks to you.

 
Posted by Lisa Hendey on Thursday, Jan 15, 2009 12:28 AM (EDT):

Thanks guys…it’s tough to share a post like this that is not as upbeat as I hope to be, but for some reason I felt very prompted to share with you what’s going on in my brain these days.  It’s good to have so much kind support and encouragement, and so many wonderful friends.  But it’s GREAT to know that all of you will join me in praying for those in need of healing!  My friend Deacon Tom Fox has talked about being an intercessory prayer warrior - that’s what I want to learn to be better at through this experience.

 
Posted by Nicole on Thursday, Jan 15, 2009 2:30 AM (EDT):

God bless you, Lisa, and all who cross your path.

 
Posted by meg on Thursday, Jan 15, 2009 8:06 AM (EDT):

We know another family going throught the same thing right now and pray for them daily. We will add your family and the families of all those enduring this kind of suffering to our prayers. God Bless you.

 
Posted by Karen on Thursday, Jan 15, 2009 12:00 PM (EDT):

Praying for all your ‘cancer friends’ and you.
It is good that you are being honest with yourself and seeking support. What you are doing is HARD and scary and so, so sad. My mom had cancer buddies at radiation too including two nuns ( breast cancer higher incidence amoung nuns then the rest of the female population).

Let me take this opportunity to send some Faith and Family readers to an incredible site:

http://www.chemoangels.com

I found them after my mother completed treatment for BC in 2001. It is an amazing organization and incredible opportunity to be a light to cancer patient during the dark days of chemo.

 
Posted by Erin on Tuesday, Jan 20, 2009 3:18 PM (EDT):

Thanks, once again, for making me cry at work smile


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