Wed. Evening, April 18th

Hi Special people.....

I have to admit I pushed Tami just a bit today.....I was afraid we were going to miss the financial aid people at the hospital and we barely made it in to talk to a sweet girl from Brazil.  Although the information was far from ideal, Tami is going forth with faith that the Lord didn't bring her all this way for no reason.  She has a child-like faith and there is no room for fear.  She has an undercurrent of stress that eats at her and for that reason and what she has been through in the past 8 months, pressing forward is like pulling 2 steel weights each time she lifts a foot to press forward, if you know what I mean.  Having said that, she is just returning from a little run with a new friend who is here with her mother who is 83 and is the oldest recipient of stem cell implants in the world!  We are amazed at her. Everybody told her not to do anything, but she said, I've still got a lot of living to do.  This lady has also lost 2 husbands and 3 0f her 4 children.  She lives up North from here in a small communiy. 

It was good for Tami to go for a run and empty her stress buckets....she has seemed unhappy to go into the hospital atmoshere and said...."Let's get out of here, I don't like this place."

During the night last night while I was tossing a bit and Tami was still not asleep, we heard a little bird singing the same little song over and over....it was not unpleasant nor irritating but we both wondered about the little bird.  My perception was that the little bird had lost something or seemed sad...Tami's perception was that the little bird was just learning to sing and was practicing before the sun broke...She thought he was the early bird just getting prepared for the worm....like she has to get up a few hours early before she can begin to catch up with everyone else.

We spoke with Jo about Jason today (the one that has the same Dr. as Tami and just had the hipec yesterday.)  He is supposed to be out of the hospital in 10 days and even sat up today in a chair.  I think this has lifted her spirit a little to see someone go through this. But she also tries to take in what Peter told us....Don't get too excited about the good news nor too discouraged about the bad...Jason was also only 38....but....even so....She hopes she can do it and beat those little pacmen 

Tami wishes the Dr. would take her in tomorrow and just get the whole thing over with....it's the waiting I think that's driving her crazy.

Tami is her normal fun self down in the kitchen and everyone loves her....It is her gift, to lift others....she just can't do it for very long before she wears out....unless of course it's 10:00 or later at night.  She seems morre positive tonight and I know its because she got to get out and go for that run.

Well, tomorrow is the big day and our last full day here.  Tami's heart tells her that the Dr. will be able to help her.

Hope all is just wonderful for each of you, if not, make it that way and hug those around you and thank the Lord for your health.

Judy

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Wed. Morning  April 18th

Hi all...

Just a note to let you know Tami is up and going.  She stayed downstairs in a nice gathering room all by hrself until 4:30 this morning, watching Betty White and reading some material they had down there on what to ask your Dr. and cancer related material.  We may go to the hospital to seek answers on Insurance and financial aid before we see the Dr. tomorrow....we may also go to the temple...I just wait and watch and see where her little bit of energy takes us.  We looked into the scriptures on "Hope"....there is much to read about a perfect brightness of hope and Moroni chapter 7 and 10.  Without hope there is no faith or charity....I think hope is way underrated.....also the hope is in Christ & the atonement....not just the word and positive thinking....anyway a hope for reflection & faith....I suppose not anyone of us knows the importance of that hope until we're faced with our mortality.

Love you all

Judy

Wednesday Morning, April 18th

Hi all...

Just a note to let you know Tami is up and going.  She stayed downstairs in a nice gathering room all by hrself until 4:30 this morning, watching Betty White and reading some material they had down there on what to ask your Dr. and cancer related material.  We may go to the hospital to seek answers on Insurance and financial aid before we see the Dr. tomorrow....we may also go to the temple...I just wait and watch and see where her little bit of energy takes us.  We looked into the scriptures on "Hope"....there is much to read about a perfect brightness of hope and Moroni chapter 7 and 10.  Without hope there is no faith or charity....I think hope is way underrated.....also the hope is in Christ & the atonement....not just the word and positive thinking....anyway a hope for reflection & faith....I suppose not anyone of us knows the importance of that hope until we're faced with our mortality.

Love you all,

Judy

Tuesday, April 17th.....evening


Hi all.....

Today Tami was able to wake up about 10:30 but moved very slowly until about 12:30 at which time she thought she might be able to go up to New Hampshire to see Abby's daughter, Kemper.  It took another 3 hours before we were on our way. We're driving a cute Red Ford Focus and Abby's GPS has been a great help to us when we get out of the lodge....we struggle a little.....

It took us less than an hour to arrive at a cute little cottage where Kemper lived in Nashua, New Hampshire.  Little Avannie was out on the porch eating her "ogurt" and greeted us with a big smile.  We also saw little "Squish" (Sadie) as she woke from her nap....Tami was her usual self and scared the little Sadie til she cried.....We saw their cute yard and took pictures....We visited enjoyed their hospitality...Amy also came and visited and we all had Dinner together with Joseph, Kemper's husband.  Tami remembers Kemper when she was just s little tyke.

We left about 7:30 and it was getting a bit dark for us two old ladies....but we made it.  Tami mentioned how when she's herself (a little over the top) she now gets nauseated and it won't be too long before she'll learn that she has to settle down a bit.....All her jumping around just causes problems.  She needed to come back to the lodge and just chill out the rest of the evening. 

Jason, that went in today for the same surgery Tami is supposed to have is doing well...he had the hipec today and for him it was only a 61/2 hour surgery....I think that lifted Tami's hopes a bit.  We may go to the Boston Temple tomorrow but we won't know until Tami is up and moving....it will be our last day to do anything but hospital stuff and returning home.  We hope all is well at home.

I don't know if I included this in the e-mail...but on my way to Chicago I was sitting next to a lady who had just been on a skiing trip at Deer Valley.  We talked a little while and she asked why I was going to Boston....I told her the whole story about Tami in a shortened version and that we had had a little fund raiser to help her out.  After telling her that, she looked at me and said, "I'd like to make a donation"  I told her I felt like I couldn't accept that but she insisted and we both cried.....She just handed me a $50.00 bill and said, "Would you give this to your sister....I've had two friends die of breast cancer."  I was amazed that a perfect stranger would hand over money......we can find wonderful people everywhere.

Judy 

Tuesday, April 17th.....Morning 


Hi buddies.....

Not much to say this morning....Tami is in the shower...she's been taking it real slow this morning to prevent being sicker...she has to move real slow in the mornings or she upsets her tummy more.  I don't know what we'll do today...the fellow that is having his hipec surgery met first with the Dr. on April 3rd...we don't know if that is any indication of when Tami ( and if) she will have hers...also depending outcome of what they'll decide on insurance.  Her appointment is at 2:00 Thursday.  We slept well...it was cooler..we had two fans going all night because it was so hot here yesterday...only supposed to be 78 today instead of 87......A cool breeze is blowing through the windows and it is refreshing.....we love you all...Tami trys to always stay positive but I know an undercurrent of the unknown flows swiftly through her mind.  We listened to a symposium by her Dr. about her cancer on her website...They called her cancer the perfect storm.....also  everyone is so different and there are so many kinds.  We also read her neighbors homecoming talk from her mission from the west Indies...so uplifting....One of the women over there wakes up at 3:00 to read the Book of Mormon and says she doesn't want to stop...The people over there are pioneers...I'm going to read mine now....I'll update you tonight....

Love you all

Judy

Letter written April 16th/Evening

Hello from Boston……Not much to report…Tami has felt about 60-70% all day….tired and not much energy.  We did go out about 7:00 tonight.  Tami wanted to find a Dunkin Donut.  The first one was closed, the second one was in a hospital….but they didn’t have her favorite from her mission,  Chocolate cream inside and powdered sugar outside. 

There’s a cute little garden sitting area out to the side of our “Hope Lodge” It has a hope rock, a sitting angel a mini waterfall and just a peaceful atmosphere.  There are Hope messages throughout the Lodge.

 

Here’s a joke from my plane ride.  We had a hard landing in Chicago…..the stewardess came over the intercom and said…That was not the captains fault…..That was not the crew’s fault….that was not our fault…….It was the  “Asphalt”  The whole plane erupted in laughter!

I got up about 11:00 which would have been 9:00 at home….Tami got up about 2:30 and we went down to eat about 4:30.  On Mondays a local food establishment delivers food for donation. Today it was tortellini in sauce and a nice salad.  The cake lady also comes on Mondays and delivered an apple pecan cake and ice cream.

  We met several new people, even one whose name is Peter…I couldn’t help but Laugh out loud when she said, “how are you doing Peter?  She didn’t get it, but just said his name until I told the special fellow that she called everyone she loves PeterJ..then she burst out laughing…..

One came in while we were all eating, he has the same cancer as Tam’s and is going in for surgery tomorrow with Tami’s same Dr.  (He’s also doing the “Hipec” which is Tami’s surgery)  ….Tami was anxious to talk with his friend and found out that Jay is 38 and they just found his cancer in January.  He also has stage 4….I guess we’ll find out about the surgery tomorrow.

 Tami is down watching the news right now in the kitchen area…she feels a little claustrophobic in our room, still we’re thankful for it,  for the people who donate money here, bring food, etc.  It’s quite a little club of wonderful people who are all fighting for their lives…..melanoma, tumors behind eyes, brain tumors, 3 who had bone marrow transplants.  They laugh at themselves but all are positive and friendly.    Tami feels like she needs to rub shoulders with all the people here and try to feel a part of her new club….the cancer club…. and embrace it and enjoy it for what it is.

Tami also feels a little “Fenced in”  in fact, she keeps singing…”Don’t fence me in!!!!!!!!   because of curfew….but she says it’s probably the best rule for her so she can’t go out cruisin’ or running when she feels the best at late night.  She gets after me for not going out and taking the car and searching out the area.  I told her I came with the intent that I would do what she wanted to do and I had no agenda.  You don’t see me out running races either.  She wants to do a lot of things…go to the temple…go see Kemper, Abby’s daughter..but I don’t know if she’ll have the energy, plain & simple…I’m not going to wake her up and say:  Tami, if we’re going you’ve got to wake up….If I weren’t here she wouldn’t be pushed and that was my goal…to let her do what she feels like doing.

Well…enough of my rambling…I keep busy reading, resting, and just talking with Tam.  It’s good she’s alone downstairs, that’s good for her and her reflection J

We love you all and hope all is well at home…I hope you did good tonight Russell in your guitar performance at Weber State.

Love Judy

 

 

Hi everyone,

I'm sitting in our 3rd floor victorian home (no elevator)...when we got here they hadn't taken care of Tami's phone call that I was coming so we're in a very small room with a cot they rolled in and our bathroom is shared and down the hall.  No worries, we're just thankful to have a room for free......It is very quaint with tudor ceilings and 2 windows.....the home is beautiful with a large shared kitchen with 3 fridges, etc. on the main floor...a living area....it's like Lana's home only 3 time bigger....there are 9 bed  rooms, all to be filled within the week.  Most are much bigger.  the lady down the hall has been here 5 weeks being seen every day for a brain tumor....quite interesting....we would be at the Boston Marathon but we have curfew at 11:00 and we didnt find out how soon we could get out,so we didn't make it...which was a good thing because Tami is still sleeping....it's noon...but only 10:00 our time.  She felt quite good all day yesterday, but Saturday she was sick all day.  I appreciate all everyone is doing for dad....he seems good...last year at this time things would have been a lot different, but with his pain subsided, it's all good.

I'll e-mail tonight and let you know how her day went....love you all.

Judy