I didn't want to burden him.
But it turned out okay anyway.
I had a peaceful early morning ride with a woman named Marie, whose daughter had gone through chemotherapy years ago and is now a thriving mother of two. Marie told me stories the whole drive, made me laugh, and even offered to come back that night to pick me up so I didn’t have to order another car.Immediate five-star ride.
Surgery day ran very smoothly. I had my tote bag full of everything I needed, my doctors and nurses checking in on me, I had my books, and Tess constantly texting me for updates...
And I had Callum.
Once most of the grogginess from the anesthesia wore off, I sent him a message.
out of surgery
He responded immediately—like he'd been sitting by his phone, waiting for it.
Callum Rhodes: I'm so happy to hear that.
How are you feeling?
How did it go?
went well
feel little loopy right now lol
Callum Rhodes: I think loopy is normal
Are you sore at all?
teeny bit
not bad
Callum Rhodes: Good, I'm glad to hear it.
Most said the soreness goes away in a couple of days.
You're not trying to win any powerlifting competitions
in the immediate future, right?
now that you mention it...
Callum Rhodes: Sorry, looks like your lifting days
are on pause for the foreseeable future.
Aw man
Callum Rhodes:;)
I didn't even care about the ache from laughing, and it honestly feels like I haven't stopped smiling since.
I like that hecared. Callum asked me the nitty gritty questions, not the perfunctory ones people ask to make themselves feel better.
What's my recovery timeline? What's to be expected with chemotherapy? How long is the recovery for the mastectomy? What will radiation be like? How are you feeling with all of these changes?
That entire day, and every one since, we've been talking nonstop. What started as questions about my treatment gradually shifted into questions about me. The kind that made me feel important and seen.
