Happy Trails

I am happy to report that Nick has finished the first two days of his testing. After what he has already been through, these two days were a piece of cake; nothing painful or prolonged. Yeah! He met with a wonderful nurse practitioner named Valerie who gave him her stamp of approval. She was so nice, understanding, and positive.

Nick wants to go hiking and camping before he goes in for his transplant. I am not sure if he will actually be able to find the time to go. He told me he wants to go to the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee. I asked him why he can't just go out in the yard and pretend he is in the Smoky Mountains (see picture). I am not a hiker or a camper, so I don't get the fascination. But, Nick has always loved the outdoorsy, nature thing. So we will see what he decides to do. If it makes him happy, I will be happy for him to go, only preferably not so far away.

Things are busy for all of us. Glenn is trying to get ready for school which begins on August 25th and he will also be starting online Master's classes, just to add another layer of chaos. Sara is taking a summer course at UMBC and will soon start fall classes. She interviewed today for an internship that will pay her a stipend for school. Barbara & I are close to tying up the loose ends on the revamped DDC schedule. We have hired one teacher and hope to have two more by end of week.

We are trying to come to terms with all of this, each in our own way. It is hard to explain what it is like to be on this journey. Nick's diagnosis is difficult and the treatment will be long. As we walk together, we discover so many physical, emotional and spiritual layers we must acknowledge; each one to be unfolded and tenuously explored; finding ways to stay strong as we come to accept this that we have been asked to carry. It is very late and I must try and get some sleep. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers. Goodnight all.