saddened and hopeful

My friend J and her husband B have twin girls, E and S. They are 22-months old. I have only had the chance to meet them once soon after they were born. They were premature and spent a significant amount of time in the NICU before they went home. They couldn't be around any other children for the first year of their lives. J and B recently found out that E has brain cancer. She had a tumor the size of a mango removed on Wednesday night (a week ago). She awaits chemotherapy which starts next week.

J and I went to grad school together and became fast friends. Mr. Doodlebug and I got along really well with J and B. It was one of those friendships where all four of us truly enjoyed each others company. I remember one of the last nights we spent as residents of DC Mr. D took me to Sam and Harry's for dinner. It was half price bottle of wine night so we took advantage and got pretty saucy. After we left the restaurant I called J on a whim to see if they had any plans. They didn't so we went over to their place and laughed and talked and probably drank some more, I can't quite remember. But I do remember the fun, happy, light feeling I had that whole night and then how sad I was that we were leaving DC and our friends to move to Philadelphia.

I think about that night now and think that I never would have guessed that four years later J and B would have to endure such tragic upheaval and incredible stress. I know that E's chances of survival aren't great, and I am normally not the most positive person, but I am thinking about E and her parents and sister all the time. And I am wishing that E pulls through this a survivor.

I talked to J the other day and her optimism and grasp of reality were nothing less than heroic. She actually said to me without the slightest twinge of jealousy, "you're just happy that your kids are healthy, right?" I am glad my kids are healthy, but I wish hers was too.

If you want to follow E's progress J created a blog.