Jimmy Johns boy

It is SO good to have Julie here.  It's such a gift and a joy to have friends like her - she makes it so easy for me to be myself.  We stopped for lunch at Jimmy Johns today on our way to radiation and starting chatting it up with the guy at the cash register.  Somehow it came up that Julie and I had been in the Navy and we found out he had been in the Army.  He asked us how long we had been out and I said that it will be four years at the end of this month.  That's right people, on May 31st the Navy will no longer be able to call me back into active duty.  The cashier laughed and said that he could be called back too.  Then he added "I won't be much good to them though with this cancer.  They'll probably ask me to come back while I'm on my deathbed." He laughed, we laughed, and walked down to get our orders.  Then Julie and I looked at each other and realized what was just said.  Did he really just say he has cancer?  I wonder what kind he has.  He doesn't look sick - is he just waiting to start chemo like me?  Is it a cancer that really will take him to his deathbed?  Do I sound that nonchalant when I casually bring up my cancer in conversation?  Our interest had been piqued.  We tried going back up to talk to him again after we got our sandwiches, but a line had formed and he was helping another guest.  We lingered for a while, went back and forth deciding whether to talk to him or not, and finally left because we were running late to get to my radiation appointment.  He probably thought we thought he was super cute and wanted his number or something because we kept lurking in the background, looking at him, and getting embarrassed and laughing.  I'm ridiculous.  But how do you really start that conversation?  "So I thought I just heard you say cancer - funny thing - I've got it too!" or "Wanna compare ports?" or "Are you looking into funeral homes?"  You really never know what someone else is facing.  I might go back sometime soon to talk to him - it might be fun to know someone else here going through the same thing.  


Appointment early in the morning so I'm heading to bed.  I should have the chemo schedule by noon tomorrow.