So how, you might ask, did these appointments with a sarcoma specialist, radiation oncologist, cardiac MRI, and thoracic surgeon arise with such expediency as to literally take place, overnight? The answer to that question points directly to love.
Will and I have loved David’s best friend as we would a fourth son, since he was in utero—his mother and father being two of our dearest friends. And over these past four decades, David’s bestie has declared us his second parents, countless times, just as our sons see him as another brother. At any rate, this adorable child grew up to become an Orthopaedic surgeon, like Will, and he practices medicine within the same clinic as the specialists referenced above. And here’s where love and the immediacy of my appointments with specialists, who work together as a team, intersect:
We love David’s best friend; he loves us; and the specialists, revering him, both professionally and personally, replied to his request to see us ASAP by fitting my plight into their busy schedules, immediately —And this brief explanation exemplifies the power of the universal spirit being naturally enhanced by the spiritually uplifting reality of a circle of love in which the purity of community is clearly beheld. Have I mentioned Will’s nickname for son #4? Ever since preschool, Will has affectionately called him, Butchy-Boy. Why? Who remembers why this or that seemed appropriate at an earlier stage in life. My closest friends in high school called me Hilda Goopie.
After listening closely to everything the sarcoma oncologist had to say, yesterday, Will, being a retired surgeon, feels confident in this doctor’s expertise, and my spirit felt buoyed by the kind hearted, gentle patience shown by Dr S as I asked question after question. Dr. S also made certain that my case was included in a tumor conference, held that very same afternoon.
Upon returning home from yesterday’s appointment, which offered my spirit sound reason to strengthen based in the depths of my appreciation of my good fortune to place each step forward within Dr. S’s competent hands, David, Ravi and my bestie (who Will has nicknamed Andreas), awaited our arrival. Ravi set the pace by deciding we would play royalty, so upon declaring herself Queen of Ice, Elsa, her majesty deemed David, King of Wolves, while I, lying across the foot of my bed so as to rest while ‘participating’ in the antics staged before me on the expanse of the carpeted floor, was crowned Queen of Flowers.
As to Andreas, who had lovingly taken note of how happy I was to have received carmel apples from another dear friend, surprised me with three more carmel apples, suggesting that our heartfelt appetite for offering solace to our loved ones, during trying times, expresses itself in countless ways.
When the Queen of Ice declared the King of Wolves to have wolf breath, she turned toward me to direct The Queen of Flowers to wave my magic wand (we all held one) while conjuring up toothpaste made of flowers, and upon brushing his teeth with my magical concoction, the King of Wolves was happy to hear that he smelled sweet. Then, Queen Elsa, opening her heart-shaped jewelry box, sorted through several pairs of plastic clip-on earrings, each of which held, a plastic pearl of one color or another dangling below earlobe level, followed by handing them, pair by pair, to each adult (inclusive of her Uncle David and Papa Will) along with matching rings, which having been sized for kids, sparkled half way down our fingers, followed by graciously instructing her loyal subjects to attach the earrings, which we held in our palms, to our ears.
And thus can you see why I (having spent yesterday morning in the company of compassionate medical expertise followed by a very merry afternoon in which an almost-five-year-old imagination charmed the adults into one fanciful adventure after another), felt my spirit buoyed naturally on the wings of love, one wing being fueled with flights of laughter while the other levitates on hope.
Today, we attended my appointment with one of the sarcoma specialist’s colleagues, the radiology oncologist, Dr. A, and once again my spirit felt reassured, concerning my course of treatment, which was discussed and decided upon during yesterday’s tumor conference.
As the tumor is pressing against my heart, Monday sees me scheduled for a cardiac MRI, because there’s some concern as to whether the lining of my heart is already involved, and I’ll meet with the thoracic surgeon next Wed., (who, depending upon the findings of Monday’s cardiac MRI, may have us meet with the cardiac surgeon, who is also an active member of this medical team’s brain trust—so when asked how I’m feeling, my reply continues to convey the depths of my spirit’s positively focused sense of good fortune, which, at every turn in the road, thus far, has been inspired to feel ever more reassured upon finding my whole self held within good hands, all around, being that, right from the start, each of these specialists demonstrates a heartfelt interest in participating proactively with my recovery, which is why my heightened level of patience remains intact as each tomorrow turns into today, overnight.
Tonight, yet another couple, dear friends, are bringing Italian to share with us, and tomorrow we plan to enjoy breakfast with deeply loved cousins, who are in town for a brief stay in celebration of a wedding.
On Saturday, another treasured friend is coming (with her husband) to clean out my kitchen cabinets, knowing that I can’t part with anything (or anyone) I’d ever valued. Annie, it’ll do you good to get rid of stuff! And since she harbors no reason to feel defensive in my presence, this life long friend has come to know me well. So, since I’m to do no more than sit down, relax and say yay or nay, I laughed and replied, Sure! Why not!
And now, with lots to look forward to, ‘tis time to end this post and thank God for the blue sky above as well as the fun weekend planned with loved ones, directly ahead.
🌈🌻Annie
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