Today I was in the gym, most likely the fattest person in the gym, but probably one of the happiest.You see the gym that I am a member of, a huge proportion of clients are students in the nearby college. Magnificent, georgous, young kids, the most gorgeous gym pance and tops, big ear phones.. I have no clue what they are. But today I was there with my sister. That is a rare occasion as normally I visit the gym when my sister is at work.
Today while I tried a quick walk on the treadmill I caught site of my sister working out and just wanted to run up and say ” you are amazing”.
But I didn’t. But now I will tell you about my fabulous, georgous, so special sisters.. Without them, it bears no thinking.
So lots of us have sisters. I am the elder lemon of our family but I am also the most wild. Two sisters Elaine and Clare. The three of us totally different in personality but with the same upbringing, same morals, and the same outlook on life.
As the elder lemon I headed off to college, headed to France, headed to Holland, Zootameer to be precise and missed a whole heap of my younger sisters trials and tribulations. At the time looking back these seemed insignificant but now all those years later maybe the elder lemon could have helped.
The years go by, we get older and with age comes a wisdom and ability to handle situations we thought never to find ourselves in.We have celebrated all the highs and lows together, new jobs, new house, new babies, new beginnings.
I celebrated great joys with my sisters. I celebrated Achieving goals that once seemed unachievable.We have stood next to each other at the worst of times. When my dad was at end of life and we had the privilege of minding dad at home we supported each other, if all got too much for one of us the other just put there arms out and we hugged each other. If one of us needed to just walk outside and try deal with the awful situation of watching our dad live his final day’s, well then us others would keep the bedside company going.
Yes sadly me and my sisters sat with my dad when he passed on. But I am so glad we were there together , we looked after each other. We shared this experience and we looked after each other in all the days after.
But we have also had the best of times. Crying laughing at something that nobody else would get. Our little jokes that makes only us pee our pants. Our sence of humour and sarcisims that no one else will understand. Going on road trips and getting the sucky sweets to help us on our journey.
And then so unexpectedly I got sick. Here we go again. During the great snow of march 2018, this was the first time I flashed my boob to my sister. She knew, I knew. And within four weeks I had lost a boob and a whole lot more.
Surgery, chemo, radiotherapy, I don’t know how I can explain what my sisters did for me, only to say that if you hit rock bottom, feel so sick you are glad to die, and in so much pain you think you cannot do much more, and then your sister holds your hand, puts a wet facecloth on your face and tells you it will be OK.. She texts you every day from work ” how are you today sinead”… I always replied.. Not to bad. My sisters always asking was I OK, did I need anything, would I like cake, ice cream..
After my second chemo I was admitted to hospital very, very sick. Last week I was talking to my sister Elaine about one of the moments in hospital I went to the bathroom and returned to the bed, in a state of collapse, lying on the bed crying and my sister crouched over me crying.. She was saying she wished there was something she could do for me. But my sister has no recollection of this. She will tell you it was all a blur as she just wanted her sister to be ok.
And now here I am, nearly two years cancer free. Had a check up yesterday… All good.. Have a mammagram in a few weeks, fingers crossed, but in the meantime suffice to say that when I was originally diagnosed with cancer my first thought was my children. And one day I lay in bed and thought about the what ifs and the what nots. I thought about if things don’t work out for me, who would look after my children. My sisters topped the list and perhaps I need say no more. ❤️
The Lonely Boob 