I spent my birthday at the bedside of a friend
In the hospital, and whose life, I'm afraid, may end
Before anyone would have ever believed.
Still, she rallied under the growing threat of cancer
That has spread and for which there's no certain answer.
And for now, we are all grateful and relieved.
I wanted and needed to go to Austin to support my dear friend Janet. Stage IV cancer is nothing to face alone...and she does have a wonderful support system. I just wanted to be there for her too, at least while she was in the hospital.
She made a remarkable turnaround in a few days as she responded well to the surgical "cementing" of several of her disintegrating vertebrae. She was weaned off liquid painkillers to oral meds. And she went from unable to move to walking with a walker.
A lot of Jim's family is still in Austin, and they took good care of me. Now I'm home. Janet got to go home. And there's no place like home.
She has a long row to hoe, but she's upbeat and determined. Time will tell.
I'm grateful for many things — including growing another year older.
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