Monday, February 15, 2010

Valentine's Day and Good News

The snowstorms that have blitzed my region have kept me quite busy. I have been snowed inside with my eldest daughter -- unable to do much of anything, other than watch television and convert my vinyl record collection to digital files. I am slated to return to the office this Wednesday and I am really looking forward to it.

Since returning from my last sojourn to WV, I have been forced to face my parents mortality and my own. I have wondered how I am going to deal with their increasing needs...and their lessening willingness to cooperate. To be honest, I am at my wit's end.

But within the past two weeks I have gotten somewhat of a reprieve from everything. Mother has recovered significantly from her massive stroke on Christmas Day. She has been cleared to drive a car by her doctor, but she must first get certified by the local hospital. She is planning to do that shortly. At the moment, she does appear to have a little short term memory loss...but nothing major. Everything is returning gradually.

She is one fortunate little lady.

Since December and her stroke, I have been concerned about the results of her December CT scan which revealed two new spots on her lung. When I went back there in early February we had a PET scan which would reveal new cancer growth. To be honest, I was horrified at the possible results. Well, several days ago, I got to speak with mom's oncologist directly, who said that those "new" spots were actually scar tissue left over from her cancer battle of over a year ago. They did a full body scan which revealed that mother has no new cancer in her body. She is in remission.

WONDERFUL

So she is recovered well from the stroke....and is cancer free at the moment. WHEW!

Dad had a battery of tests on his cancer...and the results of his last PET scan show that his cancer is responding favorably to his chemo...which appears milder than what mother went through. He has not had any of the negativity...the loss of hair...etc. He's even gaining weight now.

So that is good news.

My Valentine's presents!

Still...in the back of my mind, I have that old familiar longing....of wanting someone to love...and to be loved by.

No new candidates on the horizon...just the same familiar crushes I've had for several years now. These men that I long for will occasionally send a nugget of attention my way...and I eat it up...hopeful that it will somehow work out.

Today, such a man spent a considerable amount of time talking with me. He assures me that we are going to "get together" when his schedule permits. Gosh I hope so.

The soap opera of my life continues...