Accomplishments

Well, it's late Sunday evening and I feel that I have accomplished a lot this week. Taking a four day trip to southern California from where I live in central California, and back again, was quite a feat. Thankfully, as I have previously mentioned, I had the help from my wonderfully helpful mother. I would not have been able to do this trip alone with my daughter and her friend (as was originally planned) without her help.

As it was, with her help I was provided the use of an electric scooter for the 1 and 1/2 actual days at Disneyland. This enabled me to avoid the constant walking and standing which my legs presently will not tolerate much of. I did walk to/from the Disneyland Hotel to the monorail and railroad loading areas, and walked to the car and to dinner and such. Even that was hard though, and my body let me know in several ways and I listened.

The main way was heat. Quickly overheating with not much effort. Where I live it is generally much cooler and a lot less humid; so when I go walking every day I am dealing with relatively pleasant weather. I had forgotten how hot concrete and buildings and asphalt made everything. It bakes the sun right back at you and holds the heat around you. I get to enjoy rolling hills, open spaces, trees galore, oceans nearby and much more temperate weather. My point being, I was really hot!

Sweat pouring down my face at the slightest exertion, my ball cap loosely placed on my head, and sometimes completely off - I mean, did I care what people thought who I was never going to see again? Or, did I want cool air? Cool air won out every single time. As did the water rides! Anything that gave us a good soak, boy, we were up for that. Thankfully, having a wheelchair or electric scooter often moved you into the front of the line, with minimal waiting once there. So we were able to get on and off rides pretty quickly.

My biggest mistake was thinking I could take on Space Mountain. Yes, I rode it. Yes, I was hurting not just after, but about 10 seconds into the speed part of the ride kicking in. I closed my eyes throughout the entire thing after about another 10 seconds because it helped me to focus on what my body needed me to do to cope. That was really hard on my entire body but especially my core section. It's hard to explain but it just didn't feel right and I knew I shouldn't be doing it although it was too late to get off.

We also rode the Materhorn, Splash Mountain, Indiana Jones, the Jungle Cruise, the Pirates of the Caribbean....all the "big" classics. We never had time to try the "kiddie" classics like Peter Pan, or Mister Toad's Wild Ride, or the Tea Cups because by the time we had ridden the bigger ones, we were all so hot that we stopped for lunch at an outside cafe area in the newer California Theme Park. Thinking we would try the rides on that side once we ate, we all agreed that everyone preferred the pool and a break instead. I had already planned that I would take a nap during these pool excursions, which I did. The second day there (the main Disney park day), I slept for about 2 1/2 hours and could have probably slept another hour or two more, but it was back to the park.

We did some shopping, we had time for more rides at the main Disney park and then had dinner. We watched the fireworks event which was incredible! I was enchanted (really!) by Tinkerbell flying around and the Disney star sweeping across the sky just like on the Disney ad's on tv. It was truly breathtaking and beautiful and spectacular. By the time we got back to the hotel, it was almost 11 pm. I think we all got to bed by 11:30pm. Since we had gotten up and out of the door to the park at about 7:30 am - we had a very, very long day.

Due to that, we slept in a bit more than we had planned too. To my surprise, the kids were harder to get up than I was. We ended up only doing three rides at the California Theme Park because by now my body was grumbling at me. I must say that the Grizzly Rapids ride is great for a good dunking to cool off (and fun too), but my favorite ride that we took on that side of the park was the Soaring Over California ride. Imagine being in the seat of a hanglider - the kind where you sit up vs. laying horizontally - and you are suspended in the air (in a long row with about 10 people per row). As you are suspended there, an enormous movie screen begins to play ariel views (like flying) of deserts, mountains, beaches, and all of them obviously representing sites in California. People were also shown in the "movie" which you became a part of because you were flown in such a way that you felt that you were flying with them, or surfing with them, or skiing, etc. A bird's eye view that included wind being blown at you, ups, downs, turns, smells of orange groves, pine trees, beaches, etc. It was exquisite to me. I loved it. I would do that in a heart beat if there was a real life way of riding the wind like the way that ride does it. What an amazing experience; that ride alone was worth going, it was that incredible.

Anyhow, we finished with that part of the park because it was just too darn hot over there. They don't have any trees really planted on that side for some reason. I also knew I couldn't even think about attempting the huge roller coaster or the dropping rides that plunge you some 6 stories before you stop and bounce up and down for a while. I learned my lesson on Space Mountain.

All in all, it was a wonderful experience and I was blessed that my mother cared enough and had the means to make sure that I could cope through it by supporting me with the electric scooter, the pool-time/nap breaks, and supporting me by watching the kids whenever I asked; even when I didn't ask, she was there, helping. Thanks Mom! I couldn't have done it without you.

And so, my daughter, her friend, my mother and I - we all built wonderful memories from this trip because of her support. I treasure stuff like that. I know that it is events like these that make my life truly rich. It's not money - that's rich, but not soul rich. Money is a necessary evil, and it is a blessing, as long as people use it to help themselves to help others along the way. That's what I believe anyway. If I ever won or earned or somehow got a hold of a million dollars, I already know what charities, and what ways I would bless others with what I was given. Of course my family would be made comfortable, bills would be paid in full, money would be carefully set aside for the future - and charities that I believe in - would also be helped. I have a great heart that way and I would be so happy to be able to "gift" that way some day...how much joy I would receive in doing that!

So, I find myself "newly rich" in spirit from this trip, and looking forward to getting chemo tomorrow! At least, I hope so. I know this sounds odd, but I really want to see my treatment get back on track, even though I am already confident that I am being healed through God's blessing too. I have been praying non-stop for healing and I am sure that my prayer's are being answered because even though I am sore from all the activities over the last four days, my body feels healthier overall. I realize this may sound like a contradiction to the feelings I just described earlier about overheating, being tired out, etc. but I don't know how else to say it. I feel worn out from the trip because I am weakened from battling this cancer off, but I feel like I am winning the battle too. It's hard to explain...I just feel it.

I spent most of today in bed, recuperating and renewing my strength. I'm up late because of that; whenever I get a nap in, it's often harder for me to fall asleep later on. Oh well, it's no big deal really, at least I'm getting the rest as I need it.

I'm thankful for my family, and I'm thankful for my friends. I'm thankful that this time around in my cancer journey I can be positive and find things I can be thankful for. Last time I was not as positive, optimistic or leaning on faith and I suffered in some ways for it. I was grimly determined and that got me through, but the quality of my life was not at all near what it is today. I am thankful for that too.

Today, I am thankful that I get to be thankful.

With Gratitude For All -

Elizabeth Gregory