You Gotta Have Friends

This Monday morning finds us back in the waiting room of the imaging center as Phil has yet another MRI. I've lost count but he must be nearing number 10 or so. Today's scan includes the brain, orbits and sinuses and we're looking at the edema and inflammation to see if it has resolved and of course, getting a read on the Mucor in the basal ganglia to see how it is responding to the increased dosing of Ambisome.


Our family had a great visit this past few days with Jason Mayer, a good friend from WA who flew down to hang with us and enjoy some fantastic weather. Paradise I think he called it.  We met him on Friday morning at the San Diego Zoo and he got to experience first hand how odd our lives have become with all this cancer business. First of all, Phil was wearing his Walgreens Home Health fanny pack with his Ambisone mobile IV in it. Secondly, he had to caution Jason not to bear hug him because of the port in his chest! Jason gave his bear hugs to Bennett and Olivia and I instead, fo shizzle! Lastly, before we could go into the zoo, Phil had to meet his nurse at the entrance and have a blood draw. He proceeded to climb into her Mercury SUV and stealthily get a few tubes of blood taken from his port. The nurse preferred that he do it alone - it was all very hush hush and kind of bizarre. Like a drug deal but legit. Welcome to our life Jason!  He rolled with it like a champ.


We had a great day at the zoo and Phil did awesome. The temperature was in the high 70's, the kids ran amuk, ate ice cream, saw tons of cool animals and decided the monitor lizard was the highlight. As Jason would soon see however, the Piper has to be paid. Saturday's plan to meet us for breakfast turned into a late lunch because Phil was so wiped out from the big day before. The funny thing was, after our late lunch, I found both of them asleep on the couch!! Jason maintains he was "supporting" Phil but I wonder.... He was a great guest and spoiled us with dinners, did some chores for us and basically rolled along at our pace. Olivia latched onto him immediately and cried alligator tears when he left!


On Saturday night Phil's Edgewood High School Class of 1980 had their 30th reunion in Pittsburgh and took the opportunity to Skype with him.  We dialed in the call and were quite surprised with what we saw ~ Richard McKenna et al in his mother's basement, apparently "just like the old days"!  Unfortunately, there were problems with the reservation at Foli's so the McKenna's became the place to be.  Classic!!  Oh yes, there was Rich's mother too, partying with the crew and saying hello to "dear Philip" and admonishing him to "get well soon because we've all been praying for you".  She was so sweet and sincere and represents everything I love about his hometown and his small high school and the close knit bunch of yahoos they are!!  You must know this is said with the most love you can imagine and not some slanderous slur.  


These "yahoos" have done so much for my family, you have no idea.  They have sent out the battle cry to all corners of this country, set up our cleaning service, inundated us with books, letters and gifts and many are supporting us financially.  They have come out of the woodwork to support Phil, the skateboarding-Ted Nugent loving-tennis playing-acting-swimming-running-joking guy they knew and loved in high school.  The call gave him lots to laugh about and was excellent medicine in it's own right.  These are very good people.


The rest of this week has us following up with Dr. Ghosh and Dr. Kossman for next steps regarding the MRI results.  We've got teacher conferences for the kids and my best friends Tricia and Cherylyn are coming from Washington for a long overdue visit.  I plan on relaxing at the spa, going clubbing one night with my ladies and getting in as much girlfriend time as possible in between the demands of my regular life.  It's going to be crazy but that's the only way we're gonna gitter done.  Bring it!