Friday, August 14, 2009

End of Week 5

The big news is that we are done with chemo. Doctor decided that 5 weeks was sufficient so the hub is unplugged and anxious to get back to aerobatic flying.

He has three more radiation treatments; they call this ‘coning down.’ So, on Wednesday, when that is finished, the staff hosts a ceremony where the hub gets to ring a bell and they will all applaud. After that, Mike has new lab work and then a meeting with his oncologist on Monday, August 24.

The boys headed back to San Antonio on Tuesday, arriving late Wednesday. And yes, the house is quiet. It’s also a little less cluttered (not their fault…we just gave up) and now I’m going room to room cleaning. I mean serious cleaning…I’m scrubbing baseboards with a toothbrush and repainting chips. One room down and in the middle of the second room.

Over the years since we moved into our home, there have been times when we shook our heads over all the room we weren’t using. Then, there have been times when the house is full to overflowing and we’re thankful for the space to welcome. With the fall coming, we may be filling up again so this might be the last time for awhile that I scrub so deeply. I reason that I can’t clean around bodies.

At Mike’s doctors’ encouragement, we are actually looking at a few trips in September. Mike wants to go back to Gettysburg. Zack has never been there. Apparently, you can rent horses and a guide, and trot along the tree line. I’ll be waving from the car. That cruise may actually happen. There are a few still left in September.

The question on many minds is “How’s Mike?”

Right now, he’s good. No, make that great, with the tubes disconnected. He’s tan and busy, eating well, riding his mountain bike, finishing up the desk, starting on the matching chair. It’s so easy to slip into the fantasy that the doctors were wrong and he’ll continue to heal. Was it all a mistake? A dream? Alas, no. But for now, we can put the illness far away in the corners of our brains.

He and Zack were doing something yesterday in the garage with the transmission of the Lotus. “Something” involved hoisting part of it up with a cherry picker and then trying to fit another part to the bottom. They ended up with ONE piece of metal contraption so I guess they were successful in part. However, this thing is not ‘in’ the car now. It is resting sideways on the garage floor. Don’t know. Didn’t ask.

My mom, who lives in Melbourne, Fl, turns 86 on 8/24. She's flying up at the end of the month. Between our families, we have a bunch of birthdays that week. INCLUDING one Michael Bolinger, who will turn 58 on 8/29. Each year, on that date, I am no longer the older woman in his life.

Every January, I fill out our calendar for the year, noting birthdays and anniversaries. I’m not too good at sending cards but I do ‘think about’ the person/persons on the special day. In May, when Mike’s surgeon told him to come home and connect with hospice, we did not think we would celebrate his next birthday. Strange to type that.

SO, August 29 will be party day at the lake. We’re going to have a pitch in kind of thing around 7 PM, as even friendly Lake People don’t want to miss the sun. If you are within driving distance and want to come, come. I mean it. If we ‘plan’ (this is the lake you know) for 20 and 50/500 show up, we’ll just run to Kroger’s for more stuff. No presents, please. The Guest of Honor has been given the ultimate gift and you can’t top it.

If you are one of our friends from far away and/or you won’t make the lake, know that we will be celebrating and thanking God for His goodness.

If you would like to send the hub a card or note or something, you can mail (remember mail?) to our PO Box or if you know our home address, you can send it there.

Daughter Delight told me that I should be slow to share personal info on my blog. I guess that same caution should be used for our address, so the PO Box is in place should anyone wants to send Mike a note.

Bolinger
PO Box 0582
Kokomo, IN
46903-0582

Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise Him all creatures here below
Praise Him above all heavenly host
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Amen

1 comment:

  1. still following your posts and praying for you daily....sounds like it has been a fairly good summer..hi to your sisters!! duffi

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