The Mask, The Road, The House

A quick disclaimer here--I heard that someone thought that the blog is too sad to read. I must tell you that my external demeanor remains upbeat, after all I am the guy who closes every speech with the words, "Everyday above ground is a good day." Putting my thoughts on this blog and sharing them is kathartic for both Diane and me and both helpful and informative to readers. My purpose is that this be more like a documentary. I know in my heart that this journey is really going to suck, but I'm totally convinced that the outcome will be a spectacular version of Gordy Taylor albeit a bit more reflective and sensitive.

The attached photo is not me but it is precisely what I was fitted with yesterday. The mask is a combination of hockey goalie/Hannibal Lector. It covers my face and shoulders almost but not quite to the point of discomfort.

Real life returned to our world yesterday. Sometimes things happen to make you realize life is really one thing after another. As we were returning to Macomb on the rural highways of west-central Illinois, we passed through the point of no return in the town of LaHarpe, Diane got a call from Sheila at the Cancer Care Center. "Can you come back--one of our procedures was inconclusive." So U-turn it was and 35 minutes later we were back to Burlington. The staff was very apologetic and even here we have some humor a the nurses said, "your shoulders are broader than we thought and the imaging material did not descend enough." There I was standing there in my shorts with no shirt--now get this visual--my shoulders are too broad which of course I brought to their immediate attention. We all had a raucous laugh and they got back to business.

We returned to Macomb and our home which could have been a real Nagasaki. From time to time when Diane goes down our basement steps to the family room, she insists that she smells natural gas, but then it goes away. She's even told the furnace people. On Sunday, friends Jill and Steve Bainter visited and when walking into our house, they mentioned "we smell gas." It turns out we have not one not two but three minor gas leaks at different locations around our house part of which is due to the house settling after 27 years. Only the gas company guys could have found these tiny leaks as they are indeed very small and the problem has been addressed. Think about it--wouldn't it have been something had we returned to Macomb to find our house gone. Luckily the contractor and workers were here and the kitchen renovation proceeds. Diane told me it wasn't an easy day for her.

Yesterday I had a banana and juice for breakfast; chicken noodle soup, grilled cheese and french fries (in LaHarpe at a local diner); had an ice cream bar and fruit stick for dinner plus 3 cans of Ensure--the food battle continues.