Journey

There are lots of quotes on the internet about how we should live in the present “Life is like an icecream cone, you have to lick it one day at a time”.  Living one day at a time is like living in a holding pattern.  It feels like we are treading water while Rory’s life remains in the balance.  We are all taking lots of deep breaths and continuing to wait. 

Rory had a clinic appointment with Dr Stephen yesterday afternoon.  There is still no opinion from America.  Dr Stephen has spoken to Head surgeon Nick who will be away on leave from 16 December till early January.  A CT scan to check the tumor (and make sure it hasn’t metastasised to anywhere else) is scheduled for next Monday (9 Dec).  This leaves only a very narrow window for surgery if we get the green light and Nick is involved.  I feel very anxious about the surgery being done by anyone else.  It is major surgery.  It needs two teams of specialists, one to remove the tumor and a portion of Rory’s lower jaw and the other for reconstruction.  The current tentative thinking is Rory will receive dose of chemotherapy next week and then we can go home for Christmas.  If all the stars align the operation would occur in early January 2020.  This could all change depending on the information received in the first half of next week. 

Rory is back on Ward 27b and has started the next dose of Methotrexate.  Two nights down at RM House, while wonderful, didn’t feel like anywhere near enough.  We walked to Princess wharf and along the piers.  It was nice to smell and hear the sea.  We were in awe of the giant cruise liner Golden Princess which carried 2,700 American visitors.  We explored the Auckland Central Library and were evacuated when the fire alarm went off.  We wandered the exhibits in Auckland Museum and had an icrecream at the Wintergardens in the Domain.  Yesterday morning we went to the movies in Newmarket.  There weren’t a lot of options so we watched Frozen II.  Rory fell asleep during about the 4^th song in! 

Sean and Colt drove up yesterday to help out with the next five nights on the ward and break the monotony of the two of us in the cell 24/7.  It was good to see them.  They inject a freshness and energy we were lacking.  Sean spent last night on the ward with Rory.  He sent me this amusing message this morning “Shock to the system.  Up every 1.5 hours.  Feel like a dried up taco”.