7/31/2019 Groulx yearbook4

1/1

POTENTIALENERGY

Mary Annete Biszmaier and

Mary Skeeters are what most people

would consider polar opposites.

Biszmaier enjoys gardening and yoga, and

cooks a classic Italian spaghe dinner at

Christmas. Then you have Skeeters, who

enjoys shopping at yard sales, thumbing

through the most recent edion of

TIME magazine, and whose Christmas

dinner is all capable of being cooked in

the microwave (and most of the me

is). However, the women have some

common ground, and its not the family

they share, its their toughest obstacle-

cancer.

Biszmaier was diagnosed in 2009

with non-small cell lymphoma, and has

since won her bale. Skeeters on the

other hand, has just been diagnosed in

April with small-cell lung cancer, and is

starng her rst week of treatment.

When you rst realize you

have cancer, its like you were going

along through life, then you just stop. For

me, I was in shock. Ive never been sick

before, says Skeeters.

To treat her type of lung cancer,

Skeeters has to aend radiaon and

chemo therapy mulple mes a week.

Shes going to have to connue being

herself- strong, says Biszmaier. I only

had to do chemo, and even with that, I

was exhausted. There is just some daysyou have no energy, and other days

that youre just ne. Its a hard lifestyle

adjustment.

But both women agree that the

hardest part isnt the physical aspect.

Its facing the emoonal and mental

challenges of it. Its all a mental game,

says Biszmaier. One day, you feel

ne,and the next youre breaking down.

The whole me, youre screaming at

yourself, I want to be strong, I want to be

well again.

And even with the agreement

on that topic, being well means dierent

things to them. To Biszmaier, it meant

geng back to the things she loves-

gardening, spending me with my

grandchildren. For Skeeters, it means

independence. Its just the way I was

raised, ercely independent, ercely

private, says Skeeters. Ive always felt

guilty asking for help, so Im having to

adjust to it, and come to terms with the

fact that it has now become necessary,

and that my family is willing to help me.

But the overall consensus is a

posive atude and focus on geng

beer. I believe the Lord has a purpose

for everthing hes thrown at me, good,

bad, or ugly, and I know he wouldnt

give me anything I couldt handle,

says Skeeters. Biszmaier echoes that

senment with Just trust in God, believe

in your faith, and you can make it through

anything.

With high hopes for recovery,

there are several things both women

want to take away from an experience

that most would consider impossible.

Compassion for others and anappreciaon for life are at the top of

the list. And geng back to yard-saling,

of course, says Skeeters with a smile.

See! exlaims Biszmaier. Not even

cancer can keep her down!"

Its all a mental game...One

day you feel ne, and the

next youre breaking down.

And the whole me, youre

screaming at yourself, I want

to be strong, I want to be wellagain,... -Mary Annete Biszmaier

When you rst realize you

have cancer, its like you wer

going along through life, the

you just stop. For me, I was

in shock. Ive never been sic

before, -Mary Skeeters

MY BEST MEMORY

Although my grandmothers are complete

opposites, I love them just the same, for their

own unique reasons. Therefore, I have stories

ranging all the way across the spectrum for

both of them. In example...

I remember doing a lot of dierent things

with Nana, but I probably remember reading

the Calvin and Hobbes books the best. We

would sit in her bed eang midnight snacks,

and stay up so late reading those comics. I

have the collecon at home, and just reading

one strip brings back memories.

Bemaw is the more outrageous grandmother,

and I would have to say my favorite thing

to do with her is listen to her stories. She

has so many eccentric ones to tell and they

are so entertaining. My favorite one woulddenately be where she stuck gum in my

Dads hair, mostly because I could NEVER s ee

anyone doing that.

NANA

BEMAW

BY: Renee Groulx

BY: Renee Groulx

Two women discuss what it s like to have cancer, and what

it means to them.

A DAY WITH CANCER

When you have a loved one that has

cancer, you realize that not only do

they change, but you do too. Your

outlook on life, the way you live. Havin

grandmothers that have dealt with this

makes me feel stronger, makes me wan

to live life beer and to the best of my

ability. Their strength has inspired me.

^^ TIME OUT // Mary Annete Biszmaier pauses for amoment by the window overlooking the Ohio while

exploring the Muhammad Ali Museum. I found it

to be very inspiraonal. I had no idea about some

of things he did, and it just amazed me how much I

could connect to him.

7