Random thoughts!

Written 3/31/11 (but no signal to post so will show up at 4/1/11)

One of the blessings of any journey is the people that cross your path.  

I was sitting in the family kitchen of our floor at MD making a pot of coffee tonight and waiting to hear if Kristy was still up.  A young woman came in to pop corn and her shoulders were a bit stooped and her face was tired.  As you know, I can talk to a wall . . . so the conversation began.  

Long story short:  she is a resident wanting to go into peds or family practice.  She is taking a leave for the months of March and April to care for her mother who began her chemo today before her  bone marrow transplant on April 7. 

  

She is tired!  She is worried for her mother and also as to how she will care for her mother when she leaves the hospital.  You see, when a patient leaves MD after the transplant, they are to have someone with them 24/7.  In discharge class today (want to be ready whenever this day comes!) the statement was made several times, that if there are things you need/want to do once our patient is discharged, then do it when they are in the one of the clinics getting blood/platelets or waiting on lab and results!!! 

I asked her what surprised her most about this process called med-school, residence & her journey.  She pondered, went somewhere very deep within herself and after what seemed like an hour directed her warm eyes into the past and spoke of a patient who had breast cancer without insurance and what she went thru to help her get thru the system.  Then she spoke of another and another until her eyes were filled with tears of compassion and concern.  She was most surprised about her emotion for each patient and not just in treating the diagnosis!

That precious, glorified spirit before me was already a  "physician"!!!  She had passed the title of 'doctor'.

She sat down with me and prayed . . . no, she had a conversation with her Creator which I was honored to witness.  Her words fells on God's heart and my soul was blessed.

Hardin has slept 90% of today.  You know how new born babies are . . . eat, sleep and ????  Well, Hardin has slept, eaten almost everything put before him . . . well  some things mothers of 'adult sons' don't need to know unless it is an emergency.

For the last 28 days,  Hardin has been up at this 2a.m. hour showering and visiting . . . he now lays in that cuddled, fetal position, sleeping like a newborn baby.  That is exactly what he is doing . . . going thru that birthing process!

They will come in at 4a.m. to draw blood.  The results will be in about 8a.m.  Will his WBC stay at 0.5?  Will they drop?  Will they go up?  My mother's heart is so full of gratitude and joy to see him sleep so peacefully that for this moment in time . . . that is all I need.

Oh, April 1!!!  In one week we will have been here for 6 months without returning to where my heart is happiest, Arkansas!  Never in my life did I ever dream of not being within it boundaries for half a year!  I so love coming home from any journey when you top those knolls seeing the skyline of downtown.   The site of those buildings always bring an exhale moment.

Good night Arkansas . . . Where ever you are!!!