we get by with a little help from our friends

With a nod to the Beatles, we must admit it’s been a little rocky around here these past couple weeks. Andy had round 5 of chemo the week before last and it was a rough one with his blood counts tanking to nothing and a scary middle-of-the-night trip to the emergency with a fever. Add to that the holing up we all need to do to keep him safe from germs (read: kids bouncing off walls and really bothering each other), a loving brother in need of support, the stress that goes along with this all, and of course, pure exhaustion.  

Thankfully there is always someone warm and fuzzy in this house to lay on your legs as you recover from chemo, to hold tight when the tears of frustration won’t stop, and to make you laugh when you aren’t sure you ever will,

I don’t know how we’d do it without this team of quiet, loving supporters in our home. These critters who hold life so totally present. So gently and quietly. Always available for a snuggle and an ear sniff. 

There have been days when I’m not sure the misery of the moment (pick one: a sibling squabble that won’t end, a late night tearful talk about the future, a raging tantrum because sometimes life is just too hard…) will ever break, but then, miraculously, is cut short by a cat walking in the room and plopping down in the middle of it all.  Looking totally peaceful and definitely needing a scratch,   

Every day we find moments of comfort. Today it is Andy slowly gaining strength again. It is a cat curled belly up in the sun, making peacefulness and ease feel attainable.  It is an old hound dog warming the spot in the bed I will soon occupy.  

waiting

Lots of folks are wondering where we are with things these days.  In some ways the answer is that we are still waiting.  We are waiting on Mayo to fit us in for a second opinion and we are waiting to get back to Gundersen to see the oncologist there- after that second opinion.  But we are not waiting around…waiting.  We are focusing on healing in the many ways that are outside of what Mayo or Gundersen can offer.  We are resting, relaxing, creating, laughing, walking.  Andy is getting massage and acupuncture, we are studying diet, and cooking a lot, we are researching and reading and talking to cancer survivors.  We are snuggling the girls and comforting their fears and talking with friends and getting help when we need it.

 

Last weekend most of our plans fell through with the cold and snow that blew in and that was really just perfect.

 

We worked on projects old and new.  We roasted cauliflower and garlic and made warming chai tea.  I got an amazing Iris/Elsa spa treatment, we snuggled kittens by the fire, we read lots, we watched a really great movie (watch it with your kids!), we had dinner with friends.

That’s really all there is right now.  One day at a time.  Focusing on healing and being well.

right now

Halloween, a birthday celebration for papa, brushing out every last burr and loving up the kittens (in the house!).  It was a busy weekend and now of course we have fevers and sniffles and a bit of a cough.  Life’s way of telling us to s-l-o-w it down.  We’ll do just that for a couple of days.  Then we’re off on a little adventure.  We’ll try to send a postcard from the road!