Up, Up, And Away!

Well, here’s a surprise for you.  It certainly was for my parents last night at midnight…but I’m getting ahead of myself.  I have to back up a few days to begin this story…

First of all, you’ll be happy with me to know that my own personal Hercule Poirot detective nurse succeeded in her attempts to get me an appointment to begin radiation therapy. I received the letter a few days ago.  The appointment date?  May 16th.  My first thought was, oh no! a month! My second thought was, oh great! a month! I can hop on that plane after all and go to see my parents.  The plan was very quickly made and yesterday I flew to Atlanta from London.  I had arranged for a friend to meet me and take me to my parents house.  Excitement was growing when we turned onto the country road that would take me to their home.  It was nearly midnight. I phoned my Mom.

“Were you asleep?”  I asked.

“No, not yet.”  She answered

“I was wondering if you’d do me a favor.”

“Well sure.”

“In about five minutes, will you open the gate?”

“What?”

“I’m on your road; I’m almost there.”

“You are kidding!”

We pulled up and there was Mom standing in the middle of the front yard, her pink robe blowing around her legs in the breeze. What a reunion we had.  I hadn’t thought we would wake my Dad.  I had envisioned him coming into the den the next morning to find me there but Mom said, “Oh, we must wake him; he’ll be so thrilled.”

“Chuck?”  My Mom gently touched his arm.  I was standing just outside the door.  The sound of the oxygen pump was humming.  “Chuck?”

“Hmmm?”  His sleepy response brought him to wakefulness.  I took that as my cue and walked into the room.  He looked at me; I looked at him.  In the dim lights of the room I saw the clear oxygen tube in his nose and looped around his ears.  His legs were elevated in his new remote-controlled bed.

“Dad?  Surprise.”  I could feel the smile on my face.  I had made it.  I was seeing him, my Dad.

“Vickie?  Vickie.  Oh my.”  His voice sounded sleepy and gravelly but the joy in his eyes was strong and alert.

A little later I crawled into my bed, tired and happy.  I had been so frustrated at not getting my appointment to begin the next stage of treatment.  Father used that delay to bring great blessing to me and to my parents too.

Dad is still retaining fluid….so weak in body; so strong in spirit.

As for me?  The pain and burning sensation from the lymphatic cording has completely ceased.  I told you last week that as quickly as they had come, just as quickly they eased away.  The cords are still there but are not making themselves a nuisance at all.

I’m happy to be here to spend time with my Dad and happy to be here to give my Mom some relief as full-time carer.  All is well.