There are many causes and illnesses to be reminded of, and many of them are noted in the month of May.
If you look on the great Google, you will find so many topics and national awareness campaigns, such as Skin Cancer Awareness, National Save Your Hearing and Women’s Check Up Month, just to name a few.
Three topics of awareness hit home for me, and I’m sure the three people I love dearly who are affected by these won’t mind me helping to bring awareness to these topics.
May is National Lyme Disease Awareness Month. As many people know, my son Brandon was bitten by a tick several years ago and contracted Lyme disease. After searching for a specialist in this field, we were shocked to find there are only three in our “area” — one in Memphis, one in Nashville and a doctor in, of all places, Tunica. He is an M.D., a chiropractor, a holistic doctor and, thankfully, specializes in tick illnesses.
After extensive testing, it was discovered that Brandon has three tick infections, and years later he is still struggling with illness and lasting effects as a result of that bite. Even though there are some doctors who will tell you that ticks carrying Lyme disease are not prevalent in our area of the state of Mississippi, I can assure you they are here.
May is also National Mental Health Awareness Month. Daughter Kelsey has suffered with severe postpartum depression after having three children, each just two years apart. Sometimes, she courageously talks about her mental health on social media and I’m thankful for the prayers and support of family and friends who encourage her.
There has been a stigma attached to mental health issues for so long. I am thankful that Kelsey has openly sought help for her depression, and I’m proud of the progress she is making.
It’s just as important to take care of yourself mentally and emotionally as it is physically.
May is also National Brain Cancer Awareness Month. The ribbon color for this particular cancer is gray, reflecting a person’s “gray matter,” to promote awareness for this disease that will affect nearly 25,000 people in this country this year.
My sister Jeanna is one of the people affected by this disease. Her specific brain cancer is a Glioblastoma. She has been so brave throughout this ongoing battle. She has undergone two different types of radiation — one the traditional type and the other a painful, cumbersome and annoying treatment regimen featuring headgear that she wore 20 hours at a time. It required her to closely shave her head. The headgear connected to numerous cords and a battery pack. While wearing it during the summer, if she became too hot and began to sweat, it would shock her. It was so unpleasant, but she was determined to give it her all.
She has also been on numerous types of chemotherapy, as the results of some of those treatments were not what her doctor wanted and she had allergic reactions to others. Her latest MRI last week showed that the chemo she is currently undergoing is not working on its own, so she will begin a new one to go with it, along with heavy doses of steroids.
Through it all, Jeanna has kept a strong outlook, declaring faith over fear. This month, in fact, we are celebrating just over one year from when she was first diagnosed. During National Brain Cancer Awareness Month, we are reminded how blessed we are to have one another and to continue sharing life’s journey each day.
