That’s what Friends are for.

07/14/06

Friends can be the stars on the darkest sky that will accompany us when we are walking on a lonely road.

Since some of my friends have known about my sister’s health problem, most of them are very supportive. Some offer prayers, some offer mental supports and some offer physical supports.

One of the things in my life that I think I am very fortunate is to have a lot of good friends around me. Once they heard about my sister’s cancer, they show their sympathy and care towards me and my family.

I really do appreciate their friendship.

One of my friends took me to see his pharmacist friend. Even though it turned out his arrogant pharmacist friend made me upset by keep telling me that my sister’s situation was too late and she would have just 6 months to live. Then he showed his arrogance by comparing medicine from Thailand and here in the United States that the quality was so different and the price I paid there was so cheap that I would not be able to afford it here and then started laughing. He showed me he just knew how to sell medicine but he had no knowledge of cancer. It was sad that he was trying so hard to show that he was a cancer expert. Unfortunately, I had to tell him that when the cancer metastasizes from breast to lung, it was not called lung cancer but it’s still called breast cancer but metastasize to lung. When he kept saying that my sister’s situation was almost too late, I kept pressing him what did almost mean because in this situation it was either too late or not too late, it was no almost here and what was the factor that affecting that “almost” too late? He was quiet.

I was about to say something back to that pharmacist who wearing the very bad make up on his face but I had to stop myself because I did not want to upset my friend who had a good intention to take me there. I wonder why some people have to be so insensitive and mean even though the issue is about life and death.

Friends in needs are friends indeed. I called two of my best friends in Thailand; one of them is a doctor. I asked him to take my sister to see his professor who is an expert in cancer treatment. They took my sister to the hospital where my doctor friend’s professor was working. My doctor friend asked his professor to take the best care of my sister. After she was admitted to the hospital last night, now mentally and physically she feels a lot better. Mentally, she has more confidence in these doctors that they will pay close attention on her, unlike the last one. Physically, she feels a lot better all the fluid in her lung was taken out last night after it has build up for a week.

I am touched by all my friends’ supports, in particular, two of my best friends in Thailand. They were very busy but they took day off and accompanied my sister to the hospital. They talked and tried to cheer my sister who was in the low spirit up. They waited until she was admitted to the hospital before they left.

My sister told me she was so grateful to both of them and I do feel the same.

I remember when I did not tell one of my friends about my sister problem because I did not want to bother him, he told me he did not just want to have a good and fun time with me but he wanted to share a bad time with me as well because that’s what friends are for.

Yeah that’s what friends are for………….. Thanks a lot everyone.

Tae Athikomvittaya