Fresh News – annette-gagliardi

This morning the dew sparkled on the fresh-grown grass

and the yellow tulip I have been observing, has opened into

full-flower and spun its gold into the universe

as a way of reducing the damage.

A young Cardinal sang its first spring song, which was returned

in kind. While I sat contemplating nature’s gifts

the Holy Spirit joined me and confirmed that “all

is well and all is well, and all manner of things are well”,

Spinning through my blood is the “Big C” meandering

its way through my body unfurling its majesty.

The sun slides over the edge of today – white lighting its

way upward and flowing in all directions as if

it were water. Only light and water can flow like

love into hearts and bodies, minds and cells –

except for the Big “C” that flows while investigating,

castigating, conquering, and devouring

each cell encountered –

its sparkle marking the trail.

By Annette Gagliardi

Published in Dreamers Creative Writing Year 1 Anthology, Edited by Kat McNichol. First Paperback Edition, 2019. Published in Proper Poems for Proper Ladies . . . And a few naughty ones, too, We Sisters LLC, 2019.

I was at my doctor’s office today – my yearly checkup after having basal cell carcinoma, which is what prompted the poem above. Basal cell carcinoma is a type of skin cancer, but is rarely malignant and can easily be treated, which you should do because it can be disfiguring. So, I am one of the lucky ones who does not need chemotherapy or any other life-altering treatment that makes life less than fabulous. But I do need to keep an eye on my skin, use sunscreen and wear a hat when I go outside. That’s good advice for everyone.

It used to be (in the sixties, seventies – even in the eighties) that if you got cancer—“The Big C”, it was an immediate death sentence. People did not live very long after the doctor detected the disease. That has changed dramatically, in that many folks live a longer life (than expected) with the diagnosis of cancer – in its many forms. Cancer is a group of diseases that begin when normal cell production goes haywire. There are over one hundred types of cancer, but the four main types are: carcinomas, sarcomas, leukemias and lymphomas.

There is still time for me to encounter the “Big C” again, so I go for the check-ups. I just learned yesterday that another acquaintance has a diagnosis of cancer, so I said a prayer for her and her family. I am not surprised at the sheer number of people I know who have some form of cancer. Health officials have warned us baby-boomers that we would have more cancers, and specifically more skin cancers because we laid in the sunshine as adolescence.

Still, it is managing the illness—dealing with the issues of weight loss, hair loss, or other bodily changes, doctor’s visits, different drug therapies, and social isolation as one needs to stay away from those with illnesses that will do you in. Friends have told me how they get organized so they can track the drugs, endure the symptoms, make and keep appointments, figure out health care coverage and insurance. The finances and paper work can be mind-boggling.

Yet, so many of these wonderfully strong people are joyous and spontaneous, busy working, playing, making life happen. They have not stopped living because they have a severe diagnosis.

I love that hope still lives in these dear ones. It is a great example and inspiration.

Now, COVID – 19

The new “Big C” is Coronavirus—the virus that causes it is SARS-CoV-2. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that are common in people and many different species of animals. COVID-19 stands for coronavirus disease of 2019.

“COVID-19 is the name given by the World Health Organization (WHO) on February 11, 2020 for the disease caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. It started in Wuhan, China in late 2019 and has since spread worldwide. COVID-19 is an acronym that stands for coronavirus disease of 2019”. — (“What does Covid-19 stand for?”)

You might have heard newscasters or scientists call Coronavirus a “novel” coronavirus. This means that COVID-19 is a new coronavirus that has not been previously identified in humans. It is different from other coronaviruses like the ones that cause the common cold. It’s also different from those that caused SARS in 2002 and MERS in 2012.

Common human coronaviruses, like the common cold usually cause mild to moderate upper-respiratory tract illnesses with symptoms of runny nose, headache, fever, sore throat, cough and a generally unwell feeling. These types of illnesses (including COVID-19) are spread or transmitted by coughing, sneezing, shaking hands, or touching a surface with the virus on it, then touching your mouth or face.

I have heard COVID-19 called a lethal threat and the one that will end the human race. That line of thinking feels extreme to me. Yet on the days I feel really depressed about what is happening or scared by the latest numbers of new cases or total world-wide deaths, I can entertain that thought. I wonder if feeling depressed makes us less wiling to entertain solutions, or to stay safe because all is hopeless. Then I think of all the people who have had the virus and survived and I think we will get through this pandemic, even if we have to change the way we are living.

Even with so many friends, relatives, neighbors and acquaintances living with a form of Cancer, and many folks living after having COVID-19, I feel there is reason to have hope. I say this, because it is so easy to feel depressed and hopeless about living, about our society, about going on.

It’s also pretty easy to feel scared, because in a matter of eight months, over 700,000 people world-wide have died of this one disease. It has been fascinating and mesmerizing for me to watch the graph change over the past month and to see COVID-19 move up and up the chart. The speed of its rise has been dizzying. (see the “Global deaths due to various causes and COVID-19″ website below to view the chart.)

However, on Feb. 11^th, 2020, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO) said, in his statement to the world:

“The development of vaccines and therapeutics is one important part of the research agenda – but it is only one part. They will take time to develop, but in the meantime, we are not defenseless. There are many basic public health interventions that are available to us now, and which can prevent infections now.”

I was in a meeting at church this morning and our priest said this COVID-19 virus is the new rule – the new measure by which we do things. He was talking about how the school is figuring out the social distancing measures that schools will need to take, in order to provide an education. It will be very different from former years, with smaller class sizes, everyone wearing masks, students with study carrels, taking temps at school entry, and other strategies.

We are now all asking schools how they wil do social distancing—how close is too close? When/ where students and staff wear masks, how often will they be asked to wash hands. Given the quick spread and high death toll of this virus, it is understandable that we are nervous, anxious, skiddish of social situations. We want our children to get an education, but at what cost? How do we keep them safe while letting them attend school?

But Dr. Ghebreyesus gives us power when he says we are not defenseless. We can wear our mask, limit our social life to protect ourselves and our loved ones. And, we are all problem solvers. I am sure we can figure it out.

In a more recent missive, the WHO “highlighted the anticipated lengthy duration of this COVID-19 pandemic, noting the importance of sustained community, national, regional, and global response efforts.” The virus isn’t going away any time soon, so we will need to spend this next school year, at least taking safety measures. It can feel pretty bleak if we already have cabin fever.

“The pandemic is a once-in-a-century health crisis, the effects of which will be felt for decades to come,” Dr Tedros told the Committee in his opening remarks on Friday,July 31, 2020.

In Minnesota and many other states, testing is available and contact-tracing allows health officials to quickly identify new outbreaks. These things help to slow the spread of Coronavirus so we can get back to enjoying the things we love. And many of us have figured out a way to enjoy the things we love while sheltering in place. Some folks have found the silver lining in staying home.

We must continue to all do our part. Wearing a mask is simple – nearly everyone can do it. When paired with other steps, like staying six feet apart, washing your hands, and staying home when possible, we can stay safe.

Humanity, throughout history has risen to the occasion. We can support each other, while staying healthy. It’s a challenge, but I know we can do it. As the poem says, “only light and water can flow like love into hearts and bodies, minds and cells . . .” and even with the “Big C”, we still have the love, the light and the will to live.