Thursday, March 26, 2009

New York City Dogs

We've seen the craziest things here in NYC on the way to 68th and York each day.

1. Dog strollers- yes, dogs being walked in strollers, not with leashes on their own four feet.

2. Dog walkers- they actually do not walk the dogs but stand on the sidewalk, leaning against the buildings, with seven or eight dogs who just sit and watch the people stream by.

3. Dog chauffeurs- yes, there are actual cars which exclusively transport your dog from place to place.

4. An immaculately groomed, pristine, white poodle with the most gorgeous soft supple tan leather boots that any person would be jealous to own.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Poster Child

I'm not boasting. Really.

But, I think I may be the new poster child for radiation.

The man in charge of directing this journey met with me this afternoon in his office. He could not believe how in tact my skin is at this particular part of the journey.

And that I was still swallowing without difficulty, unheard of. He was so pleased and surprised.

He should not be, he is one of His people, chosen and called out. A people who know about power and miracles, promises and fulfillment, a Father's love and tender care of His children.

But I know the one who is really directing this journey and He has everything under control. He is giving wisdom to the doctor. He is giving technical expertise to the technician. (every day I heard how "beautiful and wonderful" i do with each session).

And I can sense the support of those who have invested their time interceding for me and for my success. The side effects are minimal and some have appeared due to my own carelessness. I should know how important hydration is to the success of physical function.

However, I may have to employ Carina, to help Him out in the hair department, if we continue at the current pace. It may be one funky hairstyle at the end, but who knows.........maybe this will be the start of something new!

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

The Ninth Floor

We've become family here on the ninth floor.

Kay folds Bob's clothes that he has started in the morning, someone put them in the dryer, and she folds them into nice neat piles. He makes his meals, and puts most of his food away, but we do the rest, which he does not see. His wife Marsha is in the hospital now. He is very concerned. He is distracted. She has had intractable pain and had to go in to have an operation to stabilize the spine. And he hopes she will be able to resume her chemo and radiation. He loves her dearly and is a tremendous caregiver.

Marius and Monica left today. They were here for six months from St Croix. They were happy to go home. We hear them laughing in their room at night. It is good. He did well, and is always cheerful and encouraging to all.

Thad and Martha are here from Cape Cod. They are harvesting his stem cells and will give chemo. It was sudden. They thought he was having a stroke, but no, it was this. She is motherly and he is bald now and friendly. They tell about the bus route, the organic lunch place, interesting museums, good restaurants if you feel up to going out. They hear about Redeemer and they go. They will go again when they can. They have been here two months and expect to leave a month after I do.

Nate is here by himself. His young wife and daughter are in California. She can not come, she has to take care of their daughter. He has been here four times. He comes into the kitchen while we are all eating dinner and gets his Campbell's soup out of his cabinet to microwave. I say, "Nate, would you like to share our chicken?" Hesitantly, he accepts and then receives the green beans we send over. There's no one here to cook for him, and he is young, we share. He has been on other floors and knows others from previous visits. He feels comfortable with them.

Elize and Frank are across the hall. Frank is here for chemo and radiation. But after a week he has had a crisis. While leaving after a treatment, to get a cab he has a seizure. He is bleeding. It is an emergency. Back to urgent care and lines inserted and blood, hand pumped, as fast as it can go. "Call your children, this doesn't look good". Frank survives and is in ICU for days and today he will get very intricate surgery. We see the hand of God in this that they were not in the taxi when the bleed occurred. We have dinner with Elize and she recognizes that God has them here where world class doctors and nurses have saved his life and that He did not allow them to get in the taxi. We pray with her as we all leave, that God would strengthen Frank, give the surgeons great technical ability, that Elize would have peace and that Frank would again come back to the ninth floor.

Judy and Diane have joined the family recently. And Jeff and his sister came yesterday. We all meet in the kitchen in the morning and evening. Everyone checks in with each other. "How was your treatment today?" "Are you doing okay?" "Do you have any side effects?" "Has anyone seen Bob today?" "Elize, how is Frank today?" Sometimes we wear masks and gloves. Sometimes we wear wigs, or turbans, or hats. We exchange DVD's, offer each other ice cream, talk about how fantastic our accommodations are, how kind the staff is, exchange information that we have learned on line and are thankful for the doctors that we are involved with.

It comes quickly here. The sense of family. We say, here, here, no one is an atheist. Everyone believes in hope and the future. For ourselves and for each other.