Geo is a Hero (by Susan)

I just want to say that George is a hero through all of this.  It's funny - when I was going through cancer and people called me brave, I couldn't figure out why.  I was just putting one foot in front of the other, doing what I had to do.  To me there didn't seem to be any courage involved in it.  But now that I am watching George go through this process, I feel as if he is a hero.   I see him going through all these treatments being done to him, not knowing what the future will hold, and maintaining a basic good humor and love of life.    Of course, he has his down days (we all do), but for the most part he is doing a fantastic job - going to work, riding his bike, running, doing home improvements, and taking time to make others feel better too, even as he is getting a total assault on his body with these powerful drugs. 

When he was getting chemo last Monday, he was chatting with the woman sitting next to him, and her friend who was at the chemo session with her said that it had been a long time since she had laughed or talked that much.  Geo was just being his usual effervescent self, talking and making jokes, and this other woman was just lighting up.  It is really a gift that he brings to others, even with everything he is going through and feeling himself.

Today George and Kyle did a lot of house maintenance - preparing to get granite countertops in all our bathrooms tomorrow and starting up the sprinkler system (why is it that sprinkler systems require some kind of fix every spring?)  I got a pedicure - the first of 2010! and then conked out on the couch.   My stomach has not been feeling very good today, and I'm attributing it to falling off the vegan wagon and eating eggs and cheese yesterday (see George's post below).  It's a sad story - we both lost our willpower yesterday.  I had a breakfast burrito with eggs and cheese in it, and it tasted great!  However, I wound up with stomach cramps.  I'm wondering if it's from the animal food.  If so, this means I can't even cheat and eat meat every once in a while - oh no! 

Anyhow, as usual, George is more energetic and gets more done than I do even during chemo treatments.  What's my excuse?  Could it be sympathy chemo stomach aches?  Go figure.  I think the answer is to go read some sci-fi, which I plan to do as soon as I log this post.  I'm reading a book about a post-apocalyptic future where the men are savages living in the wild while the women have all the technology and live in walled cities and use their technology to make the men think they are all goddesses.  Silly, but fun.