Week 3 of treatment was a penance for me. Instead of heading out to Utah to compete at the US Adult Figure Skating Championships (affectionately known as ANs), I was heading to the hospital for daily radiation treatments.
Denise, Lanette, and I jokingly posed for a picture at the rink while holding our various injured body parts, and declared ourselves the AN19 All-Star Disabled Team from Lake Effect FSC, while wishing our friends luck.
It was big girl panties moment from there on: I wanted to be sure the focus was on celebrating the people who were there skating instead of me whining about not being there. Also known as: it's not all about you.
Modern technology allowed me to watch the opening ceremonies via Facebook Live, and celebrate 25 years of the championships with people who have become dear friends. The lifers. Wendy Bears. Becca's live tossie routine. The oldest competitors performing. It was awesome.
The Friday of the championships, I smarted on Instagram, "plum hospital gowns are so fetching," in an attempt to make light of the situation. That day stung, physically and emotionally. I was feeling ill from the medication, my breast hurt, it was cold, and I missed my friends. Skating friends started to like the photo and make comments, sharing love and wish you were here sentiments.
I cried in the Family Fare grocery store parking lot.
I headed to work, where I proceeded as normal, all while checking online updates for results and photos. Then I had a work call at 2pm; at the same time, my cell phone blew up.
Once I got off the call, there were numerous messages to get on Facebook, follow this link, and I was tagged a million times. What's up people, was the Adult Skating Committee meeting that explosive?
So I signed in to watch the meeting on Facebook Live, and everyone reacted, "she's here, she signed on!"
To which I responded, "hey."
Whoever was live streaming panned around the lobby. Everyone was wearing some shade of pink, from competitors to officials. They had declared April 5, the Friday of the competition, Pink the Rink Day for Mel. They set up a page for Scott Cares at the Cleveland Clinic so people to make donations in my honor. The Bakkes, Dave and Sue, told the story of being there when I found out and how Scott counseled me at Nationals (the kids' nationals) in Detroit.
Once the committee meeting was over and I reposted the picture with my thanks, posts and tributes came pouring in: pink bows, t-shirts, polos, hats, babies in pink onesies, people eating pop rocks that turned their tongues pink. It was so overwhelmingly awesome.
There were more surprises in store for me well after ANs. One care package after another arrived from Salt Lake City. I received a Wendy bear wearing a pink sweater with the same yarn as Adam Rippon's Olympic sweater, a Terryl medal, a flask signed by world champion Nathen Chen, pins, towels, can kozies, and more. The item that meant the most to me and made me cry? They sent me an All Event Pass - giving me notice that I was there in spirit.
This, and so many more reasons, are why I skate.
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