Halfway there...

June 3, 2009 is the beginning of the halfway point for Wes' chemo. He began round #6 this morning and will complete it on Sunday, June 7th. Then on the 18th of June he goes back for his follow-up MRI and then we see Dr. Schroeder (we hope!!!) on the 19th. If we could ask you to pray that we actually see a doctor at this appointment that would really set my heart at ease.

But, it is hard to believe Wes is at the halfway mark in the chemo treatment and he is still doing very well. In fact this past month has been the closest to 'normal' that we've had since this whole thing started which is why I haven't been writing in my blog as much as I should have.

Every day we go for one or two walks, to the corner and back which works out to about a mile. We've completely changed how we eat, only as far as eating more healthy and our portions are much less than before. We are doing this for the sake of Wes' heart and I would dare say is that my pancreas enjoys the reprieve from working so hard as well! Our scale looks a little less stressed too!

Yesterday when I was on my way home from work I called Wes to see if I needed to stop in at Superstore to pick up his chemo. Our conversation went something like this...

"Hey, I'm on my way home. You need me to pick up your chemo?"

"Yeah, thanks. I haven't had time I'm spraying the lawn again."

"OK, I'll quickly do that and be home in a bit."

"Sounds good, see you later"

"Yup!"

End of conversation. After I hung up and rounded the corner to make my way to the drugstore I shook my head. How weird is it to call home and ask your spouse if you should pick up his chemo for him just like your asking him if you should pick up milk or fruit. We both didn't bat an eye over it, this is our life and I think we've dealt with what that means at this point.

We don't analyze it, we aren't bitter over it, that's just how it is. You live through it and that's that. It does surprise me how it has become such a 'normal' part of our routine.

Right now Wes is out mowing the lawn, so like I said, life's pretty much normal. I wish you could see him, he's so cute! The last time he was out doing yard work he really burnt his head badly... remember that one day the sun was shining? So, now I gave him one of Mark's old summer hats. It's this cute little green hat that is sort of floppy, because since his surgery he hasn't been wearing his regular hats as much anymore although he still wears them for work, but it's not quite as comfortable as it was. And he looks adorable sitting on the tractor with Mark's hat pulled down over his eyes.

And oh yeah, now for the good news. Next week Nicolas is flying out to Toronto for a bit of a holiday and I was able to work it out that Wes could fly out with him and they will spend five days together. I'm very excited for both of them. Wes has been encouraged by his doctors to do the things that he wants to do as long as he's feeling well enough to do so. And that's why I was hoping it could all work out and it did.

Interestingly enough, Nicolas made his flight arrangements thinking that he was flying out on his own. He had wanted to go the week of his birthday which would have been the 15th-19th, but he couldn't get a flight out. So, he booked the 8th-12th. Then one day it hit me that I could use my points (which by the way, I've never redeemed so I had ALOT) to buy Wes a ticket to fly out there with him. Well, it turned out I also had enough to book a hotel and a rental car and now all he needs to do is pay for his food and of course entrance fees to anywhere they decide to go sightseeing. And believe it or not Wes is sitting right beside him on the flight there and back. That was amazing how that worked out!

Plus, what is so cool is that if Nicolas had booked the week of his birthday Wes could not have joined him because he had his MRI and doctor's appointment that week and if he had gone a week earlier it wouldn't have worked because that would have been this week and Wes is taking his chemo which he wouldn't want to do out there. I'm pretty sure God had this planned long before any of us did.

It took me awhile to convince Wes that he deserved to go and so to put his heart at ease I called his boss in Winnipeg to confirm that Monarch would be OK with a substitute driver for the week. Of course they were just fine with it and said so quite clearly.

I figure it this way. Every time there is an opportunity for Wes to make extra special memories with their dad, why in the world wouldn't I try to make that happen. Because in the long run, what will Nicolas remember? That his dad drove truck without any extra holidays or that he had an amazing special time alone with his dad in Toronto...hmmm...I think that's what they call a no brainer!

"To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen." Jude 1:24-25