Thursday 13: A Chemo Angels and Senior Angels Update

1.   Since it has been over two years since my last Chemo Angels/Senior Angels update, I decided it’s definitely time for another one.

2.    If you’re not familiar with Chemo Angels and Senior Angels, you can read my long post about them here.  (Other updates are here and here if you’re interested.)  The short version is that they’re programs that match patients undergoing chemotherapy and seniors (both known as buddies) with volunteers (known as card angels or chemo angels) who send them a card or letter at least once a week.  It’s strictly mail-based, and volunteers are matched with buddies based on interests.  I started volunteering with both programs as a card angel in 2019 (I did take about five weeks off right after Hurricane Helene hit), and I absolutely love doing it.

3.    As usual, with this kind of post, the photos are just a random assortment.

4.    Unfortunately, this update includes some sad news, so I will share that first, so we can end on a happier note.  My senior buddy (called Agnes for blogging) passed away in October last year.  I knew it was coming (she was in her 90s and was in hospice care), but I had been writing to her almost since I first signed up.  (I signed up in August of 2019 and started writing to Agnes in November of 2019).  I cried when I got the email and cried again when her daughter sent me a very sweet letter letting me know that she had passed away and saying that she enjoyed my cards right up to the end. 

5.    The other senior buddy I had (called Callie for blogging) also passed away last year.  She had Stage IV cancer, so it wasn’t a surprise, but it was still sad.  Her husband found me on Facebook and sent me a very sweet message. 

6.    I’m sure you’re ready for some happier news in this update, so here’s a happy ending for you.  The teenage boy (called Sam for blogging) who I was writing to the last time I posted an update, finished chemo and is now cancer-free.

7.    Whenever one of your buddies finishes the program for any reason (hopefully for finishing their treatment), they always ask if you want to get back on the list for another assignment.  That works well for me since I usually get a new buddy fairly quickly and can stay in the habit of writing to someone. 

8.    Chemo Angels had a shortage of volunteers last year, so I’ve cycled through a lot of buddies since my last update.  At one point, I got a new buddy just two days after a previous buddy finished the program.

9.    Four of the buddies that I had since my last update have written back to me.  They’re not required to write back, and volunteers are told repeatedly not to expect or ask our buddies to write back, so it always feels really special to get a letter from one of my buddies. 

10. Fortunately, all four of those buddies have finished their treatment and were cancer-free at the end of the treatment.

11. I currently have two relatively new buddies.  We’ll call them Adam and Josie for blogging.  I’ve only been writing to Adam for about six weeks and to Josie for about two weeks. 

12. I had another buddy finish this week, so I’m back on the waiting list for a third buddy.  I seem to stay at three buddies pretty consistently.  (I would be allowed to have more if I wanted to, but more than three gets to be hard for me to keep up with.  I’ve had four before when there’s a real shortage of volunteers, but I prefer to stay at three.) 

13.  As I’ve said before, I learned about Chemo Angels when Bijoux and Betty shared their experiences on their blogs, and I’m so glad they did.  Volunteering with them feels like the perfect fit for me.  Now, though, I am especially grateful to them for sharing their experiences because I have a friend going through chemotherapy, and I told her about Chemo Angels.  She signed up as a recipient and absolutely loves getting her angel mail.  Seeing how much joy it brings her has definitely made me want to continue volunteering with them indefinitely.  

Thursday 13: A Chemo and Senior Angels Update

It looks like it has been over a year since I did any kind of Chemo and Senior Angels update, so it’s time for one.  The Thursday 13 format seems to work well.

If you’re not familiar with Chemo Angels and Senior Angels, you can read my long post about them here.  (Other updates are here and here if you’re interested.)  The short version is that they’re programs that match patients undergoing therapy and seniors (both known as buddies) with volunteers (known as card angels or chemo angels) who send them a card or letter at least once a week.  It’s strictly mail-based, and volunteers are matched with buddies based on interests.  I started volunteering with both programs as a card angel in 2019, and I absolutely love doing it.

As usual, with this kind of post, the photos are just a random assortment.

Now, on to the update.

1.     Unfortunately, this update includes sad news, so I’ll get that out of the way first.  The buddy I was matched with in April of last year (I called her Jane for blogging purposes) died in early December.  I certainly didn’t expect not to care, but I didn’t think the death of someone I hadn’t met would be so sad to me.  I cried when I got the email.  Cancer is just so unfair.  Jane was relatively young and seemed like she was full of life based on her hobbies and interests.  She also had three children, as well as other family. 

2.     I also learned that another former buddy passed away last year.  I started off as her substitute in the summer of 2021, and then became her regular card angel.  Her time with the program ended, but we stayed in touch with the occasional email and exchanged Christmas cards.  She passed away in the fall of last year.  Again, she was only in her 30s and seemed so full of life.  Cancer really sucks. 

3.    I knew when I first volunteered that this was likely to happen at some point.  I also know that I don’t want to stop volunteering as a card angel, so I immediately got back on the list for another buddy. 

4.    I was also able to do some substituting (volunteers can request that another volunteer fill in for them if they’re unable to keep up with writing every week for a short period of time) during the holidays. 

5.    I currently have four buddies instead of the usual three. 

6.    I was matched with another chemo buddy in February.  We’ll call her Deidre for blogging purposes.  She didn’t provide a ton of information on her application and doesn’t share much in her monthly check-ins, but overall, it seems like her treatments are going well.

7.    I’m still writing to the same senior buddy that I’ve had since November of 2019.  I’ll call her Agnes for blogging purposes.  She’s in her 90s and in assisted living but seems to be very active.  Her daughter manages her checkins and is great about sharing information about things she especially enjoys, so it has become easier and easier to write to her.  In December, she sent me a sweet card thanking me for writing to her and being her friend.  It came a few days after I learned that Jane had passed away, so the timing was perfect for me.  And it really does feel like she’s my friend, even though I’ve never met her in person.  Sometimes, I’ll see something and think, “Oh, I need to tell Agnes about this.” 

8.    Some volunteers prefer not to take on a senior buddy because the commitment is so much longer, but that’s actually one of the things I like about having a senior buddy.  It feels like you do establish a friendship, and I enjoy that.

9.    I was assigned to another teenage buddy for about six months last year.  She was 14 and turned 15 during her treatment.  Fortunately, she finished her treatment during the fall and is now cancer-free.  Those are very happy emails to get! 

10. Earlier this year, there was a shortage of volunteers for senior buddies, so I got on the list for one more.  I was matched in March to a senior lady I’ll call Callie for blogging purposes.  She enjoys reading and growing flowers, so I have plenty of things to write to her about.

11. I also got back on the list for another teenage buddy when there was a shortage of volunteers, particularly for male buddies.  I was recently assigned to a 15-year-old boy I’ll call Sam for blogging purposes.  Cats are his favorite animal, so I have plenty of pictures and cat stories to share with him.

12. Chemo Angels and Senior Angels are currently experiencing a shortage of volunteers for both programs, so if you’ve been thinking about giving it a try, this is a great time to volunteer.

13.  I’m still so glad that Bijoux and Betty shared their experiences with Chemo Angels on their blogs.  I really enjoy volunteering with them.  I truly believe that we all can and should, do something for others.  Sometimes, it’s hard to find the right volunteer fit, though, especially with a busy schedule, but Chemo/Senior Angels is a great fit for me.  

Thursday 13: A Chemo and Senior Angels Update

 It looks like it has been almost two years since I did any kind of Chemo or Senior Angels update, so I think it’s definitely time for one. In the interest of not letting it get too long, I thought a Thursday 13 would be a good format for it.

If you’re not familiar with Chemo Angels and Senior Angels, you can read my long post about them here. The very short version is that they’re programs that match volunteers (known as card angels or chemo angels) with patients or seniors (known as buddies), and the volunteer sends cards/letters to the patient/senior. I volunteer as a card angel with both programs.

As usual, with this kind of post, the photos are just a random assortment.

 

Now, on to the update.

1. I’m still writing to my original senior buddy. I’ve been writing to her since November 2019, shortly after I started with the program. She has written me back a few times and is doing well overall.

2. Her daughter manages her check-ins and is great about mentioning specific things that she enjoys hearing about or pictures she really likes, which makes it much easier to write to her.

3. My chemo buddy from last time (the one who sent me the sweet gift at the beginning of 2021) finished with the program. Unfortunately, she’ll most likely be back for more chemo at some point, but she was getting an extended break and leaving the program for that.

4. The chemo buddy who became my regular buddy after I was substitute card angel for a while also finished with the program during an extended chemo break. We’ve exchanged a few emails since then, and she sent me a Christmas card last year. It sounds like she’s doing fairly well, which makes me very happy.

5. My first-ever teenage buddy, the one I called Anna in my last update, finished her chemo and is cancer free. Her mom has posted a few updates on the Facebook page she set up during Anna’s chemo. Anna’s hair has grown back and was beautiful in her prom pictures. She will start college in the fall and is living life to the full. I love those updates, and I’m delighted at how well she’s doing after everything she went through.

6. I had another teenage buddy for most of last year. We’ll call her Kate for purposes of the update. Kate finished her chemo earlier this year and is now cancer free. Kate’s mom wasn’t as detailed in her check-ins as Anna’s mom was, so it was a little harder to gauge what she did or didn’t like. I’m delighted that she’s finished and cancer free.

7. Last summer, I substituted for a 10-year-old girl for about a month while her regular card angel took a break. We’ll call her Denise for purposes of the update. Denise loves to draw, and at the end of my time writing to her, she sent me some pictures she drew of my cats. (Yes, I always share pictures of my cats with my buddies.) Because I was only her substitute, I didn’t get updates about Denise and her progress. I truly hope she’s healthy and happy now.

8. That’s the only bad thing about being a substitute; that you don’t find out when they finish their treatment or how they’re doing.

9. Once my assignment with Kate ended, I got back on the list for another buddy. I was matched to my newest buddy last month. We’ll call her Jane for update purposes.

10. It’s too soon to have heard anything from a check-in of Jane’s, and her information sheet was a little sparse. So, right now, I’m mostly guessing about what to write to her about. I’m hoping that she’ll provide a little more information in some of her check-ins. She does like to read, though, so talking about books is always an option.

11. Recently, Chemo Angels has asked for volunteers willing to write to male patients (adults and/or teenagers). Apparently, some volunteers are only comfortable writing to women or young childreb, and there’s a shortage of volunteers willing to take on male buddies. If you’re interested in volunteering and willing to have a male buddy, this is a great time to sign up. If you’re on the fence about volunteering with Chemo/Senior Angels, I highly encourage you to give it a try. It’s not very time-consuming at all, and it’s an incredibly rewarding experience. So many of the volunteers in the Facebook group talk about feeling like we get more from it than our buddies do, and I really feel like that’s true sometimes.

12. I’ve volunteered to take a male buddy if there’s someone with some interests in common with me. Now that I’ve had a couple of teenage buddies, I’m fine with having a younger buddy (though I’m still not up for taking on a very young child). And I work in a very male-dominated field, so I’m perfectly fine with having a male buddy.

13. I’m still so grateful to Bijoux and Betty for sharing their experiences with Chemo Angels. I don’t think I would have heard of the program otherwise, and I love being a card angel.

 

I truly believe that we all have a responsibility to do something, however small, to help others if we’re able. At times, I’ve had a hard time finding that something for myself, but Chemo Angels/Senior Angels has been a really good fit for me. I know it’s a very, very small thing in the grand scheme of things, but I’m okay with that. I like small, behind-the-scenes things, and I’m very much okay with sending cards that hopefully brighten someone’s day a little bit.

A Chemo Angels and Senior Angels Update

Since it has been almost a year since I’ve posted much about Chemo Angels, I thought it might be time for an update.  As usual with this kind of post, the pictures aren’t related; I just think they’re good pictures. 

If you’re not familiar with Chemo Angels and Senior Angels, you can read my long post about them here.  The very short version is that Chemo Angels matches patients who are undergoing chemo treatment (known as “buddies”) with volunteers (known as “angels”) who write them letters and/or send them small gifts on a weekly basis.  Senior Angels is a sister program but matches seniors (still known as “buddies”) with volunteers (still known as “angels”) who write to them on a weekly basis.  I’ve signed up as a card angel with both programs. 

I still have the same chemo buddy that I had last time I posted about the program.  She’s the one who sent me such a sweet gift at the beginning of the year.  I’ve been writing to her for over a year now, and she has written to me a few times.  She seemed to be doing fairly well in her last check-in.  I love hearing that she’s doing well. 

I still have the same senior buddy that I’ve had from the beginning.  November will be two years that I’ve been writing to her.  She has written to me a few times.  I always love hearing from my buddies, especially since they’re not required to write.  Her daughter does her check-ins and always mentions if there was something she especially enjoyed hearing about.  That makes it much easier to write to her!  I sent her a copy of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, and apparently, she loved it.  Knowing that, I think we must have very similar taste in books, which has given me lots more ideas for different books to send to her. 

On a side note, if you haven’t read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, do yourself a favor and read it A.S.A.P.  It’s such a great book!  It’s one of my all-time favorites, and I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve read it.  

Charlie

I’m still writing to my teenage chemo buddy, but it’s no longer official.  We’ll call her Anna (not her real name) for the purpose of this update.  I received an email in April that Anna had completed her first year of treatment and that because the treatment is so long (two years or more) for Anna’s type of cancer, those patients are only allowed to stay in the program for one year.  The email came exactly one year after the email that I’d been matched to Anna. 

Anna’s mom had shared the link to her Facebook page about her treatment and progress in one of her check-ins and invited her angels to join the group, which I did.  Anna seems to have a lot of ups and downs.  There are times when her treatment is going well, and she’s able to keep up with a lot of normal activities.  Other times, she’s sick, losing weight, hospitalized, and in need of blood transfusions. 

The email that Anna’s time with the program was up arrived the same week that she spent some time in the

 hospital and needed a blood transfusion.  That seemed like a horrible time to send a last card saying, “well, your year is up, good luck.”  So I kept sending cards as usual.  I also sent one to Anna’s mom, asking if it was alright if I kept writing to her for the rest of her time in treatment.  Anna is 15, so it seemed like a good idea to get a parent’s permission to keep writing to her beyond the official limit of Chemo Angels.  I gave her my email address and told her how to find me on Facebook so she could tell me yes or no. 

Anna’s mom sent me a really sweet Facebook message.  She made me cry!  She said they’d love it if I kept writing to Anna and that she had saved all of my cards and pictures. 

Obviously, I’m still writing to Anna.

Duke

I don’t want it to sound like I’m bashing Chemo Angels in any way.  Overall, I think it’s a great program, and I understand that everything has to have rules and limits.  I just think sometimes you need to look at a situation on its own, not through a filter of “these are the rules.”  There are plenty of things where hard and fast rules are the only good option, but this didn’t seem like one of them. 

I’ve also signed up to be on the substitute list.  One of the most important requirements for volunteering with Chemo Angels or Senior Angels is that you must send something weekly.  The idea is that one positive thing needs to be reliable.  But, they do recognize that volunteers have lives outside of volunteering and that you may need a little break.  So they have a substitute list.  I haven’t used it, but my understanding is that you ask for a substitute for your buddy for a certain amount of time; vacation, you get sick, move, etc.  Someone else writes to them during that time, and then you start back. 

When you join the list to be a substitute, you’re added to an email group, and they send emails to the group with the basic information about the person they need a substitute for, as well as how long the assignment is expected to last.  If you don’t think you’d be a good fit, can’t take on another buddy, etc., you don’t have to respond.  If you’re interested in being their substitute, you respond, and they let you get an email with all of their information if you’re matched as their substitute.   

I signed up as a substitute card angel for a lady who loves cats and enjoys baking.  It seemed like we had plenty in common, so she’d be easy to write to.  I was supposed to be her substitute for about six weeks, but her regular card angel wasn’t able to start back.  The program sent me an email giving me the option to become her regular card angel or end the substitute assignment and have her assigned to someone else as her regular card angel.  I opted to become her regular.  It seemed like a lot of passing around if someone else became at least her third card angel, and we have enough in common that I don’t think I’ll run out of things to write about.  In her last check-in, she mentioned enjoying my cat pictures.  We all know I have no shortage of cat pictures to share! 

Howard

I still love volunteering with Chemo Angels and Senior Angels.  September will be two years that I’ve been volunteering with them, and I don’t see myself stopping any time soon.  Sometimes I think I get more enjoyment from it than my buddies do, especially during the pandemic when it forced me to focus on something positive every week. 

It’s definitely a little easier to write to them now that things are getting back to normal and we’re getting out a little more.  We visited a National Park earlier this month, and I was able to get postcards to send to them.  And I really enjoy taking pictures I think they’ll like. 

If you’re curious about Chemo Angels or Senior Angels, you can check out their website here, and there are links to posts about other blogger’s experiences in my long post. 

 So, have you sent or received any fun or interesting mail lately?