What a week!

We went on our FREE trip to DC last weekend sponsored by the Jack and Jill Late Stage Cancer Foundation, Southwest Airlines, and the W Hotel. It was AMAZING! We were treated like royalty by the hotel, and enjoyed a suite and adjoining room for the girls. I soaked in the deep tub in the suite overlooking the Treasury Building and adjacent to the White House:) It rocked! The hotel even paid for some of our wine and beer despite the fact that they initially said we were responsible for alcohol. I can't express how fun it was to see the monuments and the museums and to enjoy a very fancy hotel at no cost to us. The combined rate of those rooms was $1500 per night! Too rich for my blood, ordinarily. We bonded as a family and wore ourselves out walking around town.

I had a horrible doctor's appointment on Monday in Chapel Hill, however. Apparently, the people working at the hospital were inconvenienced by my attendance at my oncology appointment. I hereby apologize for making them do their job. My doctor is sweet and I like him, but he thought it was a good idea to recommend that I join a gym and get a personal trainer. Carrie Pages, the friend who accompanied me to the appointment and who has taught me pilates for almost 7 years, advised him that I was no couch potato and that I was not making up my news of extreme pain, numbness and fatigue and that lack of exercise was not an issue in my case. Of course, she said it better than that:) Talk about not listening -- I've told the guy for months that I remain somewhat active by walking and doing modified pilates to keep up my limited energy level and endorphins. Seems he's caught some of the Chapel Hill hospital disease of not wanting to listen or do his job. Must be catching.

Anyhoo, I got back in town and my father advised me that he was in the hospital in Wilmington and starting chemo the next day, having been diagnosed with stage 3 non-hodgkins lymphoma. WTF? My childhood family now consists of 2 people in active chemo treatment for cancer and an incontinent mother in the late stages of alzheimers. Nice, eh? If my faith were not so strong, I would need a padded room or an AK-47 to handle this. Geez. His spirits are good and we had a nice chat in the hospital room yesterday while we met with his doctors and got his chemo started. I'm collecting helpers for him on getting to chemo appointments if anyone is interested. They will also need meals. If you can help, please call Gladys at our law office at 251-8333. She's setting up a schedule for meals and rides to chemo. He's doing 6 cycles of chemo (including cytoxin and adriamycin, two of the nasty ones I got :( ), once every 3 weeks. Ugghh....... At least my chemo is oral.

God bless everyone. Please help if you can. Don't sweat it if you can't. Enjoy the wonderful spring weather if you can and thank God for all your blessings. Life is short, darn it. Can't wait for my baptism and birthday party!

Love,Sofie