Is this a Bakery???

First, if you're wondering why the previous post is empty, it is because Jeremy wrote things to go under it, took about a half hour to write and he couldn't get it to go thru, oh well, there's always tomorrow.

Yesterday Grandma brought up some of her famous creme filled cupcakes for the cast & crew at Siteman and they were pretty much gone before we left last night. Today Aunt Missy brought up some homemade cinnamon rolls, smores and a Strawberry Cake to share. I think the Siteman Center's sweet tooth is definitely full. For a while it looked like a bakery today, because I had brought in a Pastry Ring from Bread Co. and someone else had made brownies. YUM!

Jeremy actually slept for a couple of hours today, which he never does. I think the mental exhaustion can be more demanding than the physical exhaustion. For weeks we are always telling him to take a nap, he doesn't sleep much the evenings of his full week of treatments, and today he did. We let him know we are not there to be entertained, but to be with him...but I guess after 7 continuous weeks of seeing our smiling faces, he has become a little bored. Honestly I am glad he slept because at least that is two hours of sleep he will have if he doesn't sleep tonight.

This morning when I got to the Center, I saw a couple of familiar faces there. Not just the nurses...who I don't know if I have ever mentioned this before, we LOVE, but some faces I knew before. Pastor Christiansen, who has filled in at our church, Messiah, was there for a treatment today. He was diagnosed with lymphoma 2 years ago. He told me today that he won't die from it, but he will die with it. He is doing great and said that for an occasional bad day, he feels very good.

I also saw Carol Peterson. She is also from my church, Messiah and she is being treated for breast cancer. I think I have mentioned her before, she is a young mother of three and she is amazing. I had her son Evan in my class and I have always liked her, but I totally am in awe of how well she is and how good her spirits are and how amazing she is. Of course, I had my camera and of course I had to get a picture of her, but she understood, she's a cropper too.

I met another amazing woman today. Her name is Kathy and her husband Brian is fighting lung cancer. I have seen Kathy and Brian at the center before, and have just spoken to them in passing. Today we talked for a long time. Her grace and courage in the uncertainty of her husbands illness is nothing short of inspirational. They have 3 children: ages 18-23, I think, although I must say they do not look like they could have children that old. I was reminded today after we talked about how cancer effects everyone, not just the patient. It is weird how the things that were so important one day can loose all their meaning with a diagnosis of cancer. Kathy has refocused her whole life on getting her husband better. Taking care of your loved one becomes your job, your full time job. I see it with Jess all the time, while we spend as much time as we can with Jerm, Jess is really his full time caregiver, it's a job she does well, very well and for that we are so very thankful.

As I close this I would ask that you keep all the above mentioned in your prayers. I know I will pray for the patients and their caregivers. Until tomorrow.

Jerms mom