Figuring Things Out

This is Kate, Lindsey’s sister. I talked with Lindsey this morning and wanted to pass along a few quick things we discussed. In a recent post, Mallory mentioned that Lindsey is overwhelmed and she reiterated that this morning. There are so many cancer-related decisions to be made and options to process but even when Lindsey isn’t actively thinking about these things, her capacity for normal-life-decisions is really low. Due to this, simple, everyday tasks like unloading the dishwasher or starting the laundry require much more mental energy than usual. She said so many people have offered both general and specific help, and she feels very loved by this. But in these times, the payoff for help could be very low. For example, accepting a few hours of childcare help from a kind friend could result in the common cold / flu / COVID and she could be taking care of sick kids for a week or more. Or if anyone in her house gets COVID, the whole family will have to stay home (no school!) for weeks AND she won’t be able to receive chemo. These “payoffs” are so extreme that it’s hard to justify accepting help. Especially when simply caring for a healthy household isn’t easy right now!

Next week, Lindsey and I, as well as a couple friends who know her family’s routines well, are going to meet to discuss how to best help in the coming weeks and months. This will likely mean that the folks who help with anything germy, like childcare, will be from a very small circle. Please continue to pray, help with meals as you’re able, send encouraging texts/notes, etc. And hopefully we’ll have some tangible ideas coming out of next week’s get-together. Thank you for your love and concern!