Little Anniversaries and Thanksgivings

When I look back on the events that were happening a year ago, some of them actually bring me joy.  

It was a year ago today that I brought Rick home from the hospital after the surgery to remove a large part of his tumor.  A wonderful surgeon named Nino Chiocca operated while a wonderful anesthesiologist names Sergio Bergese performed an anesthetic that allowed for Rick to be awake for part of the surgery.  They talked to him and asked him questions while the tumor was being resected so they could make sure the surgery did not cause his function to deteriorate.  

I told Rick there was a good chance he would be speaking Italian after 4 hours in the operating room with Dr. Nino and Dr. Sergio.  

With amazing courage and strength, Rick endured the surgery and 3 days in the ICU.  The ICU nurses fought over who got to take care of Rick because he was so low maintenance, self sufficient and cheerful.  

Driving Rick home from the hospital on that gorgeous, warm, breezy day (a day very much like today!)... 

ELATION is the best word I can think of to describe the feeling

Heavenly Father, thank you for blessing us on every step of this journey.  It is such a blessing that Rick has tolerated so well and responded to the healing interventions of his doctors.  It is such a blessing that he can maintain a positive and optimistic outlook.  It is such a blessing that You brought Rick to me so that he could take such good care of this family and so that we could take care of him in his few moments of weakness.  Thank you, Heavenly Father, for teaching us to lean on each other and on our wonderful friends who lift us up with their love.  Amen

Little Anniversaries and Thanksgivings

It was a year ago today that I left a message for our awesomely amazing family doctor and told her that I had some concerns about how, since his knee surgery, Rick seemed to be mis-speaking and getting confused.  She called Rick at home and spoke to him.  She became alarmed when he could not remember my name or name any mountains that he knew.  She called me at work immediately after hanging up with him and we had a scary discussion about how Rick may have had a stroke some time around surgery.  "Worst case scenario", she said, "it could be a brain tumor."  She scheduled an MRI for that evening.

It was one year ago tonight the boys and I waited at Doctor's Hospital West while Rick had an MRI.  We colored coloring books in the waiting room; we walked around outside; we went to the cafeteria and got a snack and ate it at a picnic table outside because there was an AA meeting going on in the cafeteria; we hunted around in the grass when I accidentally dropped and briefly lost Rick's wedding band which he had to take off for the MRI; we watched part of a movie in the car.  When Rick called and said he was finished, we trooped back inside.  

The radiologist looked horrified.  

I thought he looked horrified because the boys were being loud and unruly.  He said, "The good news is Rick didn't have a stroke."  Then he handed me a piece of paper with our family doctor's cell phone number on it and told me that she wanted me to call her if I "had any questions about how we were going to treat it."  

He didn't say what "it" was.  

I actually thanked him for the good news.  

I chose to ignore what he was trying to say, but didn't have the courage to say.  

I didn't call our family doctor when we got home.  

She called me.  

She said she knew the radiologist would chicken out.  

She told me Rick had a brain tumor.

Heavenly Father, thank You for wrapping us in your loving, protective embrace during this journey.  Though I am learning the difficult lesson of the impermanence of this world, thank You for being a constant.  I know You are always here to comfort, to strengthen and to gently guide us in the best way to manage the unmanageable.

As we encounter healthcare providers (and I pray this for myself as I function as a healthcare provider), help them empty themselves of self as they care for patients.  Grant them courage to do what needs to be done and say what needs to be said.  Guide their actions, their thoughts and their words.  Let Your healing love flow though them as they touch our lives.

Help us to be examples of strength and courage to other patients we meet who may be struggling or suffering more than we are.  Help us shine light into the lives of others.  Amen  

We Have a New Smiley

We have a new member of our family!

A Corgi puppy named Seamus Finnigan 

(named for a Harry Potter character, of course)

A Trip to Cali to Perfect the Art of the Self-Photo

While Soren and Will spent an exciting Spring Break with Grandma and Grandpa, Rick and I escaped to the 

Hotel Del Coronado for a little quiet time, a little pampering, and a lot of practice taking backwards self portraits.  

Everything about this trip was lovely.  

We love the Del, which was celebrating it's 

125th Anniversary with a big gold bow on it's famous cupola.

The view from our lanai

We drove up the coast to Carlsbad to see the flower fields.

We took lots and lots of backwards photos of ourselves 

(whoever invented that feature on the cell phone camera is a genius!)

Though I highly recommend the-kid-free-adults-only vacation, I will admit having to actively fight off the feelings of guilt about not bringing the boys along.  

They would have loved the beach; 

they would have loved bicycling around Coronado; 

they likely would not have appreciated, as much as we did, the tranquility of the spa or the skill of the bartenders.  

Happy Easter

Easter in Bedford was rainy and cold.  

But the day before Easter was sunny and beautiful and we dressed up in our Easter best for some family pictures, something my brother, Ed, has wanted to do for a long time.

Knowing the weather would be iffy, the Easter Bunny hid eggs on Grandma's porch so that we could stay warm and dry during the egg hunt.

Thanks, Easter Bunny!

Little Anniversaries and Thanksgivings

One year ago yesterday, Rick had knee surgery. As I would have expected, he recovered like a champ, took no narcotic pain medicine afterward and was back to his usual activity much sooner than the surgeon predicted.  But it was soon after the surgery that we started to notice little neurological changes- confusion with driving directions, trouble remembering names, trouble finding the word he was trying to say.

Thank you, Heavenly Father, that whatever it was about the anesthesia- fluid shifts, changes in blood flow, over hydration- caused Rick's tumor to announce itself much earlier than it may have otherwise.  My hope is that catching it earlier rather than later has contributed to how well he has responded to surgery, radiation and now chemotherapy.  That and the fact that You have blessed him with extraordinary strength and courage.  Please, Heavenly Father, continue to bless Rick with strength and courage for the battle ahead.  

Amen  

Pinewood Derby

Whew! All caught up!  I guess it's a good thing that not much happens in February and I had plenty of time to catch up before the next bloggable event:

Pinewood Derby!

So it all started with two blocks of wood

Soren's was from a kit and was already more or less the shape of the BatMobile.  Rick did a little research and he and Will decided on a super streamlined design.  

Rick had to work the scroll saw, of course

Then the boys got busy sanding

Rick spray painted a really pretty base coat.  

I airbrushed the flames (really!).  Then Rick finished them off with a clear coat.  Shamrock stickers for luck was Will's idea since the race was on St. Patrick's Day.

The Big Day 

(Yes, that's me being a line judge- a huge responsibility and more stressful than you would think)

The boys loved it and were thrilled to race their cars and win medals

Hooray Team Smiley!