Travels

The lost teddy bear and netflix movie have been found. I received an all-clear on my brain MRI on Tuesday, and the process of unpacking and settling in continues. We’re getting our ducks in order.

Jamie, Jemesii, and Olive spent the weekend here with me. It was oh so good for heart and head to spend some leisure time with my dear daughter, her husband and their wee dog.

While we were kicking back, David was auditioning for father of the year, by hosting Peter’s airsoft (toy guns with plastic pellets) party all by himself at the house on Blueberry Hill. Twenty four hours with nine boys and their arsenal. Lots of food, rainy weather, two pockmarks on the wall after one of the guests accidently discharged his firearm indoors…a big red welt on Peter’s face from a stray shot…so many unclaimed dirty socks at the end of the party that David and Peter simply threw them in the garbage. I am so glad I wasn’t there. Thank you, thank you, thank you David. Not only an incredible father but a dear husband as well. Next year maybe I’ll host a tea party for Pete’s birthday.

At my appointment in Boston, head trial nurse Marguerite surprised me with a half dozen  of her homemade red velvet cupcakes. I gave one to Irene after my acupuncture (because I love her) and topped off my hospital lunch with another. Thank you Marguerite!

There was yet another treat for me on Tuesday, as my friend, Yuki, was paying a visit to MGH: she has spent the past two years living with her parents in Japan and traveling to Korea to participate in the crizotinib trial. This has been a real hardship, as her husband and two young sons live in St. Vincent, where Yuki doesn’t have access to the medical care she requires. Her current plan is to participate in the Boston cohort of the trial so that she may rejoin her family.

I met up with her in the reception area for international patients, and after registering, she came home with me. David was away on business, but Peter, Yuki and I went out to dinner together. In the morning, Yuki and I had red velvet cupcakes for breakfast (the best cupcake she’s ever had, Marguerite!) and then I took her back to Boston for her appointment with Dr. Shaw. It was wonderful to finally meet my long distance friend.

It was a little past nine when I arrived home.  I awakened Peter and offered him a cupcake for breakfast as well (he just kept saying, oh my god…they really are that good).  After lunch we devoured the last of the six with a cup of strawberry vanilla green tea from Yuki (yummy). Pete and I chatted about her brief visit and how we hope that someday we can meet Yuki’s family in the Caribbean.

Small world; big plans.

As Guillermo would say (has said), time to travel.