Saturday, January 24, 2015

What To Say

I have heard from a number of people who are worried about calling. They are worried they'll disturb us.

When Rudy first started chemo, that worried me, too, and I was overly protective, but we've settled into this life and keeping in touch with friends and family is more important than keeping the house quiet.

Go Ahead and Call! 
If it's not a good time, we'll be honest and tell you to call back later.

Another worry is the fear of talking with someone who is sick. I understand that one. It's hard to know what to say. You feel you need to keep a somber respectful tone and you don't want to say anything inappropriate. Don't worry. If you know Rudy, you know that he's a jokester. Cancer has not taken that away. He's still having as much fun as he can with the energy he has. We laugh lots! This is an odd time, but believe it or not, we're pretty happy.


If you get stuck and don't know what to talk about, here are some suggestions 

  • Mention his new car - The Challenger. He could go on and on about it. 
  • Ask him about Cancer Treatment Center. We LOVE that place. 
  • Ask him about his visits to the chiropractor and acupuncturist and massage therapist. Wow! They are really making a difference. I refer to those as his SPA visits.
  • Ask him about his vitamin regimen and the new things he does to stay healthy, like juicing beets.
  • Ask him how the dogs are doing.  Teddy, one of the new ones had the mange.  We've never had a dog with mange.  It's been a real experience.
  • But mostly, just talk about anything you want. If it's your first time talking to him and you get choked up, that's totally OK. If you laugh, that's wonderful. He'll just be happy to hear your voice. He's not getting out much, so those calls really mean alot.