Did The World Stop Spinning?

Last night on the evening news, before going to commercial, the news anchor reported that Dorothy Hamill has been fighting breast cancer. In the next breath he reported that LSU would play Ohio State at 8:00 p.m. Same tone, same delivery, etc.

It got me to wondering if having cancer compared in some way to playing in a college National Championship game? I guess it does in a very "out there' sort of way... there are winners and losers, statistics will be gathered and analyzed, the 'players' will then have a title... I wondered that because the reporter's delivery made it seem like the two were very similar situations. Of course they aren't, though.

I remember when I heard the words "Kimberly, you have a malignancy". I was 7 months pregnant with my second child, my three year old daughter was asleep upstairs, and my husband was traveling somewhere in New Jersey when the call came. I hung up the phone and sat down on my window seat. I watched the hubbub of the cars and people in downtown Hartford below me. "Stop! Look up here! Didn't all of you out there just hear those awful words?" I felt that for one brief instance, the world should stop spinning so that I could come to grips with my diagnosis of breast cancer.

But the world doesn't stop. My daughter needed a glass of water, the cat needed to be fed, etc. Everything goes on the same, but it is never the same again. It's like stepping through a pink curtain onto a brand new stage, except the curtain only opens one way.

I pray that Dorothy Hamill will be strong in her fight, as I say a small prayer of strength for each person that I find out now has cancer. Just for strength to perform on that big pink stage.
Right now, a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every 3 seconds and a woman dies from breast cancer every 7 seconds. Did I just feel the world stop spinning for a brief second?
KG