I'm so happy you are feeling better. And thank you for your spot-on comments. You are so good at support. You always know the right thing to say. I believe you are helping many people, and probably do good for individuals who may never post.
It is very true that how people react to the news defines them in your eyes for probably the rest of your life. At least it did for me. There are a couple of people who stepped right up to the plate and have been consistently wise and kind. I would do almost anything for them. While I'm not at the point of cutting anybody off, I could well get there with one or two people.
One woman blurted out the: "Why didn't you get her a mammogram." Then she realized the impact of her words. She has been doing everything possible since then to be solid and steady and make me laugh. She has a blunt personality and has annoyed me in the past. Strangely, the statement made me more immune to her occasional lack of diplomacy and easier for me to overlook the inelegant train of words that sometimes come out of her mouth. She is a good person at the core. I can see that.
One of the problems is that we're getting advice from all quarters. We know that people are concerned, but Betty knows her own capabilities quite well. The thing that bothers her the most is all the well-intentioned but unsolicited advice. She is feeling much better now that her ligament tear has healed. She has been a respected workhorse and kind soul at her job and her long-time colleagues are very supportive of her. Where once she would lug water bottle replacements in while the guys would watch, that situation is never happening now nor are they leaving unfinished jobs to lag to her shift.
We wish with all our hearts that there was universal healthcare, though. That would be the single thing that would provide us with more flexibility and greater peace of mind.
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