I apologize for being absent over the past week or so. As many as you know, I went back up to San Francisco to get away for a little while. I had a wonderful time in Northern California. The weather was absolutely perfect. I could not have asked for anything more. During my stay, my grandmother, Nanajan Enwia passed away. She had spent 102 years on this earth, 99 according to an unofficial birth certificate. She was my second mother. Her funeral is scheduled for tomorrow. I will have the honor of reading a letter my father wrote from Iraq. Unfortunately, he will not be able to attend, however, through myself, as well as others, he will. I am gearing up to leave Long Beach Memorial after my third round of treatment. I don't want to speak to soon, but I am feeling stronger and stronger everyday. Aside from the usual side effects from the chemicals, I find myself not only becoming physically stronger, but mentally as well. I sat down with a student earlier today. She is getting her masters in social work. Part of her field time is to interview patients and develop a solid foundation for her future in the field. It was the first time in a couple of months that I had the opportunity to sit down with a third party member and discuss my journey without fear of judgment or bias. We discussed how it feels to enter into this type of challenge, how I feel about my upcoming bone marrow treatment, and in general, how I believe I can grow from this experience. Even though it was an educational experience for her, I found it to be therapeutic on my behalf. Listening to the words that were spilling from my mouth, I could tell that something had changed within me. We all have challenges in life, regardless the severity, the challenge isn't worth the journey unless you grow from it.
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