No news is generally good news. Right? Angela spent the week with Summer and I think she had hopes that Summer would allow her to stay down in Memphis this past weekend so she could do two weeks in a row without driving back to Tremont. No such luck! Summer has plans! It’s our job to get her to them! This weekend she was back in Carbondale with Nate at SalukiCon. It’s a convention for gamers that she didn’t want to miss. (actually, one of my favorite writers/animators, Matt Kindt was there and I had small hopes of HAVING to be there to help Summer. No dice) She and Nate were volunteering from 4 to 6 on Sunday, but they had played games on Saturday. 
Last weekend, instead of taking the plane back to Memphis, Summer used her cancellation policy on Expedia and told them she had to skip her flight. Instead, she hopped in Nate’s Subaru which was filled to the brim, and road back to Carbondale with them. I took a look at our family iCloud account and saw that they were still in Colorado Springs at 9AM our time Sunday morning. We called her and razzed her about their slow start, knowing that a horribly long drive was ahead. Summer was not pleased when I had her on the phone. I think she was ready to go as well.
Throughout the day I looked to see where they were at… Kansas… Freaking Kansas is where they were all day! (I know this drive very well!) Eventually, by nightfall, they were cruising across Missouri, and at about 11 PM I texted Summer to tell her I was going to bed… She was about an hour out from Nate’s apartment in Carbondale.
That drive is painful. No matter how much time I wanted to spend with my friends… I still think the temptation to fly and avoid the car trip would be very hard to deny.
Angela picked Summer up on Monday in Carbondale and they spent the week with the normal appointments we have been getting in rhythm with. Summer did have a Chemo treatment on Tuesday. She is literally down to her last few! Her next, and I believe final scheduled chemo is the first week of May!
Angela told me that Dr. Gajjar did make an appearance with Summer in the clinic last week. Angela does not read this blog or any of the gofundme posts… But it was kinda hilarious to hear her description of the verbal transaction.
“You doing OK?” asked Gajjar.
“I’m OK” replied Summer.
Anglea said that Dr. Gajjar seemed satisfied enough with the reply and said “Ok”. With that, he was gone.
THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED THE WEEK BEFORE WITH ME! Hilarious in some ways. It might seem abrupt or uncaring to some… But realize that Summer has a fleet of therapists, doctors, nurses, and others checking her fluids, vitals, and spirit daily. I do truly believe he is not worried about anything in her treatment at this time. The final treatment scans will be held when Summer is done with her final chemo. Everything did get hiked back a week or two after Summer had her stomach issues a month or so ago, so this will put her exit scans around the 2nd week of May.
I had some training at work that was scheduled for this week coming up, but it got canceled and moved to next week. With this in mind, I did do a switcheroo with Angela to be Summer’s caregiver this week. Angela has a legitimate complaint that I seem to go down on the easy weeks. This week will be active with therapists and tests. But her next chemo will be when Angela checks in next week with her.
I posted a few pictures on my Facebook story of my Grandma Marie. She has been in and out of the hospital, her house, and now a nursing home over the past few weeks. Grandma is 92 years young and spending a few minutes with her you realize that she is not ready to go anywhere. Unfortunately, her body is giving her a tough time. Oxygen… Blood Pressure… Fluids in the lungs. Doctors are doing everything they can to help… And if there is anyone who can get back to her house where she has been living alone until a few weeks ago… It’s her. I am very thankful I have gotten to see her a few times in the past few weeks and be around her swagger.
I felt bad leaving yesterday. She was just sitting there… A little worn down from company… But, she doesn’t watch TV. She doesn’t read magazines or books. So, she looks really bored in a hospital.
Normally, at home, she spends her days worrying about her dog and cats. That is what keeps her on her feet and I suspect living an active life at home in her 90’s.
Keep Marie in your prayers.
We had to get a new mower. Begrudgingly. The Saturday before easter… I pulled my Cub Cadet mower outside to do a tuneup for soring and get the yard ready for our party. A few minutes later I walked around the corner to a vision of flames crackling off the backside of the riding mower. I ran to the garage and grabbed the garden hose to douse it down. I was in disbelief. Shock. Calus indifference as this is one more crappy thing that I have no control over. UGH. I walked around it and thought “What else?”. Fortunately, “what else” has not popped up yet. It’s just a mower. Ang and I talked to our local Cub shop and he was willing to give us 650 bucks in trade.
I worked all week and Saturday this week and I MADE Angela deal with this transaction by herself! She did. I came home from work on Saturday and drove a new mower out of the trailer.
Sunday, I mowed. I also used our other tractor to grab black dirt from the back 40 to start filling in the trench left by the Solar installation last fall. We ARE going to get this yard in order this year!
A new mower is the last thing I wanted… But used mowers, like used cars, seem to be nearly as much money as a new one right now. My brother Don said “Eat dessert first” the other day when I was lamenting this fact. I am keenly aware that crying and complaining were not going to mow my yard. But I was still trying to be as thrifty as possible.
It all sucks.
It reminds me of a fella I have been following who is giving me daily inspiration. Steve Fugate. Steve is 76 and has lost two kids over his lifetime. I am not drawing anything from his situation as a comparison to our lives… But his big overall statement is that we should celebrate every day and “Love Life”. Follow him on Facebook and you will be inspired as well. When life has you down… Remember that you are here today. Enjoy it.
Steve Fugate… I can almost guarantee that Mr. Fugate is related to all my Fugate family. They all derive from our original colonist families going back to the 1600’s near Baltimore. Kinda cool.
Oh, if YOU need a mower, forklift, tractor or mining truck… Make sure to see my friend Jake Irish at German Bliss in East Peoria. He was ready to help out and deliver a tractor to me the same day mine burned down. They are not a Cub dealer and did not want my trade. I have no time to be dealing with selling mine on the curb, so that was the ONLY reason I didn’t get one from him. I am sure he will remind me FOREVER!
Marie is one of my favorite people in the world ! Please give her a hug from me and tell Steve Brandt still loves her !