The Big C

Do you ever think about how much your family means to you?

About how much the people you love mean to you and what your life would be life without them?

I think it's pretty easy to take those people for granted and sometimes things happen that make you take stock of your life and realize that our time here on earth is precious...and relatively short.

And that we really need to cherish the people that mean to most to us.

Troy was recently diagnosed with melanoma.

Melanoma is a type of skin cancer.

It's been a scary time for us...and not knowing or having answers has been really tough.

But through it all, Troy has been a rock. Solid, Sure. Confident.

I, on the other hand, have been a wreck.

Troy likes to say that he has no need to worry because I do enough worrying for both of us.

Which, as loathe as I am to admit, is actually true.

Fortunately, Troy is at stage 1. We caught the cancer very early and Troy has surgery scheduled for Wednesday morning. If everything goes as planned, this should be all the treatment Troy needs.

I think that any time you have trials you have to be grateful for the good that comes from it.

One thing I hope that will come out of this is that we will each take the opportunity to check ourselves and our loved ones for the early signs of skin cancer.

I actually found the growth on Troy while cutting his hair and I urged him to see a doctor.

If you know Troy, getting him to go the doctor was no easy task.

But...he has also come away with the knowledge that he must always wear sunscreen and/or a hat.

I am hoping that each of you will take similar precautions.

Additionally, I have really had the chance to reaffirm to Troy how very much I love him and how much he means to me.

Life would not be the same without Troy in it. (Although I could definitely do without any more "dead husband" jokes from my dear sweet "still living" husband.)

We will keep you posted with how things are going.