I know yesterday I raved about our fancy room, but we did find one flaw (I’m not counting the ladybugs as flaws because they are good luck). The bathroom is about the third of the size of our other bathroom in the smaller rooms – go figure. Now, typically that wouldn’t matter, but when Tom uses the bathroom he has to take his giant IV pole with him since he is constantly hooked up to the IV drugs. No joke, we were in tears laughing today at his attempts to turn the IV pole gradually to get into the bathroom which then requires a whole adjustment once inside just to shut the door since the door opens into the bathroom versus out of the bathroom. I don’t know why it makes me laugh so hard every time but it’s just hilarious. Due to the amount of fluids he receives in addition to the chemo fluids it’s no exaggeration that he is back and forth to the bathroom at least once an hour. During the nighttime when he gets up to use the bathroom I typically wake up and help him get his IV machine unplugged from the wall and get him back into bed (they take fall prevention seriously – “Call – Don’t Fall!”), it drives Tom crazy that he repeatedly wakes me up since he wants me to sleep – I don’t care one bit – so he always tries to sneak by without me waking up which he has done successfully only once in the past two months. With our new bathroom arrangement there is ZERO chance of him sneaking to the bathroom when he’s pounding the IV pole into the door frame and swearing. Hilarious.
Tom took chemo like a champ today and is continuing to feel worn down, but I’m in complete awe. He has been trying so hard to not “be sick” when people are around and sometimes even when he is just with me. There have been points where I’ve looked at him and said “It’s okay to be sick!”. He wants to be the cheery, happy-go-lucky guy that he is, but I know he doesn’t always feel great, yet he worries about everyone around him and not wanting them to worry. I’m in complete amazement that on many days he makes this chemo treatment look “easy” and continues to crack jokes, thank every nurse, doctor, or employee that walks in the room and be so positive. It’s truly an amazing gift to those around him and it is helping everyone cope through this fight. I knew he was a strong guy – but he has shown me strength at a whole other level these past two months. I'm so incredibly proud of him. More to come tomorrow…