EVEN THE CRICKETS ARE QUIET

It is 4:21 ..  AM..  and I am awake.  I was asleep but my Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) kicked in.  Bless its heart!  I was asleep.  Now I am awake.  And even the crickets are quiet.  That is okay because I have news.

CALL ME JOB UPDATE — June 24, 2022 blog

June

• The specialist implanted a screw in my jaw

July

• Surgery to remove the tumor
• Tests on the tumor showed clean edges
• Surgery to test the lymph nodes was scheduled

August

• Surgery to remove lymph node
• Tests on lymph node negative

September

• New air conditioner
• Garage door spring broke
• Cancer team decision was that I would not need chemo or radiation
• I started on an anti-estrogen pill and can announce:

MATILDA HAS LEFT MY BODY

When I was diagnosed with cancer, I named that little tumor Matilda.  Why Matilda? I don’t know.  The name just popped into my head.  It is great to know Matilda is gone, but the word cancer changes your life.  Matilda has left but while she was here, she created months of worry and unending waiting.  Matilda is gone, but we are changed.

We realize, once again, that life is fragile and valuable.  We know that stress is exhausting and even one day of waiting feels like an eternity.  We researched to help understand words we did not want to hear and to be an advocate for our decisions.  At each visit, surgery, and receiving test results, we hoped for the best, but were prepared for the worst.  We are thankful for doctors and nurses who are compassionate and skilled.  The most important thing we did was asking for and accepting the prayers of family, friends, and strangers.  We felt those prayers as we worked to evict Matilda.

So many hear words that change lives: Diabetes, Stroke, Diseases of the Heart, Respiratory, Kidney, Spine, and Liver, Alzheimer’s, Cancer, and way too many others to list.  Each of our journeys is different.  Some seem fairly easy and some have been long and hard.  But for each, a life was changed.  But sometimes, yes, sometimes we hear those wonderful words: Matilda has left your body.

It is now 5:36 AM and the crickets are awake.  My leg has settled down.  The alarm will go off shortly.  I should have told Matilda to take the RLS with her.  Hindsight is always perfect.