Dori's Good Day

Dori called me for the third time today just after lunch, delivering the third piece of good news of the day. Round One was to tell me she had a job offer at an elementary school she likes. Round Two: Job offer number two, same view of that school.

The after-lunch call was to tell me how well her scheduled clinic visit at Vanderbilt went. Her blood counts are normal (translation - excellent). Red blood cell counts hit 42 (36-43 is normal), white blood cell counts were a very good 9, and platelets, those old bugaboos, were 166, a two-year high. Dr. Greer called her a success story and said she looked great. I'm eager to tell Hans this fall he makes good blood.

"I'm having the best day," Dori said. I'd say so and isn't it wonderful, I replied. While Dori filled in the details, all I could think of was where she was even a year ago. She sounds so different today. Her energy was lower a year ago, almost non-existent in late 2007 and early 2008. She had to combat near-constant lethargy, doubts, fears ... all of it. Some of those enemies still try to breach the walls, part of the legacy of cancer. A big part. I was a little verklempt on the third call.

I also thought of friends who are not doing as well or whose blood cancer fights have recently been renewed. I wouldn't say I felt guilty today. I would say any idea of euphoria was tempered.

I said a prayer for those friends. Whatever it takes ... I hope they survive and thrive. The other side is nice. My beliefs tell me the other-other side, which so many of us fear, is even nicer. It's always comforting to have that outlook, no matter how grim things look or will look in our temporal existence.

I'm a lucky man in so many ways. Dori is healthy. She's a gem of a wife and mother. I like the beat of this song and hope the needle gets stuck in the right place.