cancer – day 171
With my hands bothering me so much, I really don’t want to be typing (or touching anything), so I’m cheating a little. Back when we were trying to get cancer medical information on my birth family, I had to fill out these forms to get just medical history, which would mean they delete all contact information, or I could get medical history and contact information. I filled out the forms for medical info only but then at the last minute changed it to get the contact information too, because I didn’t want the info to be deleted forever. Turns out I have several half-siblings, my birth father died of liver complications, and my birth mother lives in Wisconsin or something. I never cared about finding out who my birth parents were, but the adoption search place said she was so very helpful about the medical information that I did want to send a thank you note. This was a little over a month ago, but I never got around to journaling about it. Anyway, people reading my blog might be interested in the thank you letter I sent, so I’m posting it today instead of writing a lot.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Dear Lynn,
Thank you for your time to complete the Family History Questionnaire Medical & Genetic forms for the Department of Health and Family services. With an additional test and the information you provided, we were able to determine with certainty that I needed to undergo chemotherapy, but also that chemotherapy treatment only requires four infusions instead of six or eight, so that my total chemotherapy treatment is only three months long, truly a blessing.
Even more importantly, thank you for your willingness to reveal your own identifying information. When I completed the adoptee application form, I had the option of requesting updated family medical history only, and that was originally how I completed the form. However, in that kind of search, all information leading to the identity of the birth parent is deleted, and I wasn’t quite prepared to make that decision at the time. I haven’t ever had any great yearning desire to seek out my birth parents or any other family, quite probably because of the wonderful childhood and family I do have in my adoptive family. My parents are amazing people, and it was another blessing for me that they were bumped up in the adoption list over hundreds other couples to save me from my sixth foster home in five weeks . . . well, I’ve always thought of that as more miracle than luck, and was of fundamental importance to the person I became.
I don’t need to dwell on my life here, I simply wish to express my sincere appreciation that you so responded so quickly to the request for medical information that helped my oncologist decide the best course of treatment for my breast cancer. Should you have any personal interest in getting to know a bit more about me and what is going on in my cancer recovery, I do maintain a public web log which you can access online at http://cielemel.blogspot.com/.
Thanks again for everything.
Warmest regards,
Cynthia