By Gates (Pam) Johnson
Tomorrow morning at o’dark thirty I will be off to the hospital for my hopefully first and last cancer surgery.
Seems like it has been a long journey to get here, but in reality it has been about two months, give or take. Those months have been filled with super highs and super lows. Things that had been planned before the diagnosis had to be completed. New things had to be scheduled. Routines had to be kept the same and yet changed. It has been a learning experience.
My kitchen remodel was completed, but work on the deck had been scheduled. Materials were ordered. Old deck boards and stairs were getting worse by the day. The job had to be done, and so it was job forward.
One good thing about having an ongoing construction project right out my back door was it was a huge distraction. When left to myself, it was easy to fall into the “poor me” headspace. One can only cry so many tears before they become boring. So, I would cry a bit, then buck up and keep on moving.
The new TimberTech deck boards are beautiful. The crew removed benches from the old deck, which seemed to add a lot of square footage. As they were finishing the project, the wisteria on the trellis over my deck came in full bloom. The whole thing is glorious. I plan to spend a good portion of my recovery in a chaise lounge on the deck under the wisteria, sipping an ice-cold lemonade and reading a good biography.
Oh, if anyone has a good read to recommend, let me know.
An unexpected positive that surfaced was my Island family circled the wagons around me. Of course, my relatives are uber supportive, but friendships that grew apart came back together. Friends I haven’t seen or talked to in a few years stepped up and offered support: a place to recover if needed, watering the garden, making broth as I will be on a liquid diet for some time, running errands, just calling and keeping in touch to see how I am doing. It is amazing!
My pool pals threw me a party last week. A very good friend is worried about me losing a lot of weight. (The doctor told me to eat and drink everything I wanted before surgery. He said that was the only time a doctor would ever tell me that.) Sharon planned a “Fatten Gates Up” dessert-only party. The desserts overflowed. Sandie thought to bring to-go containers so everyone could take home some delights. And so many people showed up to support me! I am still dumbfounded.
My daughter-in-law will take me to the hospital. My son will pick me up when I am discharged. My nephew and niece will take care of my house. My daughter will keep everyone appraised of my recovery. My best friend from high school will be on a liquid diet as long as I am. My heart is full.
This is short because there are about eight million things to get done today. The lists are long, but things are getting checked off. Early dinner. Nothing to eat or drink after midnight, except a small sip of water to take morning meds. Two anti-bacterial showers to take.
With luck, I will actually get a little sleep. Then tomorrow, off to the races.
