Perfect Strangers

Jacob had his 4th radiation treatment today - which means he is half way through the treatments for his lungs and just 7 left for his abdomen. He gets a bit fussy when they are positioning him on the table and does not want to lie still. I think the more we tell him to lie still the more he feels as though he has to move. They don't like to sedate him as they know he can lie still and it is only about a minute or two once they get him situated. Always, with a bribe or two, we are able to get him to be still enough. He is such a sweet boy, but getting tired of it all. The nurses are great but I'll be glad once the radiation is over so that we have one less thing to deal with.

He got sick after radiation yesterday. He was sick on Monday after it as well but we didn't connect the two. Today I gave him some anti-nausea medication before the treatment and no sickness, so I hope it continues to work like that. He is tired now, but it hasn't even been 3 weeks since his invasive surgery and he is already on chemo and radiation - it's totally expected.

Running back and forth is exhausting. We are about a hour and 45 minutes from the hospital. So we have to drive a total of almost 4 hours just to spend 15 minutes in radiation. I pick up my two hyper children from my parent's house and arrive home with them and my tired 5 year old. I could literally crash on the couch and sleep for days but there is always something needing to be done. I can' t thank my mom enough for cleaning the house two days in a row so that I arrive home to a relaxing place.

And then there are the "warm hugs" that I get upon arriving home - through e-mail and the mailbox. Friends, family, neighbors, co-workers and strangers are sending notes, gifts, and money and they all mean so much to me. We have been blowing through the gas cards people have given us, and have been so thankful to have them. The money is flowing right now too - food for trips, food for the hospital, parking costs, and endless other things. It's crazy.

And the food. People have been so helpful with food. Neighbors, friends, family, and co-workers have been so generous with feeding us. I have not had to think about a meal since this whole ordeal has happened, and once again, I couldn't be more thankful. Food is one of the last things on my mind right now. Not having to grocery shop, think of meals, or cook has been a blessing. Taking this small thing off my overflowing plate of things to do is a tremendous help.

So to everyone who has offered a prayer or kind word, sent an e-mail or card, wrapped a gift or tucked a little something into an envelope, or brought a meal to our 5 hungry mouths...thank you so much. Your support is helping these battle grounds become a little less steep.