Florida bound: we are on the road again! With a plethora of test scheduled for next week, we hit the road Friday afternoon for the journey south. ‘Why not fly’, a good friend said to me this week. While flying would get it there “lickety-split,” there is a sense of relaxation in the drive.
In the hustle and bustle of care-giving, advocacy, work, family commitments and the such, time tends to fly by without notice. ‘The drive, while annoying at times, allows us to have great conversations free of distractions. I find driving to be relaxing and as all caregivers (should) know, when you have a chance to find some times to relax…take it!
Speaking of relaxing, I had the opportunity to take in a hockey game this past week. As an avid hockey fan and former season ticket holder, I have not had the opportunity to attend many games in person over the past few years. Yet I was treated to a game this week between the St. Louis Blues and the Detroit Red Wings. Out of all the sports I played as a kid, ice hockey was by far the most fun. (Must be the Canadian in me!) I grew to love the sport at an early age when the NHL expanded to 16 teams in the late sixties. Still waiting for our first Stanley Cup; I’ll always be true to our boys in Blue! 
The night at the hockey game reminded me about how important it is for caregivers to find some ‘me’ time. While it is an honor to be a caregiver, to be on the top of your game, you have to care for yourself, too. Attending the hockey game was a treat and it allowed me to relax, enjoy and refresh. Often times as caregivers we forget to care for our self; if we can’t care for ourselves, how can we care for the one we care for?
This is not to say that “The Little One” did not have his time in the spotlight this week. One of his most difficult decisions this week was to decide what Phosphate to have at Dr. Jazz Soda Fountain and Grill in Webster Groves, MO. Decisions, Decisions… Why not have…both!
As we motor down the road this weekend to Florida, we will jump right into some important medical test on Monday. The second PET Scan is scheduled for Monday morning at 9:30 am. The PET Scan will give us with a clear picture of how the radiation and chemotherapy attached the cancer cells; we will have the results by the end of the week. While ‘The Little One’ has shown great improvement over these past six weeks, we are anxious to learn what the next part of our care plan will be as we move forward to defeat this disease.
Just as we both have had choices to make this week about mundane things like attending hockey games or what flavor of Phosphate to have; we also have choices to make on our care plan as we move forward with beating this cancer. No matter what the results are this week from the PET Scan or other medical test we endure this week; we still have choices in our care. Having a care-giver or better yet, having cancer does not take away from our ability to make choices. Independence and personal choices are essential components in order to age gracefully. No one should be denied the ability to make their own choices, yet to make the best possible choices in our lives, we have the have the pertinent information at our disposal. Hence the need for the follow-up test next week.
We embrace the upcoming week with anticipation knowing that we will have the ability to make choices that will fit into the needs of “The Little One.” Without choices, there is no independence…without independence, there is no hope. While we can’t control the outcome of the results, we can control how we respond of the results! It is through the ability to make choices that we gain our independence from the cancer, no matter what the outcome might be. 
The Purple Jacket 