Dancing and mourning

We went to Chemotherapy yesterday.

I'm going to start with the mourning and end with the dancing... because it's the way it happened, AND because it's nice to have something positive to move to.

Chemo was another 8 1/2 hour day. There weren't very many people there, a few port flushes came in but not many. We found out that one of the women passed on Monday. It was the wife of the couple I spoke of earlier. Chemo affects everyone hard, but for her, she got it all and then some. Every side effect mentioned, she suffered from. It's hard to lose "one of our own." I'm in the club now, because I have a vested interest. And because of my pink doughnut box. :)

Thoughts and prayers go out to Marlene's family in this time, and especially surround her husband as he is dealing with this loss AND still fighting his battle with the C word.

Lord, at this time I lift up Marlene's family, that they may see the blessing in her passing. That they may rejoice that she is safe in Your arms, not hurting, or being sick anymore. Please wrap Your arms around her husband, that he may find strength in You and not give up his fight with this sickness. Lord, losing a fellow cancer patient bring a sense of loss and pain and defeat into our recliner community. Please restore the hearts of those still battling as well. In the sweet name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

Now for the dancing. Later in the afternoon our friend Sam came in to be taken off of his pump. Sam was a football player "back in the day" and you can still see how strong he was. He ALWAYS has a smile on his face, and makes the most of everyday.

As soon as he was taken off his pump he bee-lined toward the doughnuts and then sat and chatted for a bit. I mentioned that he almost did a jig when he was finally un-plugged. Sam said he couldn't dance, then immediately said he could, but not now. Teasing, I said,"Come on Sam,show us!" And he did. I saw him hesitate, and I worried for a minute that he was too tired, but soon he had found a song he liked and started busting a move! He danced well. The nurse who hooks us all the IV's and changes the medicine and such missed the dance and between the 2 of us we got Sam to dance one more time.

I know he was tired, but I think the thought of NOT dancing was like saying he couldn't. He found the energy and did it, just so Cancer didn't have the final say. I didn't feel guilty yesterday, I visited, and laughed, and made other people laugh, and of course, brought the pink box. I've added a picture of the recliners and if you look on the desk, you can see the pink box of doughnuts that we brought. Just enough brightness to make people smile.

Regards, Jen