We met up with Dan on Saturday morning. He was dressed in formal wear because he is a fraternity pledge. Denny and Dan were very happy to see each other. I took pictures of the reunion. Then we headed off to a function put on by the Ag school. It was really interesting with many booths and activities. It was a huge party; lots of food and music.
The game was exciting with the cheerleaders and marching band. All the fans were waving and cheering. The sky was boiling over with storm clouds but the good news is it wasn't hot out. There was lots of color and noise and life!
We left after the 3rd quarter so we could beat traffic and have dinner with Dan before he had to be back at the Fraternity for Homecoming activities. We ate at a seafood restaurant and had a very nice time. Denny was tiring so I took him to the hotel before taking Dan to the Fraternity house. We made plans for brunch on Sunday.
This morning when I woke up, Denny was sitting up in bed. He had an odd look on his face. I said, "What's wrong?" He replied, "I'm having a little trouble breathing." Sure enough, I could see where the tumor had grown just from the day before. If you look at the pictures above, you will see the difference between the picture of Denny & Dan and then the picture of Denny & Dana. We decided we needed to head for home. I called Dan and we ate a quick breakfast. Denny and I started the trek to Tennessee.
We didn't think we would be able to see Dana. She had a sorority function in Atlanta. However, Denny called Dana to see if she was almost back to campus. We figured we would arrive about the same time so Denny wanted to see her. It worked out perfectly! We ate lunch with our girl and her sorority sister, Reggie, at Panera's. Then, we took Dana home. It was a nice quick visit. Denny was content because he got to see both of his "babies" on this trip.
His breathing got better as long as he was sitting up. If he tried to lay down, it was more difficult. He is sleeping more and more as the tumor grows. He slept all the way home. I brought his pillow and a blanket in case we needed it. The pillow came in handy. He is also having increased pain. He is up to 300 mg of morphine per day with oxycodone as a breakthrough. He is eating less and seems to gravitate towards ice cream, smoothies, and cold things. He says it feels good in his mouth.
As soon as we got home, we unpacked and Denny went to bed. Tomorrow, we meet with hospice. It will be a relief to know I'll have help to keep Denny comfortable. If he needs pain meds, they will bring them. I won't have to drag him down to the hospital to get relief.
As I drove home, a thousand memories flooded my mind: Denny when we met, Denny when we married, Denny when Dana & Dan were born...the list goes on. While he slept, I cried. I guess that is cathartic but I'm trying to make myself live in the moment. Looking too far ahead is overwhelming.
As I wiped away the tears, I looked at the sky of dusk. What beautiful colors there were! The clouds were lit in soft hues of pink, blue, lavender and yellow. It brought a sense of peace as I remembered: God is with us.
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