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Welcome to To the Moon and Back, a shared diary of one couple’s journey with melanoma. This diary will show both perspectives of the journey, Rich’s perspective as the husband/patient and Lynn’s perspective as the wife/caregiver. We hope that what we share will be of interest to other couples who have embarked on similar unplanned journeys, whether it be melanoma, other cancers, or any serious illness.
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November 2024 M T W T F S S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Archives
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Author Archives: Lynn
One Year Later
I wanted to post something on the anniversary of Rich’s stage IV melanoma diagnosis. I’m not sure why. Maybe because I thought it would be good to post something about the changes and things that have happened over the past … Continue reading
Another Side of Rich
It’s been almost a month since Rich had his pet scan and was told that they didn’t see any active melanoma. His diabetes is still a major challenge and he’s frequently frustrated with that but he’s feeling pretty good. I … Continue reading
From Limbo to Light
Oh my gosh, I cannot believe what a difference a day makes. Rich had his scans last Monday and on Tuesday we found out that he doesn’t have any active cancer. The last thing that the doctor said was “have … Continue reading
Stop the Ride. We Wanna Get Off!
I never liked rollercoasters yet I went on them many times and each time I tried to like them. Maybe it was for the adventure or maybe to show myself they really were as fun as people I knew had … Continue reading
Why Ask Why
This post is more of a rant than anything else. I just need to get some stuff out and by writing it I’m hoping I will help get it off my chest. Also, if anyone else, who feels similar, happens … Continue reading
Genuine Empathy
I have a lot of respect for people within the medical community who have knowledge and expertise in their field; however, there is something else that I believe is quite valuable to patients. That is genuine empathy. I have worked … Continue reading
Support
I went to a melanoma support group meeting tonight with Rich. We have been trying to go since he was diagnosed but something always seemed to come up on that one day a month. Maybe I should have waited to … Continue reading
A Man of Courage
I just spent the last hour and a half watching Rich sleep tonight. I noticed that my own breathing was in sync with his as I watched his chest rise and fall. Before I knew it I was filled with … Continue reading
Wake-up Call
Seven months ago when the surgeon called to say that Rich had stage 4 melanoma our worlds crashed. I was full of fear. I didn’t want to lose Rich and I didn’t know how much time we had. I believe … Continue reading
Just Listen
When Rich was first diagnosed I was really spinning around. I talked to people about what was going on and frequently I was given advice on how I should or shouldn’t be feeling or thinking. These people were not random … Continue reading