Two Week Marker

Today is Friday and we pulled into Sarasota two weeks ago. My favorite thing to do is to look back and see God's care and to see the slow but steady improvement in Mike's condition. He is so much stronger than when we got here. He is still drinking. He is eating soup every night. Praise God. He is still spends a lot of time throwing up, but that is part of the "cancer game" no matter what treatment you are doing.

When I was growing up, I had a friend, Gretchen Houser. We lost contact after we both moved in High School, but we used to play this game at her house. We would sit in her kitchen and blind fold each other. The person that was not blind folded had 3 minutes to make a potion out of anything edible in the kitchen. The object was to make each other throw up. You can not imagine the stuff we used to make! I know it is weird, but we did that for one summer. The reward at the end of the game was Blue Bell Cookies and Cream ice cream. I bring this up, because every morning as I am breaking apart all the pills and mixing it with soup, iron, liquid vitamins, water, juice, whatever... I think of that summer at Gretchen's.

Today, Elizabeth and I moved all our stuff from the hotel into this wonderful 2 bathroom condo. God has provided and we are so blessed. The owner called tonight to check in with us. The best thing about this condo is that the parking is right outside the door. We are on the first floor. Mike can literally be in a bed in 10 steps. Sometimes that is really important after a particularly hard day. Chris, the owner, thought it might be good for others in the situation that we are in. He wants me to give his name and number to the Wellness Center. That is a praise as well. To be able to bless others through our journey here. God is so good.

Speaking of the move, it felt like I was moving from the TLF into housing after a PCS. The AF has prepared me in so many ways for this journey. The ability to pack a van, loaded with basic needs like kitchen supplies, hot plates, a pot, a chopper, paper goods, laundry needs, paperwork, files, banking needs, computer, pens, tape, paper, notebooks, phone rosters, clothes, toys, media, medicine, and camera all in an hour. The ability to take detailed notes as Bill is saying take this and that. The ability to find a laundromat. The ability to move into a hotel and be organized. The ability to take the protocol to Office Max, have them blow it up, laminate it, and use markers to check off everything that I give Mike. The ability to fit a huge amount of leftovers in a small refrig. The ability to repack, load the van, and move to a new location. ALL of these are skills that I learned from being an AF Wife. In fact, Bill mentioned something a week ago about how he knew I was serious when I packed my van and loaded my child and husband and drove 8 hours to Sarasota. Honestly, it didn't even phase me. I have done it before and will do whatever it takes. That describes all the AF wives I know. AND while I am on my soapbox here.... So many of the blessings have come from the relationships that I formed while being apart of the Spouse's Club, Squadron Spouses, and PWOC. They can really be a lifeline and that is why I still believe they are an important part of the Air Force life.

Tonight is short, because I am tired and Mike has IV Therapy at 8:00 in the morning. That means I have to be up at 5:30 to prep the supplements for him to get down before we leave.

Please pray the Mike will continue to drink well. That he will begin to eat and swallow pills. Pray that I will have energy. Please continue to pray for Bill and that God will continue to whisper our treatment in his ear. We know God is that involved in our care.