Have you smelled a rose today?

I would ask all of you who are reading this post to please say a prayer for Sarah and especially Walker (my grandson) who are in Dallas to visit yet another doctor. Let us hope that through this man, our Lord can give some relief to the whole Hughes family. Pray that the doctor can find Walker's real diagnosis.

At 8am this morning I was told I could go home. At 8:30am I was told I was not going home until after lunch. Guess they wanted me to have some more of their wonderful food. But the good news is that I have left the tower and am now sitting in my home, snug as a bug.

It was amazing to really see the outside world for the first time in 7 days. The trees blooming, apple blossoms everywhere. Seeing people going about their daily lives. As Lucille was driving me home, I came to realize that in fact I am a cancer survivor and that my life has and will be changed forever. But it also makes me appreciate life, each breath I take, each picture I tried to embed in my mind. I have two weeks to gather my strength for the next round of chemo. I expect to work less but more efficiently, sleep more to allow my body to do its job.

As I walked into our home, my two dogs nearly knocked me down. (one weighs 2 1/2 # and the other 5#) But after being here for a couple of hours they have settled down to their normal routine. I did some work this afternoon between naps and Lucille fixed a great dinner. While I did not clean my plate, my stomach ached for good food.

I cannot thank everyone enough for all the support and help but I want to single out Grammy today. She has helped saving me many hours of time and as a good Samaritan, she expects nothing in return. I certainly will not be able to repay all the efforts of those around me, but what really touches my heart is that the support is there, no questions asked.

The day is about done, I am free of my lifeline for the last two weeks. No more walking a pole to the bathroom, no pulling at the chest as I roll over in bed wrong. I will not miss the two hour wake up calls. I get to sleep in a real bed tonight and take a shower without being taped up to keep my port dry. The day has been good. One down and one full chemo treatment to go. And then radiation.

Yes, I am a cancer survivor and each day I wake up filled with thanksgiving to our Lord because I am one day closer to getting rid of this demon. As I have stated previously this experience has made me slow down and smell the roses. Have you done that today?

P.S. I did find my clothes......