Journal entry by Beth Harrod —
Today marks the one year anniversary of the day I was first told "YOU HAVE CANCER". The past year has been such a blur with so many challenging times but also some really good times. I have had to come face to face with my own mortality, realizing I am not invincible and had to accept help from people. It's funny how hard something like that is to accept. You would think it would be easy to do but I guess I am like so many other people out there (especially men) who are just stubborn and hate to burden other people with my problems.
Then 10 days after I was diagnosed, I was in the hospital in the middle of my chemotherapy sessions in the early evening and my dad called to tell me the terrible news that my sister Beth had suddenly passed away. How do you process something like that? How do you manage your emotions? I just remember trying to be there for my parents and my wife and my kids and my brother-in-law and my niece but then realizing I was trapped in the hospital room by myself and was powerless to do anything. Again, how does someone deal with something like that? To be so sad and overwhelmed with emotions and want to do so much but you cannot even get out of bed because you are hooked up to multiple IVs and their is an alarm on your hospital bed to prevent you from getting up and falling! It makes you realize you are not in control of anything that you thought you were in control of and the things that mattered to you 10 days ago or even 10 minutes ago mean so little.
I hear all the time from people, how strong I am and they are amazed at how I made it through everything. But what I tell them is that I am anything but strong. I just have an incredible support network starting with God and my faith, my family, my friends, my community and especially my doctors and nurses! There is no way I would have made it through the last year without all of you! The visits in the hospital, the phone calls, the emails, the cards and letters in the mail, the monetary donations and gifts and the prayers and positive healing thoughts.......it just went on and on and on! For someone not good at accepting help, it was simply overwhelming!
Our family (Beth, Zach, Sam, Trevor and me) is so incredibly blessed to have had every one of you in our lives to help us get through this past year. We wish we could name each and everyone of you here but it is simply not possible. There is nothing we can do to truly repay you for any of it but we are just so very grateful and hope you all know how much we appreciated each and every one of you!!! What I realized more than anything this past year was that no matter how dark things may get and how challenging things may seem, I can overcome anything with the love and support of all of you. It definitely hasn't been an easy journey, but having all of you by our sides along the way has made it possible to overcome the many challenges we have had to tackle.
So again, THANK YOU! Just knowing that we are loved and cared about during the most difficult times in our life, is such an incredible blessing! I hope none of you will ever have to face the challenges we have had to, but I do wish that each and everyone of you can feel the love, warmth, peace and kindness that we have received, so you too know that you can tackle the biggest challenges in your life, no matter how overwhelming they may seem.
I will continue to post the occasional updates as I continue to go through my 2 year chemo maintenance program (currently in month 2), but I just wanted to mark this one year anniversary with a big Thank You! You are all amazing! 🙏 😊
All our love!
The Harrods
Then 10 days after I was diagnosed, I was in the hospital in the middle of my chemotherapy sessions in the early evening and my dad called to tell me the terrible news that my sister Beth had suddenly passed away. How do you process something like that? How do you manage your emotions? I just remember trying to be there for my parents and my wife and my kids and my brother-in-law and my niece but then realizing I was trapped in the hospital room by myself and was powerless to do anything. Again, how does someone deal with something like that? To be so sad and overwhelmed with emotions and want to do so much but you cannot even get out of bed because you are hooked up to multiple IVs and their is an alarm on your hospital bed to prevent you from getting up and falling! It makes you realize you are not in control of anything that you thought you were in control of and the things that mattered to you 10 days ago or even 10 minutes ago mean so little.
I hear all the time from people, how strong I am and they are amazed at how I made it through everything. But what I tell them is that I am anything but strong. I just have an incredible support network starting with God and my faith, my family, my friends, my community and especially my doctors and nurses! There is no way I would have made it through the last year without all of you! The visits in the hospital, the phone calls, the emails, the cards and letters in the mail, the monetary donations and gifts and the prayers and positive healing thoughts.......it just went on and on and on! For someone not good at accepting help, it was simply overwhelming!
Our family (Beth, Zach, Sam, Trevor and me) is so incredibly blessed to have had every one of you in our lives to help us get through this past year. We wish we could name each and everyone of you here but it is simply not possible. There is nothing we can do to truly repay you for any of it but we are just so very grateful and hope you all know how much we appreciated each and every one of you!!! What I realized more than anything this past year was that no matter how dark things may get and how challenging things may seem, I can overcome anything with the love and support of all of you. It definitely hasn't been an easy journey, but having all of you by our sides along the way has made it possible to overcome the many challenges we have had to tackle.
So again, THANK YOU! Just knowing that we are loved and cared about during the most difficult times in our life, is such an incredible blessing! I hope none of you will ever have to face the challenges we have had to, but I do wish that each and everyone of you can feel the love, warmth, peace and kindness that we have received, so you too know that you can tackle the biggest challenges in your life, no matter how overwhelming they may seem.
I will continue to post the occasional updates as I continue to go through my 2 year chemo maintenance program (currently in month 2), but I just wanted to mark this one year anniversary with a big Thank You! You are all amazing! 🙏 😊
All our love!
The Harrods
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