My Medical Choice

I woke up yesterday surprised to learn that I have more in common with Angelina Jolie than just a hot, successful, husband.

Unless you have been exploring the outer regions of the universe, I am sure most of you have heard that Angelina, after discovering that she carries the BRCA 1 mutation, decided to go on the offense against cancer and have a double mastectomy with reconstruction.

As informative as her op ed piece is for the masses, it also paints a picture that feels a little too rosy for me about this whole cancer business.

Cancer is not just about shinny ribbons, inspirational survivor stories, pretty reconstructed breasts and walking with your girlfriends.

It is about a disease that is caused by gene mutations, environmental factors, too much sun, booze, fat.  It is about a disease that mutilates the bodies of infants, kids, teenagers, adults.
It is about a disease that we have not even scratched the surface of understanding, let alone treating.

So while I applaud Angelina for understanding her choices, and taking personal action against this confounding disease, I wish the discussion would now shift to the people involved in cancer research and treatment.

We should know the countless men, women, and children who right now are fighting their cancer with experimental treatments in clinical trials that will likely not save their lives, but will help inform the treatments that may one day save yours.

That would be My Medical Choice.

"I did it!"

Most of my success in the first part of my life came from athletics.  My first sport was Softball, and I can remember, at 5, hitting a home run and feeling like I had never felt before in my life.

From that moment on I was hooked.  I am not embarrassed to say that I was always one of the first people to be chosen for a team, boy or girl.  And if another girl was chosen before me, it was either my friend Gretchen (best softball player in the country in 1988), or Jennifer (All-American Volleyball start and eventual UCLA National Champion).

We sort of ruled recess - we were a force to be reckoned with.

So it surprised me a little when my first born was not a superstar the first time he played organized sports.  It wasn't about me trying to fulfill my athletic dreams through him (I already did that for myself), but it was more about wanting to make sure he loved sport and had similar positive experiences like I did.

Graham really loves baseball.  This has not been influenced by us in any way - but once he told us he wanted to play, we signed him up and became a Little League family.

Right now we are AA - which basically means 1/2 the game the coach pitches, and the other 1/2 the kids pitch.  This is a big change from last year when we were just little t-ballers trying to figure out where first base was.

For 5 games straight Graham has gotten to the plate, swung 3 times, and walked back to the dugout.  

Each night he asks Doug to practice hitting with him, and each game same thing, swing, swing, swing, dugout.

All the coaches and all the kids have seen how hard he is working, and each time he gets up to bat words of encouragement are shouted, and each time he strikes out a coach comes to him to reassure him his time will come.

On Saturday as he came up to bat I was sitting near right field.

I always try to sit as far away from his dugout and home plate as possible.  The last thing anyone needs to hear is the constant chatter, clapping, and noise coming from my chair (thanks mom).  And each time he is at the plate I promise myself to not say a word.

This day, on the first pitch, Graham took a swing, made contact, and as the ball rolled past the short stop we all lept to our feet, cheering as if it were the bottom of the 9th in game 7 of the world series.

As he reached first base, arms out stretched, Graham shouted, "I did it!" with such happiness, pride, and relief, that I thought my heart would burst.

For me that moment is what I want sports to be for him.  

I want it to be about working hard, reaching your potential, and shouting, "I did it!" when you finally do.