Another day at Emory’s Winship Cancer Center is in the books.
It was an uneventful visit, though we are grateful for that. Deana’s hemoglobin was 12.1 – a very good
number. I am attributing it to the spinach I put in the omelet I made her
Sunday morning. She says there wasn’t enough in there to make that much of a
difference, and truth be told, she’s probably right.
People express sympathy that Deana has to fly in every three
weeks and they question whether there will be a day where Deana can get this
treatment closer to home. We appreciate that concern; however, let us assure
you, we are all so very thankful that Deana is being treated at Emory.
From the moment we arrive Deana is treated like royalty. The
staff who handle check in are always friendly and we are then met by the
wonderful Michelle, who offers a warm blanket and escorts us back to the
clinical trials area. We walk through
the door and Keino yells an enthusiastic “Pittsburgh!” (She also tells Deana she loves her when we
leave.) Alvin, one of the selfless volunteers, comes by with a cart overflowing
with snacks and lets us have as many as we want.
Deana and Colleen pepper talk of children in between all the
official questions and exam. (Yesterday we were glad to see Hannah, who fills
in when Colleen is out.) Coordinator extraordinaire Kathy was on vacation, but
she sent Jennifer to take care of the details – and although we are BIG Kathy
fans, Jennifer was terrific too.
In between Kathy and Colleen’s visits, we are cared for an
excellent team of nurses. Yesterday we had Tina, whose daughter is a high
school senior – she and Deana traded war stories of going through that
experience. It is homecoming season, after all. Carrie always provides the best
restaurant recommendations and she and Deana entertain one another with stories
of the Housewives shows.
Sometimes we see one of the doctors working on the trial but
often we do not. And sometimes we see Melanie, who plays an essential role in
keeping Dr. Lonial’s trials running smoothly. We give a big thank you to
Melanie for sending Katherine to see us so Deana could ask some questions
regarding new charges that are appearing on her bills.
On Saturday October 1, I participated in the Winship 5K
which proved an inspiring way to start my day. This event raises money to
support the outstanding research taking place – research which is critical to
keeping Deana with us. Many of the Emory team were still talking about their
experiences at the race. I hope Deana will be able to be in town for it next
year.
This is the reality of cancer treatment. It really isn’t
glamorous. There’s a lot of sitting around, waiting. The challenges with
insurance seem to never end. Yet, all of it is made better by the Winship team,
full of caring professionals who take exceptional care of my sister. In this
season of Thanksgiving, my gratitude for them cannot be adequately captured in
words.
I am also very thankful for the love and support of Peter’s
Aunt Anne, who continues to host Deana in her home. There is no telling what
mischief those two are getting into while I am writing this. You know you’ve
married well when that part of your family treats your sister as one of their
own.
Deana has specifically requested a shout out to our fellow
Aggie, Butch, who, at the Pittsburgh A&M Club game watch party on Saturday
told her that he follows the caringbridge site religiously. Butch – a big
Whoop! for you. We also got a smile out of the caringbridge post from Libby, a
fellow MM warrior who knows that we are Aggies and sent a message to tell us
how happy she was that A&M beat Tennessee on Saturday. We are thrilled at
the success our beloved team is experiencing this season and hope that it will
continue. However, we must emphasize that our love of A&M transcends the
activities on the gridiron. It is a profoundly special place to us.
I just returned from taking Deana to the airport and now we’ll
each get back to our daily lives for 19 days. Then she’ll be back and the cycle
will repeat. I’m so pleased to be back in Georgia so that I can fulfill my
duties as team captain in the manner I prefer. I must also note that Deana is
not happy with my photo from yesterday and requested that I crop it, which I
have not done. Be advised that she is wearing a huge sweatshirt and is not as
large as she appears in the picture.
As always, I close with tremendous thanks for the continued
love and support. The journey continues…
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