How to Meet a Friend (In the Midst of the Storm). Chapter 9; Coco's Journey

by Larry Puls @larrypulsauthor

Friends on a Cancer Journey; A Mentor; Ovarian Cancer

This time the parking garage did not trigger a racing heart, or evoke panic, or churn up fear, or create a desire to run—like it had three weeks ago. The chemo suite was not quite as frightening. And the word chemotherapy came attached with prior experience. It was not so unknown. Feeling the elevator surging up, Coco reflected about her CA 125 blood test. It had plummeted, breathing hope into her troubled soul. It made all this seem doable.

Switching gears from wife and mother and friend to patient, she made it over to her chemo bed for the day. She came alone. This day would be a solo act. But that was ok; she was stronger now. Her wig was on. Her prayer partners would be at work and her husband was coming later. It was all good.

By three, she woke from a medicine-induced nap. Her mind clung tenaciously to a dreamy state, like a fog had settled over her view of the world. But she didn’t care. A fog was good on a day like today.

“Hello,” she heard the soft voice say. Turning, she saw a woman with an IV hanging from her arm. The woman had not been there when she had fallen asleep. “Is this your first time?”

Why is she talking to me? Coco didn’t actually want to talk right now. And her mind was hardly clear. She wanted to sleep. But the woman asking was ten feet away and it would be hard to ignore her. And to do that would be rude. So finally she said, “Yes… No…” She shook her head. “What I mean to say is that this is my second treatment… How about you?”

The woman smiled. “I’ve been in this chair off and on for three years now. Today is my fiftieth treatment anniversary if you will.”

Fifty? Really? Can people take fifty treatments? Studying the stranger, she couldn’t help but focus on her smile.

“My name is Coco Vin,” she said softly.

“And I am Marcia Covington.”

“Marcia, what they are treating you for—I mean if that’s not too nosey?”

“Not at all. I don’t mind talking about it. I have ovarian cancer.”

Fear spread through her. Is this what happens in ovarian cancer? “I do too,” she said reluctantly. There are other women in this world with my diagnosis?

“Is yours genetic?” Marcia said.

“What? What are you talking about?”

“Do you have the BRCA gene?”

“No idea what that is?”

“Really? BRCA is the gene that causes ovarian cancer. I have it. I inherited mine from my father... You’ve never heard of it?”

“Never.”

“Well I hadn’t either. But I know all about it now. And so does my family. Two of my three children inherited it from me. So they are at risk as well, and their kids may be too… Anyway, enough of that. When were you diagnosed Coco?”

“My diagnosis was given to me just about eight weeks ago. I’ve had surgery and one chemotherapy since then. Today is my second. And I seem to be hanging in there. At least for now. My doctor says I am progressing nicely. How about you?”

The woman hesitated. “I’m not. I’m three years into my cancer. And I sometimes feel like I live here. But that’s ok. I’m alive and I have my family. At the present time, my treatment is stabilizing me. My CA 125 has been about the same for several months now,” she said as Coco thought about what that meant. And then Marcia paused. “But in the end,” now looking down, “I am not going to beat the cancer”. Then making eye contact again, “I don’t say that for pity. It’s just the truth. I am still very blessed. I learned a long time ago I was not going to win this battle, but God has been gracious to me. And I am still reasonably strong and will fight this for as long as I can… After all, I’m holding out for grandchildren someday,” now smiling.

Thinking about this woman’s story, it was hard not to have pity on her. And it was hard not to be a wakeup call for herself. Coco recognized that in her own case, she didn’t know what the outcome would be. And this woman already knew, and it wasn’t going to be a favorable. Yet she seemed so brave—and so upbeat. How does she do that? Her fight was still in her. She wondered if she could be so brave if her circumstances deteriorated and she was told she was dying. Could she find that resolve? She didn’t know.

She needed to know this woman better. Maybe God dropped her into in her lap for a reason. Someone who could teach her how to be brave—or heaven forbid, how to face death.

“Marcia, maybe we could get together sometime and have lunch?”  

How to Meet a Friend (In the Midst of a Storm), Chapter 9; Coco's Journey, Larry Puls, (Click to Tweet)

Don't Miss the Previous Chapters
CoCo's Journey, Chapters 1-10