Sometimes Slightly Bad News Can Make Your Day

http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/esophagus-18947

Someone very close to me has cancer and, potentially, won't be around a year from now to read whatever drivel I produce on January 9, 2015.  The day I found out that news was December 29th, 2013. I know that date because that morning I had a colonoscopy and an endoscopy to see what might be ailing me.

The colonoscopy was fine but my endoscopy disclosed a hiatal hernia and signs of Barrett's Esophagus.  The erosion of the lining of the esophagus is where cancer can occur.  I was told that they were sending off tissue on the morning of the endoscopy, I found out about my friend having esophageal cancer that afternoon.  I was a nervous wreck, to say the least.

This morning I found out that I do, in fact, have Barrett's Esophagus. And, my hiatal hernia is pretty darn big. But I do NOT have the big C-word.  I hadn't said anything to anyone other than family for these 9 days and it had totally ruined my disposition. But, I kept an upbeat outer layer even though my insides were killing me.

Now that I've had my first (and, at 56 probably not my last ) scare with worrying about hearing a diagnosis of cancer I know that I will always be sympathetic to those about to get their diagnosis.  If you have someone going in for a colonoscopy or an endoscopy you can be, somewhat, assured that there will (probably) not be an issue.

But if you hear them say that the doctors have sent off tissue for further analysis, then take time to see how they are doing emotionally.  Keep the conversation positive but realize they, like me, may be scared to death.  And when they find out that everything is fine, take time to acknowledge that they have gotten some pretty darn good news and they should be encouraged to celebrate.

It's easy for us to feel sympathetic to those who get bad news.  Getting not so great news can actually be the most wonderful news in the world to someone anticipating the worse.  Feel free to take that person, who gets the "not so great" news out for a drink to celebrate. They deserve it.