Weekend OFF before starting Chemo HyperCVD Part B

The Lord gave us rest for three days. Joe was able to let his body and mind rest. It was such a good thing for Joe and me being able to just be together as well as enjoy the things we l love to do.

On Friday night we started with a early dinner at La Vista, an  Italian Restaurant not that far from our studio apartment. We arrived just before 6PM which avoided the crowds that like this place. It was highly rated on YELP.com and it was not far away. Joe had the rib eye special that was tender and packed with flavor with its peppercorn sauce. Along with it they served a huge portion of mac n cheese and asparagus. He loved it and that made me happy. I really love seeing Joe happy and pleased. I had their Chicken Cappelini that was raved about by several guests. It was good and light but I would not rave about it but the chicken was tender as well as the mushrooms, fresh cooked tomatoes in a light white wine sauce. Joe is not allowed to have salad since he is only allowed to eat cooked veggies nor drink any alcohol. I shamelessly had the Caesar Salad and a glass of Pinot Grigio. The place had a nice outside covered patio that was in front of the restaurant. This time of year makes it perfect for eating outside but we chose to eat inside where it was comfortable and only one other couple. By the time we left at 6:50PM the place was packed as YELP said it would be.

Since the World Series was not on, we decided to go see a movie. We were going to see "Let Me In" but it started at 6:50PM at the theater we were going to. So we headed to the other Edwards Theater closer to us than the last one where we were going to see Ben Affleck in "The Town" that started at 7:35PM. We got to the theater at 7:15pm and we did not want to hang around for 20 minutes until The Town started so we got tickets to "RED" that started at 7:20PM. Drew, Joe's brother, had recommended it to us so what the heck we would go see it. The movie was for "our age" group. It was a spoof and somewhat funny and far fetched but entertaining for two hours.

Saturday was our day to drive with Max to Dallas to visit my friend, Julie Campbell Stephens. She lives with her growing family in a very nice family orientated town of Highland Village with nice well taken care of brick homes in a well planned community. It is a wonderful place to raise a family. Julie is married to Russell who works for the Secret Service who guards the President of the United States. Julie has become a very happy homemaker and mother. She says being a mother is the best job that she has ever had. Julie was an officer in the US Army which she loved being a part of. It was where she met Russell, The first time they dated nothing came of it but  when they reunited the second time, it gelled together and love happened, marriage then the baby carriage. Campbell, their beautiful 2 year old daughter, was a blessing from God and what Julie dreamed of along with being married and happy to one who was a strong Christian man and Russell definitely fit the bill. Russell reminds me of Bruce Willis for some reason besides the well shaved head. Julie is eight months pregnant with their second daughter, Lily who is due around Thanskgiving.

With the sky bright blue along the rolling hills between Houston and Dallas it was a perfect day to drive. The Houston area is being pumped with a bunch of road money since it seems every major interstate is being widen. They sure need it here. Joe and I split the 4-5 hour drive making it relatively easy trip. Along the way just outside of the town of Huntsville, there was a massive white statue of Sam Houston which stood about 100 ft tall. Sam Houston University is located in that town as well the the Prison Museum.

We arrived at Julie and Russel's lovely home about 4 PM. Julie with her 8 month pregnant belly came to greet us as we stepped outside and gave us both big hugs. We were so happy to see each other. I rehashed the story on Joe's disease and how we were guided by the Holy Spirit as to what to do. Julie was in the middle of making a pumpkin pie cheesecake for Joe since it is one of his most favorite desserts. For dinner Julie made a nicely seasoned roast chicken with gravy, massive amounts of mashed potatoes and fresh asparagus. Joe was in heaven. I instructed her how to make a delicious smooth chicken gravy and to taste it then season it to its to your liking. I also cut up the roast chicken for her as Russell set the the table. Russell said a beautiful heartfelt Grace that was touching to Joe and me. Campbell had waken up from her nap just before dinner. I sat down on my rear end near her little toy kitchen and we pretended to eat the toy food. She knew what everything was. We went outside to the back yard where she played jump off a rock over and over again while holding her little fingers in my hand. She insisted that I also jump off the rock. It was entertaining to her for quite awhile. As we ate dinner, Campbell had sliced oranges and some blueberry yogurt.

watch me stack the blocks up high and she would laugh and knock them down. Over and over again, we played that game. She giggled and smiled the whole time. I sang poorly. "Happy and You Know it. Clap Your Hands." She clapped her hands, stomped her feet, tapped her head, rubbed her tummy. She must have had me sing that at least five times. Kids love repetition. The next thing we did was play    "Ring Around the Rosie" and I plopped her to the floor when we all fell down. Oh she loved that too! The last thing I did was read her "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" quite dramatically. Mr. Joe says she was spellbound and really got into the story. Oh how she loved Snow White! Ah, it was time for bed since she was rubbing her eyes. Julie and Russell put her to bed together so lovingly. They close the door and Campbell would entertain herself with her precious little stuff animals till she fell asleep on her own. Julie has a camera phone where she can keep an eye out for Campbell in her bed and room. I just was mesmerized watching her interact with her little stuffed animals. I fell in love with Campbell.

We watched the Ranger/Giant World Series Game till it was over and the Rangers finally won a game. After the game Joe and I decided to call it an early night since we would be going with Julie to her church where the first service started at 9AM. The Village Church is located in an old grocery store and had been modified into quite a large auditorium with orchestra type seating in the front and stadium seating in the back. The place is huge where 1500 people can attend worship at one time. The church has four services and several satellite churches. Their membership is 10,000 with an 11 million dollar budget. It was mind boggling to Joe and me. Ninety percent of the attendees were young couples (in their 20's and 30's years old) with young  children. You should have seen the snake line of parents trying to get their kids into the day care. The service consisted of a Christian Rock songs in the beginning and the end with a band that consisted of three electric guitars, several good singers. keyboards, and a big set of drums. The service was mostly a sermon by the pastor that lasted nearly 1.5 hours. Who would have thought young people would keep attention that long, but they did. It is an Evangelical Christian Church that emphasis the Bible and the Glory of God.

At the end of the service people quietly walked out the many doors where they dropped off their offerings and tithes in a box in front of the doors. Julie went to get Campbell so she could say Good-Bye to Mr. Joe and Miss Bonnie. She gave me a big smiling hug and she just smiled at Mr. Joe. We hugged and kissed Julie good bye and we started our way back to Houston about 11AM. We split the drive again and it was still another cloudless sparkling blue sky. There was a steady stream of traffic between Houston and Dallas in both directions. People sure do speed around here so I just followed the crowd.

We got back to Houston about 4PM where I unpacked and put everything away. About 6:30 we headed to Barry's Pizza where the servers were dressed up in costumes. Our guy, Rod, was dressed as a princess so I called him Rodberta the rest of the evening. Now we are back in the "honeymoon" studio suite watching the World Series. Joe is sound asleep next to me on the couch and Max is all stretched out and asleep on our bed.



The coming week will be a hard one starting at 1pm on Monday with Joe getting some labs done then meet with Dr Romaguera to go over the results and discuss the next plan which will be Part B of the chemo regimen of HyperCVD as an inpatient for four days. These will be different chemicals than Part A thus we can only pray that Joe reacts as well as he did with Part A. Joe is so worried about his white blood cells going up again but I told him that it will go down in time. We need to take it one day at a time and God will direct us on what to do. Joe will be admitted to MDACC late Monday afternoon.

Pray for the chemo to bring down his white blood cells and for his spleen to decrease to a normal size. Pray that the malignant lymph modes in his neck, chests and liver shrink and disappear. Prayer for the doctors and other medical personal.

Peace be with you and my God watch over all your loved ones,
Ciao,
Bonnie