At the counter with James and Luke in October 2009Part of Chris on the left.
I got a bright idea last week--an actual Friday night date with Diane. We hadn't been out together alone at night, and I thought it was time. I was wrong. Breakfast and lunch are fine. We dress casual, and we are in and out. At breakfast, I usually order an egg and water (now that's a visual) and then pirate some of Diane's pancake or whatever else is on her plate. Lunch is pretty much the same as I order soup and then help myself to whatever Diane has ordered. But a date is different.
We both showered, put on reasonably nice clothes, used a little fragrance, and then savoured a glass of Sauvignon Blanc wine while listening to the old standards music like Sinatra, Julie London, and Peggy Lee. The evening began nicely and soon we were off for our 7:00 reservation. We were seated a nice table at Magnolia's and owner Lisa Ward was attentive to our every need. The three of us visited a bit and then we ordered. That's when it happened. After our salads arrived, we began eating and I made eye contact with Diane. After 42 years of marriage without saying a word, the eyes tell the story. Diane looked over and said, "Gord, you don't have to eat all of it." I took another bite or two and pushed it aside asking for a to go box for salad. Can you believe it? The entree was served and it was excellent. However, you could sense the sadness at our table as I looked at Diane and new immediately what was wrong. She reluctantly admitted that it broke her heart to watch me struggle to eat my dinner. I now realize with certainty that at the present time I no longer live to eat but rather eat to live. Going out for dinner used to be one of our small pleasures and entertainment but that will be on hold in the near future. The restaurant setting was fine, the company terrific, and the food excellent but the "magic" just wasn't there. As we drove home, Diane and I reminded ourselves that we are dealing with cancer and its aftermath. Our lives in many ways have evolved to the new normal and we take an awful lot for granted.
It's no secret; Gordy Taylor has a Type A personality who enjoys being active. I like routine, am a planner, and like to keep busy. For a while, my routine was to lay in bed, take medication, take product, and sleep. Now my life has some normalcy to it. I am convinced I have been well served and Diane would agree with this that my over zealous discipline has expedited my recovery. I have not yet missed a product feeding which means I get up in the middle of the night, have a drink of water, and hook up 2 cans of product through PEG. Currently, I ingest 4 cans of product per day, and a bottle of Ensure Plus and Boost Plus. I don't allow myself to miss a feeding. Walking an hour a day is part of my daily regimen, and I seldom skip a day. To my credit, I have done everything the doctors have instructed me to do, but then it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that following their directives is in my best interest.
We have been customers of Ford Hopkins Pharmacy on the Macomb Square for 40 years. We simply like to support local businesses. But things are different now as Ford Hopkins has become a daily stop for me. It is more than a little bit like Norm on Cheers. I walk in the front door and greeted by Roberta at the front counter. As I walk past the old time soda fountain, I call out to the smiling Chris "what does a guy have to do to get a vanilla malt to go?" She laughs; I laugh. Then I put $3.06 on the counter and proceed back to the pharmacy department where I exchange pleasantries with pharmacists Leslie and owner Rick Crossett. If I have a prescription to get, Marilyn is there behind the second counter to handle that process. These five wonderful folks have, for the time being, become part of my daily routine. Life in a small town--you can't beat it.
