Odds and Ends

A couple of things came to mind recently that I'm not really sure where they fit in the timeline but are worth writing about.

Water
From the second chemo on I had an obsession with water.  A very, very frequent daydream of mine (especially when the meds kicked in) was standing in the backyard with a garden hose just letting the water run over my head.  Brita or someone had a commercial running about that time that follows a drop of water over a waterfall, into a lake and then filtering down to an underground aquifier.  I was convinced it was some of the greatest footage ever placed on film and was almost moved to tears.  A friend of Robin's had suggested I spray Willard's Water on my neck (HIGHLY Recommended!) to aid in the healing process.  It is a concentrate that we diluted and placed in a spray bottle.  I would sit on the couch and periodically spray my neck and eventually even my shaved head.  It was almost a spriritual experience.  I haven't discussed this with any of my support group friends to see if they had a similar experience.  I am probably just wierd.

The Rangers
I had started treatment in March and things had started getting interesting in April which happens to be the start of baseball season.  I have been a baseball fan most of my adult life and roughly split my emotions between the Astros, the team of my youth and the Rangers, my hometown club.  Once I was unable to work, there was eating, sleeping, and baseball and that was about it.  I was always working towards seeing the next game.  If I was having a bad day, I would look at the schedule and know all I had to do was make it to 7:30 and then I could watch the game.  They didn't even know it but they helped me through some rough times.

Prayers
I know I had a post relating to a specific spiritual event during treatment but there are a few other things that happened that bear repeating.  Later in treatment when my neck was nasty and I didn't have much of a voice, I put a fly fishing rod on Craigslist.  It had gone a couple of weeks and I finally had an email wanting more info.  The guy and I swapped several email and text messages until he had gotten serious enough that he wanted to see the rod.  The appointed day arrived and as luck would have it was stormy as all get out.  Lightning everywhere and a driving rain that would come and go.  I texted the guy back and told him I was pretty sure he didn't want to wave a 10' fiberglass rod over his head in this weather.  He was committed and we agreed to meet in a Lowes parking lot.  He brought a friend who was an experienced fly fisherman (the guy I had been texting was just learning) who brought a reel and strung the rod.  He cast in the rain storm for about 10 minutes and told his friend it was a very good rod and worth my asking price.  As we were finishing the transaction, he asked "If you don't mind me asking, what is wrong with your neck?"  I told him about the cancer and treatment.  Then he says, "My friend and I are pastors at The Village Church in Lewisville.  Can we pray for you?"  So he, his friend, Robin and I held hands in a circle in a driving rain in front of a Lowe's as the two pastors prayed for us.

One day we were in a Quiktrip getting iced tea and as Robin opened her wallet to pay, several business cards fell to the floor.  I bent over and picked up a few as did a man with a small child who was in line behind us.  I thanked him in my raspy voice and we walked to the car.  As Robin reached for the door handle, I felt a tug on my sleeve.  It was the guy with the kid who had been behind us in line.  "I don't know what is wrong with your voice but I feel like I am meant to pray with you.  Would that be OK?"  Once again we are in a circle in a parking lot with people we don't know listening to them pray for Robin and I.

It made me think of how many times I had a fleeting thought of praying for someone I had seen somewhere.  I had always been too busy or too scared of being embarrassed or rejected so I just kept moving. 

Weezy
Weezy is my oldest son, Alex's dog.  When Alex moved back home from Austin, Weezy came back with him.  We are dog people.  All of us.  The last few years before the twins moved to Abilene for school, they worked at a large dog boarding house in Southlake.  Robin and I even helped out during the holidays if they were short people.  As an aside, I will forever treasure the times when my entire family was working together.  What an amazing gift!  Back to Weezy...  I don't mind if dogs sleep on my bed as long as they are on top of the covers and at my feet.  I'm asleep anyway and they dont bother me.  Well, for several weeks (months?) before my diagnosis Weezy had tried to sleep on top of my head.  Not near my head, on top of it.  He would sniff my head and neck.  It was not allowed and it was driving me crazy.  He is a very good dog and is usually very obediant.  At some point we just decided he had turned wierd.  Between my second and third chemo, he suddenly moved back to the foot of the bed.  It was several days later before Robin and I put 2 and 2 together.  Could Weezy have smelled or sensed the tumor?  We have all seen the stories on the news and it is not a particularly rare phenominon.  I am convinced that was the case.

Unfortunately, now no one wants Weezy to sleep with them.