Sunny Days are Here Again

Yesterday was a good day for dad. He ate an entire cup of yogurt, two orange slices, and a bite or two of pizza. It might not sound like much to you, but for a man with no appetite, it's huge. We sat out on his deck, under the Spring sun, for about an hour. Dad smoked his pipe and read the paper, while I ate a sandwich and enjoyed the warmth and intermittent conversation. After a nice sized nap, Dad said that he might want a pizza for dinner. Of course there wasn't one in the house, so Sherry (step-mom) told me where to get the specific one he wanted. I drove down to the Fresh Market, and got the pizza. When a man as sick as my dad says he wants to eat something then he pretty much gets whatever he wants.

Dad said he wanted to go for a walk before he ate his pizza. Just for perspective: the first two days I was here, he literally slept all day long and didn't have enough energy to get out of bed, much less walk. We walked out the house, to the street and down to the Robert's house (about two house lengths). Again, probably doesn't sound far to you, but to dad, it's a million miles. When we got back, we sat out on the side porch for a little while and dad smoked his pipe.
I prepared the pizza which took much longer than I expected. By the time it was ready, what appetite he had was gone. I felt horrible, like it was my fault he couldn't eat the pizza. Technically speaking, it was, though he tried to ease my guilt.

I left shortly after 7, trying to get back to say goodnight to the boys. Owen was still up when I got there, but Blake had crashed. As nice as it is to have the freedom to care for my dad without having to worry about the boys, I still miss them. But I'm so grateful for Neil's mom who has graciously set aside her life to take care of them for me.

As the days get warmer, the future looks little brighter for Dave Foster. Winter is a cancer patient's worst enemy. You think it's easy for kids to contract things when their cooped up inside, just think what it might be like for a man without an immune system. The sun, warmth and fresh air do him good, brightening his spirits, motivating him to try harder, eat more, exercise.

So I'll take the sunny days because they give me hope. My sister is coming today to visit. It's supposed to be even warmer than yesterday (in the 70's), so let's hope it's another good day, or maybe even a great day.

For now, I've decided I'm staying until I'm not needed anymore or I outstay my welcome, which ever comes first. I don't know how long that will be. We'll just have to wait and see.