Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Flying through my reflections...

A picture of my and my beautiful sisters at Becky's baby shower....Left to right, Alisha, me and Becky... oldest to youngest... Just missing Ryan who is away in Utah at college. Love ya Bud!

I am sitting here above the clouds, which always makes me a bit reflective. It makes me think of flying, and how it would feel to fly unaided through the white abyss. We are now on our way from El Paso to Houston and have an appointment with MD Anderson Hospital tomorrow morning at 9am.
It is now 5:18pm Texas time, but we started this little adventure this morning at 6:30am at Phoenix International Airport. Now I know what you’re thinking? How could it possibly take THAT long to fly from Phoenix to Houston… but you don’t have the abilities I have!!! The ability to forget my driver’s license at my kids’ school. Don’t you wish you were as awesome as me??? Well, Morgan doesn’t have to wish, because he is part of the cool club too! He left his wallet right by the computer at home too. We are SOOOOOO AWESOME!!!!
And, just for kicks, Edu-prize, where the kids go to school, is closed for two weeks for fall break…… so we had to make a trip to the MVD this morning. Never fear, I am getting soooooo good at misplacing my license, that they have me on Fast Pass there. I ran right to the designated kiosk and entered my information electronically, paid my 4.oo and waited for the license to print. I was first in line, so I was pretty psyched, until they said the printer was broken. It printed my license up…. but it was blank. I told her it was no problem, and did they have any crayons. Likely, she still had a sense of humor at 8:05am, because her day was just beginning.
We made it back to the airport in time for them to tell us that they were all booked, but that we could try to fly on standby. It was Costumer Appreciation Day at the PHX airport, and so they gave me a sticker and a free deck of cards. Although, I think they wanted to un-bequeath my sticker after 35 minutes on the phone trying to switch our flights. I mentioned it was October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and so maybe they wanted to be aware of me!!! He he he (o.k., o.k., I only said that in my head).
We were on one phone with Lund and Karen Johnson, who graciously gave us the flight benefits from their Rapid Rewards points, the associate from Southwest was on her phone talking to another associate trying to figure our “situation” out when I noticed the associate to the right of my shoulder was wiping his counter down with some sort of cleaning spray. He looked at me and said, “The lady that just left said she has double pneumonia, gotta be careful these days”. Oh boy, let’s hope that illness doesn’t find my compromised immune system…..
As I mentioned at the beginning before I went railroading on a crazy tangent, we are now currently on a flight from El Paso to Houston and will arrive at 7:30pm. I was eavesdropping a little while ago and the lady that is sitting behind me mentioned that she goes to MD Anderson in Houston. I, of course, butt in that I am going there for the first time tomorrow. I mentioned that I have stage 4 breast cancer and she said, oh, my friend just died from stage 3 breast cancer…….hummmmmmmmm. How do you respond to that? “Oh, I am so sorry for you’’ or do you say what you’re thinking…”Your friend is stupid dumb dumb!” Morgan just mentioned that I can’t talk of the deceased that way… sorry!!! It’s probably not such a good idea when you’re flying right next to the angels!!! Morgan said he will keep his mouth shut from now on…that is what he gets for talking to me while I am blogging! He he he
Back to my reflections…..
Last weekend I was really sick. I don’t like being really sick. I don’t like the look in the kids’ eyes when they see me sitting there with my eyes half open, trying to fight off the illness. And I HATE being nauseous!!! Seriously HATE it!! I am a throw-up-a-phobic (real word, I promise… he he he) I hate when Morgan has to go into “protect Mom mode”, even though he is soooo great at it. But I sure do appreciate life when I am feeling better.
I waited all weekend and was pretty sick and then on Monday I went to my regularly scheduled oncologist appointment and he was thoroughly mad at me for not calling over the weekend or going to the ER. It felt kind of good that he was mad at me, because that means that he cares! He said that I became so sick due to the new chemo meds I started taking the beginning of last week and that I had to get off of them right now and get re-hydrated prescribed me some anti-nausea medicine that works. I felt a million times better when I left the chemo room a couple hours later after IV Phengran and a full hydration bag in my system. It makes you really understand the saying, “If you don’t have your health, you don’t have anything!!!”
Then, when I came home I felt a trillion times better because my house, from top to bottom, was sparkling clean!!(I kid you not about the sparkling part!) For my birthday this year my in-laws gifted me six months of a wonderful maid and wonderful is just the biggest understatement ever!!!! They even cleaned my closet… my closet folks!!! The only place I had yet to unpack!!! I love you Lupe and Maria!!!!!!! And they just worked right around my four kids who were home from break. I thought it was hilarious later that night when we asked Cassidy how she liked her new clean room (she is, well, a bit messy), and she answered in all seriousness, “My room was that clean before they got here!!” he he he he Of course it was!!!
Then, like a wonderful gift from angels, my mother stayed most of the day and watched the kids and then stayed the night last night and will tonight and to watch the kids. And my dad took the day off to take the kids to “Guardians of Ga’Hoole”! Aren’t they just the luckiest kiddos ever!! I am soooo glad that they get to still “be kids” sometimes through all of this.
So, the fact that Morgan and I have been on standby and flying all sorts of different flights today isn’t really that bad. As Morgan said earlier, “80 percent of my excitement for this trip is just being with you, and here we are together!” (I guess 20 percent regards my healthcare….. he he he) So we are truly blessed and we are definitely having an “adventure”. Maybe tomorrow at this time we will have some answers or at least some leads. Here’s hoping!
(Dang, the stewardess just came and got my Sprite and I hadn’t finished it yet.) oh well, love you all and I will keep you posted……..
All my love from somewhere over Texas!!!!

7 comments:

Bonnie Hynes said...

I love mile-high-musings! Good luck today, and I am sooooo glad about the cleaning lady present! It feels good to have one HUGE less thing to worry about. Love you guys...hopefully see you soon!

Erin said...

Best of luck today... and I can't wait for the updates. Try to enjoy your little 'vacation,' even though its not really for fun and recreation!

Grama Karen and Papa Lund said...

Boy, you really summed it all up. What a day!
Love to you and your hubby, too, from Idaho to Texas.

Jeremy and Ruth said...

I wonder if we have good thoughts in air planes because we are closer to heaven while flying in them... :) Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I know we are all wondering how you are feeling/doing and what you are thinking and its kind of you to share!! LOVE YOU GUYS!!

runningfan said...

Good luck!!

Happy said...

Just remember you two, they do things BIG in Texas, so you should do something REALLY BIG IN TEXAS!!!
Our prayers are with you and your names have been placed on our temple rolls here.

Miss you and love you all.

Mark and Questa

Farr Family said...

Boy you always have so much fun!! Good luck in Texas. Let us know how it goes! We love you and your sweet family!
Love ya- Kimberly