Gift of life

I was about to go to bed, but I came across this photo and had to say something. It really gave me that feeling in my chest; you know, that oh-my-gosh-this-is-one-of-those-profound-things-in-life feeling.

The woman in the hospital bed is about my age. She is a physician. She is a beautiful, wonderful person. She is intelligent, patient, hardworking, brave, and loving. She is a woman of God.

She's my friend Nora (roro), and she's receiving a stem cell transplant from her brother Wil. That's Wil in the picture, handing her his cells. And that's them on the right, about 25 years ago! Too precious-- and color coordinated too!

The photo is fun-- look at the smiles on their faces-- but the moment is incredibly meaningful.

I have to admit that I haven't really fully processed the fact that Nora has leukemia. Her diagnosis was over a year ago, and I went to see her in Anchorage several weeks after she was diagnosed. I think about her, and pray about her. Her situation was part of the motivation for me to donate my hair to Locks of Love. But I still don't get it.

I don't get the fact that she is a chronic patient now. I don't get that she's feeling sick all the time from all of those nasty cancer meds. I don't get that her life revolves around fighting this disease. I don't get that she could die.

I am not shaken to the core every time I think about Nora. I haven't been checking her website faithfully for updates. And yes, I am feeling guilty about that.

Perhaps it's the physician in me. I confess to the tendency to emotionally distance myself from my sickest patients. When they are really sick and could die, no matter how cute they are, no matter how lovely their parents are, I can only very rarely let them into my heart.

But Nora is not my patient. She's my friend.

I hope my friend will feel encouraged as I share this incredible moment with the world.