<p>yeah, you gotta watch that sense of humor thing with docs. My dear old Papa, after having extensive surgery on one of his arms to remove a cancerous tumor asked the doc if he would be able to play piano. Doc said yes. Papa said that was great because he never could before (he was in his 80’s at the time, I believe).</p>
<p>Old joke, I know, but the doc never saw it coming!</p>
<p>My vote: keep the sense of humor; loose as many of the drugs as reason and your excellent team will allow. Have a wonderful homecoming and a great week!</p>
<p>A dear friend was in the hospital being treated for another kind of cancer. PhD in English Lit that she was, one day she was gazing up at the ceiling and reciting Jabberwocky for her daughter. The nursing staff overheard and noted on her chart that she was “no longer lucid” and appeared to be hallucinating. :D</p>
<p>Best wishes for a good today today and that your transistion to home goes smoothly. Hope one of your caregivers has arranged for a stock of those purple socks too!</p>
<p>LTS- have you considered sharing this site with your DD. Knowing that she is living back in FL and knowing she must worry about you what with being so far away and hoping you have good care. Would seeing the amazing support you get, 24/7 from this site be reassuring to her? I know I have elderly in-laws far away and knowing they had any involvement in something supportive would be such a relief for me.</p>
<p>I know you know your DD best and have your reasons for keeping your worlds separate, but perhaps there will be a time when you want to mix them?</p>
<p>LTS - I second somemom’s suggestion of telling your DD about your CC family. Not only because it might give her comfort to know how much support you have here, but also so she can see the impact you have had on countless others. She will not only be immensely proud, but it gives you yet another opportunity to teach her by example. (I know she’s 24, but we moms never really give up the teacher role, do we?)</p>
<p>When I was having a bone marrow biopsy years ago, they gave me a delightful mix of IV drugs. As we were waiting for them to take effect, the doc and nurse kept asking me if I was feeling anything.</p>
<p>In what felt like a very-helpful-piece-of-information I informed them that, “No, I don’t feel anything, but I think you should know your ceiling tiles are dancing.”</p>
<p>I swear it felt like it made perfect sense.</p>
<p>I had just had abdominal surgery. Laughing was definitely contra-indicated. So said my surgeon to my H. The result was that a friend came bearing a book that was guaranteed “not to make you laugh.” :(</p>
<p>MaryTN,
That is so funny! For my first bone marrow biopsy, I told the doc that he must be using a corkscrew to pull out the sample. He laughed so hard he had to stop what he was doing and regain his composure. </p>
<p>(Took two years before I got good IV drugs, though!)</p>
<p>A 7th centruy Chinese poem by Wang Wei on coming home.</p>
<p>“As the years go by, give me but peace,
Freedom from ten thousand matters.
I ask myself and always answer:
What can be better than coming home?
A wind from the pine-trees blows my sash,
And my lute is bright with the mountain moon.
You ask me about good and evil fortune?..
Hark, on the lake there’s a fisherman singing!”</p>
<p>I have long ignored this topic - not sure why - just did not pay any attention to it. Well, I started reading on Saturday - and after dipping in, decided I had to go from the beginning to end. </p>
<p>Saturday night I was up until 3 AM reading this string - and today have skipped a full days work just to get to the current posts.</p>
<p>What an amazing tale. I emerge from the process of reading it with the greatest of admiration for your strength, incredible sense of humor and your determination. My reading habits on CC will now change- I’ll be coming here first - and thinking and praying for you always.</p>
