Well, it's been awhile - and no news is good news - right? Right!
These past weeks have been good weeks! Since the last appointment, on May 27, it's been like a reprieve. The time between appointments, when Jacqui is feeling well and there are no treatments or tests or pokes or prods, are times when we can almost feel - or pretend at least - that all is good and that's how we've felt.
I've talked to other people with "chronic" cancers and they feel the same - it's almost like having a license to live normally between appointments. When things are going well, you can defer worry and pain and thinking about the future until a day or two before the next appointment. Denial? maybe, but who cares - why waste time worrying about bad that might or might not happen.
California/Disneyland was exactly what we wanted it to be - hot, fun, exhausting and relaxing. Hugs from Mickey, tears of joy during the "World of Color" show, riding bikes along the boardwalk on Newport beach, mojitos by the pool at our hotel and so much more packed into 5 days. As you walk into Disneyland, you walk under the train tracks and there is a plaque mounted that says:
“Here you leave today and enter the world of
yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy.”
I know there will be those of you who don't drink the "Disneyland Koolaid" (hater's gonna hate), but we love it and for us it really meant leaving all the garbage behind and we didn't talk - or even think - about cancer, chemo, pain, losses, any of that junk, we just bought into the fun and fantasy and had the best time. Another great thing about it for me was that we were there on what would have been my dad's 90th birthday - it was wonderful to be there in a place where I had such fun memories of him. One other thing I have to mention is that upon arrival in our hotel room we were met by the most fabulous and large basket of Disney goodies, huge Mickey shaped cookies and bottles of wine! We have tried to find out where all of that came from, as well as a surprise in our mailbox a few days before our trip, but haven't had any luck. So to those responsible - if you read this - we will have to respect your anonymity and just say thank you!!!
And it wasn't just the girls that got away, Peter and Tyler took a trip to their "Disneyland" - Yankee Stadium in New York for the Subway Series between the Yankees and the Mets!!
Also - big news - Jacqui's hair is growing back - what started out as little dark smudges have turned into eyebrows, eyelashes are growing rapidly and her hair is gone from a little fuzz to spiky to almost ready to lay down - we're just trying to figure out what color it's going to be. It just happens so fast and so good to see signs of life.
So what's next? Well her next CT scan is July 7 and then the follow up appointment is July 14. Don't know what to expect with that, what the scan will show, whether she'll get the "all clear" to go back to work or what.....
And in the meantime......birthday parties, a concert, a wedding, out of town guests, travel, long summer nights on our deck (sorry neighbors), bike rides, runs in the park, good stuff.....
So I commend the enjoyment of life,
because there is nothing better for a person under the sun
than to eat and drink and be glad.
Then joy will accompany them in their toil
all the days of the life God has given them
under the sun.
Ecc 8:15
Ecc 8:15
