If You Just Took Out the 'Visiting the Oncologist' Part of the Trip.....

So....aside from the fact that we're traveling to Houston to consult with an oncologist who routinely deals with more advanced issues of melanoma, there are bits and pieces that could be interpreted as enjoyable    It really has been a joy to watch details fall into place as friends and family meet our needs for this MD Anderson trip.  Latest awesome thing: a friend (whose name rhymes with 'Schmissy') called and asked if her husband's Marriott hotel reward points might be helpful -- seems she'd found a Marriott that was listed as being quite near MD Anderson.  Actually,  as I'd looked online a few days before, I'd scrolled right on past this hotel, since its convenience to the hospital was reflected in its nightly rate.  We now have reservations at said hotel, thanks to Schmissy and Co. :)

We also had a family member call and insist on taking care of the kids' school supplies and enrollment fees for our activities.  :) They'd both been getting a little antsy, asking when 'the back-to-school' shopping trip was going to happen....and I'd been stalling a bit, trying to see what effect Houston was to have on the ol' budget.   God is good. :)

Last thing I'll mention....and you'll have to put this in the context of the past few months: (as a patient or patient's loved one) having to be your own advocate every inch of the way, assuming that you'll have to remind this person to tell that office about these results and not those.... you know the drill.  It was with delight that I read the following email from an MD Anderson clinical trial contact person named Sheila.  Since our first inquiry into a set of vaccine trials, she has responded promptly and kept Scott informed of which trials he might be eligible for.  Again, coming from our experience of the left hand sometimes not knowing what the right was doing, this email brought a smile to my face:

Hi Mr. and Mrs. Malone,

 

I see you have an appointment with Dr. Homsi on the xxth.  I will make sure I am there when you get to your appointment.  I will let Dr. Homsi know we have been talking about the trials.

 

Thanks,

Sheila

Who knows....maybe no one else reading that would feel all warm and fuzzy like I do...and that's okay. :)  But I read it, knowing that Sheila is part of a huge place of business where left hands could very easily not know what the righties are doing, and I love that my hubby/my main squeeze is being taken care of. :)

 

Tomorrow/Friday should be the day we find out for sure that we can fly on the Corporate Angel shuttle out of Bartlesville.  Thank you for your prayers!