It’s a small world after all!

Val successfully started chemo treatment on Friday and it  went very well.  Because we had a delay in getting the chemo cycle started, the schedule of oncology nurses got a little messed up.  This is the main nurse who will administer chemo and help keep track of us through this process.

Arriving on Friday morning we got a chance to learn the whole process of how a chemo treatment goes.  First there is the labs to check blood counts, then we get moved over to the “infusion room” where we get a chance to get comfy and settled.  Each chemo treatment takes about 4 hours from start to finish.

We get settled in on Friday and our oncology nurse comes up and introduces herself as Tara.  Since this is the first time we met, the first question was if she would be the nurse who was going to be with us through the entire 5 month process.  She answered yes which then started a whole new line of questions….

Whenever I am a little nervous I can get “chatty”, which sometimes gets on Val’s nerves 🙂  Anyway, I go into full blown chatty mode and start peppering her with one question after another.  Tara (and Val) handled me pretty good :).

As we talked I recognized her last name but couldn’t place from where.  We started talking about mutual people or places we may know but were unsuccessful in nailing the connection to her last name.

Tara left for a little while as Val’s first drug started to run and I started to look through my contact list for that last name.  It took me about 3 seconds, and I figured out we had an engineering intern working for us by that name a few years back.

As she comes up to check on us I casually ask, “is your husband’s name David”?  She pauses with a stunned look on her face and answers yes!  That started a whole new line of conversation and she did awesome with us!

As I sat there on Friday, I texted my boss (who is visiting Disney with his grand kids) that I had a cool “small world” story to share with him when he gets back.  In an even more ironic twist, he texts back, “Funny.  I’m in line at the Small World ride right now”!!

The biggest thing about all this is that Val is very comfortable with Tara and is very happy she will be following us and be part of the team.  As a husband, that is such a reassurance.  As we drove home, Val looks over at me and says “maybe that is why we were delayed in getting started”.  Pretty cool to see how the Lord orders our steps!

Over the last few days Val had been feeling pretty good.  She has had enough strength to go out and buy planters for the porch and get ice cream to celebrate Memorial day.  She has had a few bouts of icky stomach and being tired, but overall she has handled the last three days really well.

We now get into a groove of labs every Friday to check blood counts and then a chemo treatment every other Friday for this first phase.

Once again, it is hard to express the gratitude for all the prayers, love and support being shown us.  It is great to see the body of Christ working so well.  We have been blessed with meals, cards and notes of encouragement at just the right time.  Kinda of like starting this chemo journey at “just the right time”.

Marc