When I first started seeing Dr. Kaplan, I asked him if I could take a long planned family (minus the college dude) vacation to London. He said sure...was I thinking of August? When I said April 1, he looked at me like I was the April fool. April of this year??? When I said yes, he said, we will just see how you handle the chemo. I think he had no idea how head strong I am (he needs to talk more to Matt). After the first round of chemo, with good numbers, I brought it up again. After I assured him that I was not talking about London, Texas or London, Ontario, he said if I handled round 2 like round one he would let me do it. So, I pranced in on round 3 with great numbers and announced I was packed and leaving that night.
He reminded me it would be hard and to take a break each day.
I was sailing high when Cindy Baker picked me up and brought me home where Matt had brought Joe, the Simple Plumber to change our sump pump that had died the night before and had our house smelling like the castles we would seeing.We had great timing as he left just as Alex the driver showed up to take us to the flight. We had bought these tickets last summer and for some lucky reason decided to deplete our miles and go business class one way. The seats make out into beds and that helped sway Dr. K in the right direction!
We boarded and were off. The flight was lovely but everytime I laid my head down to sleep, my wig moved forward. I had a Wookie version of an eye mask going on the flight and as a result, sleep was not forthcoming for me. Emily and Matt had a wonderful time on the flight and that alone made the whole trip worthwhile!
We rented a flat in Nottinghill and lived like locals for the 8 days. It was a great location (around the block from the Portobello Market) and a five minute walk depending on my day to the tube. Granny days (or TATA if you are Lebanese) you would see Matt tippy toeing up the block with me a good ten minutes and other days, it was a mild strut. Starbucks was up the block so Matt could go ahead and order for our arrival! Matt and I are serious travelers. We want to do it all. We wore out Emily! I saw all the plays we had tickets for, and got to at least one activity a day like a museum or castle! Emily and Matt would deposit me and take off for the afternoons. On the rare days that I did both, I looked like Attila the Hun by dark so they were few and far between! I got an A plus. AND DR. K was right. There were times I thought what the hell am I doing?
Hopefully, this never comes up in your life, but if it does be led as am I, by my friend John. I remember when he was first diagnosed with cancer, he told me that he realized he was spending so much time thinking about his bucket list, that he wasn't living it, he was just letting it slip by. That is really why I wanted to make this trip. I wanted to watch Emily see an international city for the first time, I wanted to see London once again with Matt and talk about all the other times we had come (those airline people!) and relive the stories of our past. And just like John, I wanted to show that my life goes on despite of its nasty new friend. It is not my ending.
We are home now and I can write this without publishing we will be gone for the next 8 days if you you want to stop by and shop at our house! I am exhausted, back to my lovely naps, and thankful to be looking this week at the last dose of AC!! As I go to rest, I want to plan another trip, with Nick in tow, looking forward to many more years of happiness in the Swaya household. It just gets better!
Later!
Jill
He reminded me it would be hard and to take a break each day.
I was sailing high when Cindy Baker picked me up and brought me home where Matt had brought Joe, the Simple Plumber to change our sump pump that had died the night before and had our house smelling like the castles we would seeing.We had great timing as he left just as Alex the driver showed up to take us to the flight. We had bought these tickets last summer and for some lucky reason decided to deplete our miles and go business class one way. The seats make out into beds and that helped sway Dr. K in the right direction!
We boarded and were off. The flight was lovely but everytime I laid my head down to sleep, my wig moved forward. I had a Wookie version of an eye mask going on the flight and as a result, sleep was not forthcoming for me. Emily and Matt had a wonderful time on the flight and that alone made the whole trip worthwhile!
We rented a flat in Nottinghill and lived like locals for the 8 days. It was a great location (around the block from the Portobello Market) and a five minute walk depending on my day to the tube. Granny days (or TATA if you are Lebanese) you would see Matt tippy toeing up the block with me a good ten minutes and other days, it was a mild strut. Starbucks was up the block so Matt could go ahead and order for our arrival! Matt and I are serious travelers. We want to do it all. We wore out Emily! I saw all the plays we had tickets for, and got to at least one activity a day like a museum or castle! Emily and Matt would deposit me and take off for the afternoons. On the rare days that I did both, I looked like Attila the Hun by dark so they were few and far between! I got an A plus. AND DR. K was right. There were times I thought what the hell am I doing?
Hopefully, this never comes up in your life, but if it does be led as am I, by my friend John. I remember when he was first diagnosed with cancer, he told me that he realized he was spending so much time thinking about his bucket list, that he wasn't living it, he was just letting it slip by. That is really why I wanted to make this trip. I wanted to watch Emily see an international city for the first time, I wanted to see London once again with Matt and talk about all the other times we had come (those airline people!) and relive the stories of our past. And just like John, I wanted to show that my life goes on despite of its nasty new friend. It is not my ending.
We are home now and I can write this without publishing we will be gone for the next 8 days if you you want to stop by and shop at our house! I am exhausted, back to my lovely naps, and thankful to be looking this week at the last dose of AC!! As I go to rest, I want to plan another trip, with Nick in tow, looking forward to many more years of happiness in the Swaya household. It just gets better!
Later!
Jill
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