Time to Think and Plan

This past week was a busy one. My husband had an appointment to see if the bleeding had resumed in his eyes. Thankfully, it hasn’t so he won’t have to have his eyes checked for two months.

I had three medical treatments -- two of them in Glasgow and one in Billings.

For the past several months, I’ve been having pain in my right leg. After a series of tests it was discovered the bursa was swollen considerably, so I had a cortisone shot to reduce the swelling and pain.

Immediately following that treatment, I was given Zometa by IV to help strengthen my bones since cancer weakens the bones. Hopefully it will do the job although that is a monthly treatment.

On Nov. 4, I was in Billings to see the radiation oncologist. She recommended I have a radiation treatment. Knowing it’s 300 miles for me to get to Billings, the staff arranged it so I had the planning session followed a few hours later by the radiation treatment.

The radiation oncologist also recommended I have a bone scan in Glasgow and then return to the clinic in December for a partly radioactive treatment for bone cancer that is given by IV.

I returned home in the late afternoon on Sunday, tired, of course, but beginning to feel better because of the reduction in pain.

Because our daughter lives in Roundup, I only had to drive to there. She took me to my appointment. And we had a chance to be able to enjoy some shopping and a wonderful lunch.

On the drive to and from Roundup, I found myself relaxing some from all the hustle and bustle. And it gave me time to reflect on many things.

I thought about a young boy, who is now eight-years-old, and has been fighting cancer since he was three-years-old. I met him several years ago while in Iowa. He was in between treatments. But he was bubbly, excited over Thanksgiving, and all the turkey and pumpkin pie he wanted to eat. He’d received a new toy and was totally enthused about playing with it.

He told me he was happy he could be with his family and best friend and how he was looking forward to Christmas.

The memory of my visit with him reminded me there are so many other people battling this enemy and how courageous they are.

Thoughts of helping others also drifted through my mind. Purchasing basic items such as cleaning products, personal hygiene items, and paper products for the county food bank; helping a family to have a holiday dinner; buying fleece throws for the infusion center in Glasgow; making and taking holiday treats to people who have no family around and to families who aren’t able to afford the ingredients.

A four-hour drive gives you time to think and plan. It also gave me time to yet again give thanks for my family, my friends, the community where I live, the people I don’t even know who have offered me their support and prayers, and realize how very, very blessed I am. Blessed by what I’ve been given, blessed to be able to share what I can, blessed to be able to help whoever with whatever, wherever.

Life is good.