It sure didn’t seem like the Christmas season this year.  Shopping was difficult, good thing I already bought or had in mind what to get the grandkids as well as Sarah and Jon.  They were coming down to Houston to spend Christmas with us. What a wonderfully thoughtful gift! They always brighten our days.  

Sarah loves to travel and is a travel agent who gets some great deals.  It’s so tempting for her to “try out” a destination to share with the world.  Recently she had an awesome opportunity to go to Universal Studios in Orlando FL.  It was partly a gift for the kids to have breakfast with the Grinch. They are the perfect ages 9 & 7 and still believe in Christmas magic.  They enjoyed their trip to Dr. Seuss Land as they have all his books. Then there was the Simpson’s and Harry Potter World.

Every so often we would get a text with photos or videos of their trip.  It made our days better with smiles, awe and laughter. The people who created Universal certainly brought books and cartoons to life.  Everyone enjoyed the trip and Sarah had a lot to share with clients and potential clients.

We were counting down the days when they would come to Houston and spend the holidays with us.  It wasn’t our plan to be in Houston, we were hoping he would be in remission and share Christmas with our extended family at home.  Never have we been away at Christmas or even entertained the idea. We worried the kids would be scared of the hospital setting and wearing the gowns, gloves and masks that were way too big for them.  

When they came, all the worry disappeared and they were so happy to see us.  The kids were nervous and hot in the getup they had wear. So I took them to the family lounge where we could take all that off and catch up while Mom & Dad got to catch up with Pops.  They filled me in on the trip they had taken earlier and what was going on at home. Everything was Awesome!

During their trip, Sarah and Jon got some one on one with Greg.  He had things to talk with them about. Greg has been on the road building wind farms around the country for the last 12 years and Jon is incredibly busy with his IT job that they hadn’t had too much time to sit and talk.  This time they spent some quality time talking and bonding. Sarah had some great one on one time with her Dad too. Of course I loved hanging out with the kids, playing games & watching them be silly.

When Greg wanted to rest, Sarah and Jon included me on their trips to restaurants and the Children’s Museums.  I loved watching them enjoying it all. Took my mind off the seriousness at the hospital. The kids even stayed the night with me while Mom & Dad went on a date.  

Rich Weiss brought an entire Christmas dinner to my apartment, turkey, mashed potatoes with gravy, stuffing and cranberry sauce. Wow!  We took a plate to Greg and he loved having food that didn’t come from the cafeteria, especially the mashed potatoes and gravy.

We found out there was an observation rooms on the top floor that look out over Houston.  Lounge areas, eating or studying tables, tv viewing areas and even a baby grand piano filled the 2 large rooms.  Everyone had a good time there, it became a regular thing to up there to visit. Jon would get Greg into his getup and wheel him up there.  We enjoyed many nights eating, playing with kids and talking. Greg loved being out of the room he was tethered to by the IV pole. If he was lucky, the nurse would unhook the IVs and he was feeling a little freer.  He looked forward to eating burgers or pizza or his Turkey feast there. It felt almost normal.

We weren’t the only family enjoying the observation floor. Some were walking to get their exercise, some just talking and some were playing games.  You could feel the love radiating between the family groups, trying to share special moments. There is a lot of love in this hospital, couples helping each other, families having meals in the cafeteria, sitting outside catching some fresh air.  The nurses and transportation teams chatting with patients as they help them go to and from tests.

It was hard to see Sarah and her family leave and the whole situation really got to Greg. He became very depressed and just wanted out. He wanted out, no ifs ands or buts.  If you know Greg, you know he is a determined man. The only stipulation was he would need to return every day for blood tests, infusion of antifungal medication and a fill up of his blood and platelets.  Anything just get him out of there.