AIN'T NO OTHER MAN

Mike & the Kids - Winter 2004

While we were waiting for the first chemo date, somehow life was still carrying on.  Although life was never going to be the same, it was still moving on.  I mean the world doesn’t just stop because there is a crisis or something unusual going on in your life.  The world keeps turning.  School was starting back, hockey was gearing up and summer was winding down.

  

Mike & his Mom - Poland 2012

Mike started back to work at the college in the middle of August but fortunately for us this particular year he didn’t have any classes to teach as he was doing more research and project work at the college.  This really turned out to be a fluke and a blessing in disguise that this change in his work just happened to be this particular year.  It really is difficult to reschedule classes and try to balance all of that with his MBA studies let alone add in the upcoming chemo treatments and other unexpected things.  The college was very understanding and Mike was able to work at home the days I would be having my treatments as well as the following day.  All treatments were to be on Thursdays every three weeks.  Mike had a lot of support from his colleagues and management and this was something that we were very grateful for.

With our goddaughter - Easter 2005

I really wasn’t sure how my husband was going to be able to deal with work, his MBA and me.  I mean dealing with me and my health issues was also going to mean that he might be doing pretty much everything around the house as well as handling the kids and their activities.  I felt so horrible about him having to be in this position but what else could I do?  I tried to make sure that our friends and family kept an eye on him because I knew he would pretend he was fine in front of me even if he wasn’t.  That’s just the way he is.  This was going to be a huge strain on him physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.  He was going to have to manage his time well, stay strong and keep his mindset as positive as possible.

Training Bailey - Spring 2005

Working full-time can be tough.  Doing an MBA is tough.  Raising kids and looking after your house is tough.  Caring for a spouse with cancer is tough.  Dealing with all of these things individually is tough but Mike was going to be taking them on all at once.  My heart was aching for him and I hated that I was causing this burden and that his plate was not just full but overflowing.  It was like he was at the all-you-can-handle buffet from hell and had piled stuff on his plate until it was heaped so high it was falling off onto the floor.  I hoped he wouldn’t keep things inside if he was feeling like he might crack but chances were that he wouldn’t want to bother me so he’d just keep everything inside and do his best to get through each day.

Ain’t no other man I would want to have by my side through this journey.

Ain’t No Other Man - Christina Aguilera