Status update: I was discharged from the hospital this morning, and am now staying at the Hope Lodge for the next couple of weeks (at least). Although I have been released from the hospital proper, I still have to appear at the hospital every day at 6:45 am (ugh) for testing and examination. That's the hard part. The easy part is the Hope Lodge!
This place is run by the American Cancer Society, and lets cancer patients and their caregivers stay free of charge while they are being treated. It is three 100 year old row houses, connected on the inside. It has 18 guest rooms, a large dining room, three industrial kitchens, and numerous sitting rooms. Each bedroom has their own dedicated refrigerator and freezer space, as well as a lockable pantry. Not that you HAVE to cook for yourself, because on many nights, volunteer groups bring food in. Tonight, Bank of America brought spaghetti and meatballs, with tossed salad and Texas Toast. (I ate two helpings of salad. Shush... don't tell my wife!)
My personal favorite space is one of the sitting rooms, with a comfortable recliner, coffee table, sofa, and three overstuffed chairs. Its peaceful solitude is interrupted only by on occasional passing motorcycle or ambulance siren. The Dining Room is the social center, with a chessboard, keyboard, guitar, and large TV. (I wrote the song Unexpected Surprises a month ago at one of those tables using that very guitar!)
Other rooms have huge jigsaw puzzles, games, and books-- many ways to spend the time while your loved one is being treated. One of the most popular rooms is the large screened in back porch. There seems to be almost always someone out there. This place isn't home, but it has the amenities of home combined with the camaraderie potential of a small resort. If you WANT to be Miss Social, this is the place! Alternatively, if you want to hide and talk to NOBODY, (Me), this is also the place!
Physically, I feel almost normal. I am more fatigued than I want to be, but yesterday was the worst I have felt the whole time I was here. This promoted them to keep me until today. And the Nurse Practitioner told me that she had expected me to feel that way EVERY day, instead of just yesterday. So thank you everyone who has been praying-- it made such a difference!
Today has been a good day. My mother picked me up at the hospital and we went straight to the Hope Lodge to settle in. After the grand tour, we went to lunch, had a coffee date, and visited a couple of bookstores. I have been working on my first book, and my publisher asked me to go to bookstores and pick out some book cover styles I like. The first bookstore was Barnes and Noble, and they had some cool covers, but the really amazing visit was at the Christian Bookstore. It was actually inside a church, and we had an amazing time talking with the woman working there. She and her husband are familiar with our neighborhood (2 1/2 half hours drive away!), and even frequent Fish Camp, the seafood restaurant at the end of our street. What a small world! We swapped God Stories, and she asked me to bring a few copies of my book for review when it was published. Nice!
In short, All is well. Thanks for all the love and support you have shown me and my family. I deeply appreciate it.
Blessings!
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