Cookies 'n Cream

Did you hear about the couple walking along the golden streets of glory, and the wife says, “Oh Harold, isn’t heaven beautiful!  Look at all the colorful gardens, the emerald cities, the luscious forests, and the peaceful meadows.  Everything is so perfect!”  “Yea,” Harold responded, “and just think, Mable, we could have been here a lot sooner if you hadn’t fed us all of that healthy oat bran.”

Confession: I haven’t been eating oat bran.  As the doctor’s scale showed yesterday, I’ve been eating the kinds of food that should get me to heaven sooner!  Actually, after reading my latest PET scan results, I’m ready for some more hot apple pie with French vanilla ice-cream.  Let me explain.

My last scan was early February and it showed my cancer growing at a modest rate.  There were a few days last month when I felt pretty bad and I was sure that for me the end draweth nigh.  That was the reason for my urgency to get back to the States, make my preparations, and plan/pay for my memorial service and burial.

However, upon arriving back in Texas I began feeling pretty good (must have been the sweet Texas tea).  When my father-in-law, Jan’s dad, passed away last week in Virginia, I was prepared to attend the funeral.  But then I had 3 days of nausea that made me think, “I probably shouldn’t travel because my cancer may be advancing rapidly and I just don’t know how many days I have left.”  So I stayed home and continued to make preparations.

On the 17^th, I had a PET scan and got the results yesterday.  Yes, in the past 5 months the cancer has advanced, but not by much.  I said, “Doc, I know one of the questions you probably hate the most is when a patient asks you, ‘How much longer do I have?’  I know cancer is like a wild animal; you don’t know which way or how quick it will run.  But given the data we have now, without any treatment, how much longer would you guess.”  She answered, “About a year, maybe more.”

That’s certainly a lot longer than I thought I had.  But the downside to slow-growing cancer is that when the pain and other symptoms become intense, they will stay intense for a longer time.  So, I’m quite pleased to bring on the chicken-fried-steak, fried okra, sweet potato casserole, macaroni & cheese, butter-soaked rolls, and – don’t forget, the banana pudding and chocolate pie.  Seems like a no-brainer to take in more culinary pleasure in order to shorten prolonged pain.  I may have to hire a couple of extra pallbearers, but I’d rather go out fat and happy than lean and green! 😊

So, here I sit in my tiny apartment, 2 minutes from David and 4 from Sara.  I’ve got a comfy sofa with matching love seat, a six-chair dining table, a huge desk with office chair, and a single bed and mattress, all for $300 thanks to Craigslist and Facebook Market Place.  I thought a 6 month lease would be too long, but now it may not be long enough.  I’m starting to feel bad that I left the Philippines so soon.  How to ease my guilt?  Ah, I’ll go have another dish of Cookies ‘n Cream!