The Best Medicine Ever

As our kids were growing up, on the weekends we’d all climb into our big bed and lay in a mish mosh, watching movies on TV when the nights were as long as the days. As Rich and I sat, sometimes watching our kids instead of whatever was on the television, we would know… in this bed were the people we cared most about in the whole world. There was a feeling of peace that would flow over us. A contentment for the richness of our lives. Often as we traveled the country, it was the same even as our family grew… here we are together, experiencing this moment, threads binding us tighter together even as our love expanded to include our new members, new memories.

Despite the medical events of this past year… and it is a year since we first started this latest journey… we’ve been blessed. We have not only crossed the wide and rocky sea of this cancer treatment, but more importantly, we’ve been honored to be on hand to welcome the newest baby of our daughter and son-in-law, the graduation of our youngest son, and the wedding of our older son to his bride. What an amazing year it has been! Our family has grown in so many ways and it has been an incredible year of celebrations. Some celebrations we have had to view from afar, but always our hearts have been with our family.

There is a Chinese proverb, “God gave burdens; he also gave shoulders.” These past few weeks as it has been for this year, our shoulders have been lightened by our family. Richard and Emily have come down from Rochester at various times to be with Rich at home while I go back to my office. They bring some more life into the day to day routine. Our grandkids run about. Meals are cooked, shopping is done; lifting the daily burdens from Nick, Rich and I. It’s a respite that is sorely needed. Our gratitude is not only to them, but their spouses who have given us this precious gift of time. With all of our children, we’ve been blessed.

In the time since Rich’s last discharge from the hospital, we’ve seen such wonderful progress in his recuperation. His breathing sounds clear and that his lungs are clear has been confirmed by the pulmonary doctor’s slew of tests. Slowly but surely, medications are being adjusted to smaller doses. We look forward in a number of weeks to saying goodbye to prednisone!

We have a physical therapist coming to the house twice a week. Gone is the use of the walker. Now a cane lends support but the PT sees improvement in the strength in Rich’s hips and legs as he completes his daily exercises as prescribed. The damage to his lungs, as well as his muscles, is slowly healing. With someone spotting him, he can now go up a full flight of stairs. Once more, we sleep in our own room on the second floor… we rejoice!

Though the house is now quiet,how wonderful to sleep in that bed that once held our whole family on those cold winter nights! How wonderful to have had these moments these last few weeks where kids and grandkids were all together with us, snug despite the arctic cold outside, watching movies and sharing laughter and, yes, some burdens as well.

Surely, that has been the best medicine, ever.

Blessed.