We made it home safe and sound yesterday. Scarlett licked me for about 10 minutes straight, she was so excited to see me! It feels good to be back among our own mess, take a shower in our own bathroom and sleep in our own bed again. Let the record show that Honey’s bag weighed in at 49 pounds and mine was 41 pounds! Way to go, us!!!!

In the two or three weeks before we left town, I kept saying, “Oh, we’ll just call that doctor when we get back…” or “I’ll just make that appointment when we get back…” or “I won’t even think about how scary the liver transplant option may be until we get back…”

Well. Here we are. “Back.” Let the phone calls begin! I need to make appointments for my CAT and PET scans, meet with a radiologist to revisit the radiation idea again, consult with Dr. I the transplant doc to see if I’m a candidate for that, reschedule my teeth cleaning, reschedule my house cleaning, go see ShrinkyDink tomorrow, meet with Dr. Kane and get CAKE on Friday…oy. Did I say it’s good to be back home? Who am I kidding?!

Yesterday, as we were sitting in the Kansas City airport, waiting for our flight because we ended up being two hours early to the gate, I reflected on our long vacation. Although at the time I felt tired and my feet hurt and I was missing our home and our critters, I thought more about what a wonderful vacation we’d just had. Visiting with the Barretts and bonding especially with a few in particular; spending some quality time with “Mama Carolyn” in Hilton Head; catching up with the Keller and Fairbank clan in Topeka; seeing Maggie’s house and her wonderful family; experiencing the incredible outpouring of support towards cancer research at the Relay for Life; being shocked and awed that Steve and Tonia would drive hundreds of miles through the middle of the night just to see us at the Relay…all of this combined and has left me overflowing with the feelings of love and support from my friends and family as I go through this difficult time in my life. I can really feel you out there, beyond your comments and emails. You are not only faces in the crowds but you are my family, whether we’re related by blood or not. I know now that you truly are all there to hold me up when I fall down, to make me laugh when I’m really blue, pushing me further when I don’t think I can do it anymore. You love me and I love you and I’ve never felt so NOT ALONE in all my life! Thank you, every one of you, for being there for me, for us (Pete really appreciates it, too). We are very grateful for you.