Cycle 2, Day 9: Farewell to my folks - for now

Today is a bit of a sad day for me as I just returned from dropping my parents off at the airport. I know they need to get home and sleep in their own bed and spend time with other family and get back to their normal routine. I would want to also after being away for the summer. And I know it was hard for them to leave too because they're worried about how I'll handle things without the extra hands. I worry about that too. I know I'm going to handle it just fine. I have wonderful friends and neighbors nearby who frequently offer their support and help. But it will be an adjustment not having two additional adults in the house 24/7 to help when I felt tired or needed to go catch some fresh air and clear my head on a moment's notice. And, there's nothing like having your mommy and daddy there to throw your arms around and get a much needed hug when life is so scary and uncertain, like it is now. I have the most amazing parents. They dropped their lives completely - including work and family commitments to come be here with me. Like my mom said this morning on the way to the airport "There isn't anything that could have kept me away." I'm so grateful for their love and support - they've always been here for me and my brother, no matter what. I'm truly blessed and I'll never ever forget that. They'll be back. They're even talking about returning in a month. I'm not sure they'll want to leave the comforts of home so soon though so Bob and I are going to find a way to schedule time for me and Cooper to spend a week or two in Connecticut with my family in the fall. I have two cousins that run in-home daycare so we'll look into leveraging their help during the weekdays while I'm back east so that I can still work while I'm there and have the extra hands and family support at night and on the weekends since things could become more difficult as I get through more cycles. So, I hold onto the fact that I will see them again soon - whether it be here or there - and that keeps me from being really upset about them now being on their way home. I love you so much, Mom and Dad! Words cannot express how grateful me and Bob are for your love and support. Now on to update about how I'm doing otherwise. Cycle 2 continues to be very manageable...at least it has been with the round the clock help I've had here at home. I haven't had to do a lot that would exhaust me other than be up at night with Cooper when he was sick this past weekend and since then. It will be a good test for me this next week or two to see how I do without the extra hands to pass Cooper around to - particularly when Bob is away. We have a great sitter for the weekdays, but it's the nights and weekends that will be the big test - to see if I get enough rest when Bob is away and I'm solo with Cooper. It's good to test those waters now while I'm still on medical leave so that I can assess how it goes before I jump back into work. Which brings me to another group of people to whom I'm forever grateful - my employer and colleagues. I am so incredibly fortunate to work for the most amazing company, PwC. Not only do I have excellent medical benefits that are preventing me from financial disaster due to medical expenses - but they are so incredibly supportive and compassionate about my situation. They want me to come back strong and well and thus they want me to ensure my return is timed appropriately and won't negatively affect my treatment regimen in any way - assuring me that they'll be there for me when I'm ready to come back. That is priceless. I'm beyond grateful. I want the world to know that PwC truly is the best place to work (and believe me, I've got plenty of well-known past employers on my work history to compare them to). My colleagues at PwC are amazing - they contact me regularly to check in, sending notes and cards that brighten my day. I love you guys/gals! Today my prayer requests for those of you that pray for me is as follows: - Heavenly Father, please safely return my parents to their home in CT today - Jesus, please cradle my son, Cooper, in your love and light and protect him always from harm - Lord, please cure me of cancer forever (I know it's a tall order, but God can do this - I just know it!) I thank all of you for your continued prayers and positive thoughts. I know your prayers make a difference for me - I feel it every single day through the strength and courage you help to bring to me through those prayers. I love you. Dear cancer, You're not welcome here...please find your rightful place in oblivion. I have so much work to do in this lifetime that you just have no place in it anymore so please say your goodbyes. And if you think you're gonna hang around you'd better think twice because I'm only on round 2 of 8 of this liquid gold and then I'm gonna blast your a$$ with some radiation too for good measure.