The Houston Life

The week ended with an appointment with an attorney in The Woodlands. We've had multiple people seeking attorneys, so it was great to hear that someone was at least interested in talking to us. Turns out this is a guy who has a family member with cancer being treated at MDA who also is having some insurance woes. So he gets it. He is interested in the case, however, he cannot be retained until our appeals through MDA have been exhausted. For now he will collect materials, do some background work, and prepare in case we need him. We left feeling like we'd achieved some small victory.

Since it was late in the day and we were already up North, we stayed up there for the night. The kids got to see Rebecca and we got to see Kim and Buddy. Going up to north Houston to the 'burbs is like taking a weekend trip. It's a 45 minute drive (or so) one way so you have to really mean it if you are planning to drive up there. I cannot believe that people live up there and drive downtown to work during rush hour every single day. Do Houstonians not know that there is an alternative? Do they not realize that they could live closer to work? Or find a job up North? Or just move to another place where the commute is only 15 minutes? I fail to understand how or why people would choose this lifestyle! It's mind boggling!

 We are so happy that yesterday Jule Gassenheimer arrived in Houston. Jule was the marketing professor at Kentucky when I was in the master's program who convinced me that I should consider the Ph.D. Before I left Kentucky she moved to Rollins College but we've kept up over the years at conferences and through email and Facebook. We've had so much fun catching up and seeing parts of Houston unknown! This morning while the kids were sleeping, Jason, Jule, and I went on a long hike through the Houston Arboretum, a nature hideaway in the middle of Houston. We were there for a couple of hours and then realized it was apparently wake up time for the mosquitoes so we moved on to a cute cafe on Westheimer where we had kale salad, coffee, and delightful conversation. We almost felt like hipsters but then remembered that we actually live in Lubbock and only play hipsters in our heads while on the brain tumor vacation. 

Chemo continues to go well, no nausea or issues except not being exceptionally hungry. Sometimes I struggle to get enough calories. I am not losing weight too fast so I'm not too concerned, assuming that my appetite will resume after I get home. This is not an issue I've ever had before in my entire life. I'm sure some of you are jealous, but trust me a brain tumor just isn't worth it. Seriously.

Tomorrow we begin our week of proton therapy, blood work, doc appointments, and our couples yoga therapy, as is our new normal. Jule will be here until Wednesday so she will relieve Jason in the mornings so that he can get some work done before meeting me for yoga. So happy to have Jule transporting me this week, as the absence will make the couples yoga even more effective (since we probably will not be bickering over food choices and bumpy roads before we get there). My last proton therapy is 3 weeks from Wednesday! I'm counting down the days until I get to ring the gong!