Driving through the Mountains

If June was meandering, July has been the challenge of mountainous hairpin curves, switch backs, and Ups and Downs.  Both physically and emotionally.

One of the Ups was my appointment at the University of Michigan.  Again, the predominant color was CLEAR.  CT scan: clear.  X-rays: clear.  Blood work: clear.  Dr. C is now stretching out my check-ups from 4 month intervals to 6 months.  And now I only have to have a CT scan once every year.  She said that if the Liposarcoma is going to reappear in the same place, it usually does that within 3 years and I’m now past that point in time.  My tumor contained cells that were well def and dediff, which means that some of them were slow and steady growing and some of them were wild and aggressive.  So if it does reappear, it probably will be somewhere else in my body.  Or not!

A difficult point in this journey came when I found out that my friend Violet lost her battle with Liposarcoma.  She had been in our congregation at Avalon and again at Grabill and was a nurse who had blessed me by sharing her experience treating another woman whose condition was close to mine and was still living after 6 years.  At that point I was very weak and had never heard of anyone surviving that long.  So Violet had been a real encouragement to me.  Then Violet was diagnosed with Liposarcoma about a year after I was.  We had long phone conversations, exchanging information and words of encouragement.  Sometimes I needed the encouragement and sometimes she did. We shared how her husband Frank and my Jerry were amazing caregivers. She had her first grandchild and when the doctors could no longer offer her any hope, we talked about what could be done to ensure that Gabriella (now 18 months old) would remember her.  Her treatment needs ultimately took her to MD Anderson Sarcoma Clinic in Houston, TX and she spent months there enduring a difficult chemo regime.  Violet’s faith never seemed to waiver and she fought a good fight.  Her funeral was Thursday.

Our family physically drove mountain roads in July.  Jerry found a cabin in the Smokey mountains, above Gatlinburg, which would accommodate our family of 13, aged 18 months to 71 years old.  He found it through the web site VRBO (Vacation Rental By Owner).  It had 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, a kitchen, living/dining room and a family room on 3 floors.  It also came with a hot tub, pool table, access to a private resort swimming pool, a driveway that sloped down the mountain…and on our last day, a large black bear.

Everyone was on their own to choose their activities.  Most everyone did some hiking and my favorite quote of the week came from one the of girls–”I really like to hike except for all that walking!”  We fixed most of the meals in that small little kitchen–15 meals if I counted correctly.  We all went into Pigeon Forge for dinner to celebrate our 47th anniversary with southern comfort food.  One day we took a picnic when we explored Cade’s Cove and the last night we brought in pizza.  The week wasn’t without its challenges.  There were overly tired children (and NaNa).  And by the time we left, there were fingerprints imbedded in my arm rest and a crook in my neck from driving those difficult mountain roads.  But it’s good for parents to see their children and grandchildren living together, playing together, and just getting along.

Our family has been so fortunate to have aunts and uncles who have enjoyed a long life.  July marked the loss of Uncle Dale, whom everyone loved.  He had probably never been out of Fulton Co., Ohio when he joined the army in 1941.  After basic training, he went to North Africa, and then to Europe where he fought in Italy, France, Belgium, and Germany, winning a purple heart.  He definitely was part of The Greatest Generation.

One of the most emotionally draining events was when our daughter Stephani and her husband Ken flew to Colorado and then on to China.  They are now in Beijing where Ken is undergoing training and Stephani is doing office work during this month.  They will then travel to Changsha where they will live and teach this year.  So hard to see them leave.  So happy to see their excitement.  Ken’s son Seth is staying with us this month.  So after many years, we will now again be moving a family member to their first year of college.  He will attend Wright State in Dayton, OH.

So many challenges.  So many blessings.  Can’t wait to see what next month brings.

 

 

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