This story is about breast cancer. I know for some it might be difficult if not impossible to read. I understand. I’m not one who likes to give or get spoilers but there are times when they are appropriate. Should you need to know any details before you make the decision to read this please contact me.

Chapter Eight

Wednesday, January 11, 2006

The meeting with the staff went rather well. After the initial shock, everyone was very supportive. What surprised both Jim and Trixie the most was how the students reacted. They were visibly upset but asked intelligent questions about what was happening.

By the time the student assembly was finished, Brian had called to tell them he should be done by about 1:30. Jim had some important paperwork he wanted to get done before they left and Trixie wanted to make sure she had all of her clients taken care of. Thankfully this was a slow time for the Frayne-Wheeler Detective Agency. They headed back to Jim’s office where they could both work.

Within an hour Trixie had wrapped everything up. She began to get restless and realized that her nervousness was distracting her husband. She headed down to Mart’s classroom to see if he needed help with anything.

Mart was teaching an upper level computer class. When Trixie walked in the students stopped what they were doing and greeted her. Most of these students had been at the school since it had opened ten years ago. They were like her other children. They all got up and embraced her. Trixie marveled that when most of these students started at the school they shunned any physical contact and now they met her with open arms.

The students had had some time to think after the assembly and had been having a discussion with Mart about what they could do to help. Since part of the class curriculum was web page design they asked if they could set up a Caring Bridge page for her and her family. Mart had told the class that, if Mrs. Trixie, as she was known on the campus, was okay with it he would provide the information to the students to update. Trixie was amazed at the compassion the class was displaying.

Jim was soon done with his paperwork and came looking for Trixie about a half an hour later. They decided they would have lunch with the youngest students at the Academy. Lunch with them was always interesting because in many ways they were wise beyond their years. Because they had not been at the Academy that long they tended to be more reserved and cautious about sharing their feelings. Dr. Jim and Mrs. Trixie wanted to put them at ease.

Before she knew it Trixie and Jim were headed to the airport. Mr. Wheeler’s chauffeur, Tom Delanoy, picked them up at the school and then met Honey and Brian at the clinic. By two o’clock they were in the air.

The trip to Rochester was uneventful and they arrived at around six o’clock. They checked into their hotel, adjacent to the Clinic. Brian and Honey met Paul Jacobs for dinner but Jim and Trixie opted to grab a quick bite to eat and try to relax for the evening.

Thursday, January 12, 2006

Thursday went smoothly. Their meeting with Paul Jacobs confirmed Dr. Weber’s diagnosis. He gave them several options for proceeding. One was for him to perform the surgery but doing the chemotherapy and radiation therapy in Sleepyside. After the consultation, Paul left the four Bob-Whites in the exam room to discuss Trixie’s options.

“Tell me what you’re thinking, Trix?” asked Jim.

“I’m really torn. I like and feel comfortable with both doctors. I’m relieved they agree on the diagnosis. If they didn’t, I don’t know what I would do. Mayo has more state of the art equipment but I really would feel more comfortable closer to home. It would be a lot easier if Paul would be available after next week. Then we could sleep on this.”

Brian and Honey did not respond. They knew that ultimately the decision had to be made by Trixie with Jim’s help. Unless they were asked directly they didn’t respond.

Jim put his arm around Trixie, gave her a hug and kissed the top of her head. “If all things were ideal what would you want to do Trixie? Let’s look at it that way and see how we can make it work.”

“Well, I think I’d like Paul to do the surgery. I just feel their state of the art equipment will give me a better chance of removing all of the tumors. It’s just that it would be so soon and there is so much to prepare for. The surgery would need to be done on Monday.”

“Sweetie, if that’s what you want, we will make it work. Let’s get the surgery and pre-op appointments scheduled. Then we can go and get an early dinner and make plans.” Jim was relieved with the decision. He felt the same way Trixie did.

Brian needed to get back to work. He and Honey left after they ate. Despite reassurances from Brian, Dr. Weber and Paul Jacobs, Trixie was still concerned about not offending Dr. Weber. Brian assured her that he would meet with Dr. Weber tomorrow and relay her concerns. Trixie and Jim would stay in Rochester until after the surgery. January weather in Minnesota was fickle and they didn’t want to risk not getting back for the surgery on Monday.

Trixie’s biggest concern was the kids. She and Jim both felt it would be of benefit for their kids to at least be able to sleep in their own beds every night. Dan and Hallie volunteered to come out to Ten Acres and watch the kids.

Mart volunteered to fly out and be with Jim during the surgery. Jim felt that since he had left the Academy in such a hurry it would be better if Mart stayed in Sleepyside to oversee the day-to-day operations there.

Although he’d never admit it, Trixie knew that Jim would need someone to sit with him during the surgery. When Lizzie had her surgeries Trixie never wanted a lot of people around in the waiting room. It was all part of the informed denial. In her mind, if lots of people were there it meant that things were more serious and then she should worry more. Trixie liked to bury herself in word puzzles and shut out the world when she waited for Lizzie’s surgery to be completed. While Jim didn’t like a lot of people around, he needed to have someone to support him.

In the end, Jim and Trixie asked both sets of parents to join them in Rochester. All four parents would fly out on Sunday morning. Trixie was anxious to have her parents in Rochester and the early flight would allow some Moms time before the surgery.

Friday, January 13, 2006

Friday was busy with pre-op appointments and last minute lab work and x-rays. At the end of the day Trixie and Jim were exhausted. After calling home and talking with their kids Trixie was ready to collapse. Within minutes she was sound asleep. Jim couldn’t relax and so he got up and pulled out some paperwork he’d brought with him. His father was bringing his laptop so he would have something to keep his mind occupied during the surgery.

Jim was finishing up when he noticed Trixie was getting restless. He sat down on the bed next to her and gently shook her awake. “Trixie, honey, you’re having a bad dream.”

Trixie woke with a start. “Oh, Jim, I just had the weirdest dream. It was the summer that you were adopted and we were out riding in the game preserve. You were on Jupiter. I was riding Susie. We ended up getting lost. The next thing I know we’re being chased by Dick the Dip who then turned into Pierre Lontard. The next thing I know we are skiing at Mead’s Mountain and Slim from Cobbett’s Island is chasing us.”

“I haven’t thought of any of those adventures in a long time. Now that it’s been over twenty years since they happened, I can think about them and not break out in a sweat,” replied Jim.

Trixie chuckled, “Now that I’m older, I shudder when I think about all of adventures I got all of the Bob-Whites into. Since becoming a mom, I have come to appreciate all that I put Moms through. It’s a wonder that you and Brian both didn’t end up prematurely gray for all of the worry we caused.”

Jim chuckled as he got ready for bed. He knew he would have a difficult time sleeping but sensed that Trixie would rest better if he was beside her. To his surprise it wasn’t long and both of them were asleep.


Chapter Nine

Monday, January 16, 2006

Jim and Trixie arrived at St. Mary’s hospital around 6:30 a.m. The weekend had been uneventful.

Not wanting to sit around in their hotel room all day, Jim and Trixie rented a car and drove up to Minneapolis. As much as both of them hated shopping they spent the day roaming around the Mall of America. They stopped at Club Libby Lu to buy girlie gifts for Lizzie and the twins. A trip to the Build a Bear workshop found bears dressed as ballerinas for Stella and Jenny. A stop at Legoland found neat sets of Legos for the boys. They even found time to ride the roller coaster and the log ride before heading back to Rochester. Despite all of the crowds, it had been a good diversion for the two of them.

The senior Beldens and the Wheelers arrived around noon on Sunday. Jim and Trixie had attended Mass in the chapel at St. Mary’s hospital earlier in the day. The six of them enjoyed a late lunch at the Canadian Honker. While none of them were avid football fans they spent the afternoon and evening watching the NFL playoff games.

Trixie was rather cranky because she hadn’t had her ritual cup of coffee and her stomach was grumbling. Fortunately it didn’t take long to be called back into the pre-op area where they took her vitals and prepared her for surgery. The nurses and doctors checked and double-checked what breast would be operated on. At one point they asked Trixie to mark with a pen which breast would be done. Jim grabbed the pen and marked her right breast with an X. He then casually put it in his pocket. After the nurse had left he took it out and wrote a note on the breast to the doctor. “Take extra special care of my Shamus.” He wrote. Trixie giggled and pulled Jim into a tight embrace.

“You are a goof ball. What is Dr. Jacobs going to think?”

“That you are one special lady and he’d better do his very best.”

Pretty soon it was time for Trixie to be wheeled back into the operating room. Jim pulled Trixie into one last tight embrace. “I love you so much,” she said.

“I’ll be waiting for you to wake up. I’ll be saying lots of prayers.”

When Jim went back to the waiting area, Trixie’s and his parents were waiting there. Madeleine Wheeler took one look at him and pulled him into a tight embrace. Tears threatened to spill over in both of their eyes.

“What if she doesn’t pull through, Mother? How will I go on?” Jim asked.

“This is where we take a lesson from Trixie. We all know that things could happen and Trixie might not make it. We can’t think of that right now. We need to be positive. Should the worst happen, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

Jim sat down and opened up his laptop. He had hoped to get some paperwork done and keep his mind off what could be happening in the OR. His mind however couldn’t concentrate and he thought back to the night before in their hotel room.

Jim had come out of the bathroom after taking a shower to find Trixie in tears. He rushed over to comfort her and she pushed him away.

“Don’t come near me,” she said uncharacteristically. “I don’t know why you want to be near me now that I will be scarred. What do you see in me?”

Jim stopped in his tracks and backed up. He knew that self-doubt was common in women with breast cancer. They saw themselves as not whole and worried that their scars would be a turn off to their significant others.

Jim took a deep breath and carefully chose his next words. “Shamus, you could have three eyes and seventeen toes and it wouldn’t matter. I love all of you. Yes, I love your perky breasts and your flat stomach, but I’d still love you if you weighed 300 pounds and had to have a complete double mastectomy. It’s all part of loving you.”

Jim slowly made his way to the bed and sat down next to Trixie. He grabbed her hands in his and kissed them. “I won’t pretend to even begin to understand how you are feeling. I know if I was in a similar situation I’d be very scared and would probably push people away from me so I could wallow in self-pity and show everyone how strong I am. Don’t do that. You have your entire family to lean on. They want to help.”

Trixie moved closer to Jim and let him take her in his arms. She began to kiss him and he gently returned those kisses. Before the night was over, they tenderly made love.

Madeleine Wheeler was not one who could sit around a wait. She needed to do something. “I’m going down to the cafeteria for some coffee. Anyone want anything?” she said.

“A cup of coffee and something to eat would be nice. I didn’t have any breakfast. It was hard enough for Trixie to forgo her morning coffee without me tempting her with my breakfast,” Jim replied. He looked at his watch and was surprised to see that only about thirty minutes had passed since he had left Trixie. Without Trixie next to him to comfort him he knew time was going to drag.

Madeleine and Matthew went down to the cafeteria. Helen Belden was busy knitting a prayer shawl. Helen had found the pattern online. The idea of alternating three knit and three purl stitches to represent the different threes in the Bible intrigued her. As she knit she prayed. Once it was finished she would give it to Trixie. She knew Trixie would gain comfort from it during the months of chemotherapy and radiation therapy ahead.

Peter Belden tried to keep busy reading the Wall Street Journal. He wasn’t being very successful. He had read the first sentence three times and still didn’t have any idea what the story was about. He put the paper down and began to pace.

“I don’t know how you and Trixie handled Lizzie’s surgeries. This one is only supposed to last a couple of hours. I can’t imagine waiting through a nine hour surgery,” commented Peter.

“I just followed Trixie’s lead. She would immerse herself in word puzzles and barely come up for air. Every once in awhile she’d get up and walk around or go find something to drink. You know how obsessive she can be with word puzzles when she allows herself. When I’d get restless she just seemed to know what to do to calm me down.”

Jim finally gave up on getting anything done. He knew the grant application he had been working on needed to be completed within the next two weeks. He called the Academy and spoke with Brenda and Mart and asked them to try to fill out the application as best as they could. Fortunately, they had last year’s application to use as a guideline.

Madeline and Matthew came back and Jim tried to eat at least a little of the bagel and cream cheese they brought. It seemed to stick in his throat even when he tried to down it with his coffee.

The next hour just dragged on. Nothing kept Jim’s attention for any amount of time. Finally, the surgeon came out to update the family.

Paul Jacobs looked rather concerned when he greeted Jim. “We found two more tumors that were hidden behind the larger tumor. I also removed several of her lymph nodes. It looked like they could have been cancerous and I didn’t want to take any chances.”

Jim’s face paled at the news. He couldn’t get any words out. Madeleine Wheeler rushed over and put her arms around her son. Matthew Wheeler took one look at Jim and gently took control of the situation. “How does this change the overall prognosis?” he asked.

“I am recommending the same course of chemo and radiation. The only difference will be the area of the radiation therapy. I still anticipate a full recovery,” replied the doctor.

With that news, Jim shook off the despair that had started to take over him. “When will we be able to see her?”

“They are closing her up now and she should be in recovery in about a half an hour. By noon she should be in her room. I’ll stop by later this afternoon before I leave.”

Jim sat down and reached for his cell phone. He was glad that St. Mary’s did not prohibit the use of them in most parts of the building.

“Jim,” began Helen. “We’d be more than happy to help make those phone calls.”

“Thanks for offering, but I really would like to make the ones to the Bob-Whites and Bob myself. Feel free to contact the Rikers and Hallie’s parents as well as Uncle Andrew and Aunt Alicia.”

The first person Jim called was Honey. He knew that even though she said she was going to the office, she wouldn’t get much done until he called. The call was quick, as he wanted to get in touch with the rest of the Bob-Whites before Trixie was out of recovery.

He called Dan next. It was Dan’s day off and he was at Ten Acres trying to clean up after the kids. When Jim finished giving him the news Dan asked, “So how are you really handling this?”

“Boy, you don’t ever hold anything back do you?” Jim replied. “I have never been so scared in my life. I know what the doctors have said, and I trust Brian’s opinions, especially when it involves anything medical, but I can’t help fear that Trixie isn’t going to come through this. I’m so glad my parents and the Beldens are here. When Dr. Jacobs came in and said it was worse than they anticipated, I just about lost it.”

“I know you know all of the feelings you are having are valid. Trixie may not come through this, but I am going to believe she is until someone tells me different. That said, don’t be afraid to share your feelings with Trixie. The detective in her will know something is wrong and won’t stop until she finds out.”

“Of course, I know you’re right. You might just have to conk me over the head once in awhile to remind me of it. You know how stubborn we redheads can be.”

Before he hung up, he told Dan he and Trixie would be calling the kids later that night.

Jim had just finished the last of the phone calls when they came and told him that Trixie was out of recovery and in her room. Knowing that Trixie did not like others to see her in pain, Jim entered the room alone. She was pretty groggy and thanks to some heavy-duty pain medications, she was rather comfortable.

Jim went over to Trixie’s bed and gently tugged on his favorite curl. “Hey, Shamus how’s it going?”

“I feel like I’ve been hit by a Mack truck,” she replied.

Jim bent down and placed a kiss on her forehead. He brushed her curls out of her eyes and looked into them. “Have I told you lately that I love you and you are the most beautiful woman in the world?”

“I love you, too, Jim. When I didn’t see you right away when I came out of recovery, I started to panic. I don’t know why. In my head, I knew they wouldn’t let you in the recovery room, but my heart started to get scared.”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t here sooner. I was calling the Bob-Whites and Bob. I wanted to call them myself and let them know the news. It was Dan’s day off so I caught him at Ten Acres. I told him we’d call the kids later this afternoon when they got home from school.”

Trixie tried to sit up and look Jim in the eye. She stopped suddenly when she realized she was pulling on her incisions. Although Dr. Jacobs had done his best to conceal the incision, Trixie was surprised at the length of it.

“Take it easy, honey. Use the remote to adjust the bed instead of trying to sit up on your own. The nurses said they’d be in later this afternoon to get you up and walking around. The sooner you get up the better.”

With the help of Jim, Trixie got the bed adjusted so she could better see Jim. By the time that was done Trixie was exhausted again. A nurse came in and explained the breathing exercises she needed to do to clear the anesthesia from her lungs. She also took Trixie’s vitals and warned she would be back in an hour or so to get her up and around walking.

Although all she wanted to do was rest, Trixie realized her parents and Jim’s parents were waiting outside to see her. Helen and Peter, and Madeline and Matthew entered the room and each gave Trixie a hug. Realizing how tired she was, they stayed only long enough to assure themselves that she was okay. The four of them were going across the street to Salad Brothers for a quick late lunch. They’d bring Jim back something to eat and visit for a little while later. They had plans to fly back to New York later in the day.

After the Beldens and the Wheelers left, Trixie dozed off. Jim sat down and tried to do some more work on the grant application but soon found himself nodding off. He tried to make himself as comfortable as possible in the chair he was sitting in.

About an hour later the nurse came into get Trixie up and walking. “Mrs. Frayne, it’s time to get up and about,” she said.

Jim roused from his nap as Trixie opened her eyes. She winced somewhat as she tried to push herself up. The painkillers had started to wear off and her incision was starting to hurt. The nurse pulled a pill out of her pocket and offered it to Trixie.

Trixie tried to refuse the painkiller. She hated to take unnecessary pills and didn’t like the way some painkillers made her brain feel.

“Mrs. Frayne, there is nothing wrong with taking a painkiller. When they wear off completely, you could be in a lot of pain. It’s much easier to keep the pain under control than to reduce it when the painkillers wear off,” explained the nurse.

Jim encouraged Trixie to take the pill at least for now. Neither of them had really had a decent night sleep in the last week. Jim knew how important it was for Trixie to get quality rest. Finally, Trixie gave in and took the pill.

With the help of Jim and the nurse, Trixie got out of bed. Trixie was surprised how tender her whole upper body was. It was difficult to raise her right arm even a little bit. Leaning on Jim she stood up and they walked around the room. Just that little amount of exercise had worn her out.

The Beldens and Wheelers returned with lunch for Jim and visited for a little while. They didn’t stay long because they all needed to get back to Sleepyside and the weather was not looking good for flying later in the evening. With promises to call when they returned safely, and to give their grandkids hugs and kisses from their parents, the four of them took off.

Jim had yet to explain the larger incision and additional tumors when Dr. Jacobs came in to check on Trixie before he left the hospital for the day. He looked at her incision and then took the time to explain about the additional tumors and the removal of some suspected lymph nodes. Fortunately, Dr. Jacobs had a wonderful bedside manner and experience in breaking such news and Trixie took it rather well. At first Jim noticed the look of panic in her eyes, but by the time everything was explained to her, she seemed to be accepting of the change.

By now Trixie was getting rather tired again. She was surprised how in such a short time her energy level had dropped. Jim placed a call to Ten Acres and they both talked to all of their children. Lizzie wanted to know all about the surgery and what had been done. Matt wanted to know if they had gotten rid of all of the cancer cells. Jenny was just excited to hear her parents’ voices. They promised to call the next day.


Chapter Ten

Thursday, January 19, 2006

It was eight o’clock in the morning and Trixie was restless. Sure her incision still hurt and it was difficult for her to write or lift her right arm but she was tired of sitting around in bed. She could only walk the halls so often and there was nothing on TV that really excited her.

She was getting ornery and taking it out on Jim. If he helped, she accused him of treating her like an invalid. If he didn’t read her mind on what she needed, she pouted about him not caring. She knew she was being unfair but it was like someone she didn’t know had taken over her brain.

For his part, Jim had showed great restraint and managed to keep his infamous redheaded temper under control. Deep down, he knew that Trixie was having a hard time dealing with everything that had happened in the last six weeks. If things didn’t improve in a week or so he was going to suggest she talk to someone, but for now he put on a grin and gritted his teeth.

Unbeknownst to Trixie, Dr. Jacobs had told Jim the day before that barring any major setbacks he would be releasing Trixie the next day and that they would be free to return to New York the same day. Jim had spent the previous afternoon making arrangements for the Wheeler jet to pick them up. Jim also arranged for Brian and Honey to accompany Matt, Lizzie and Jenny on the flight as an additional surprise.

The plane would be leaving early in the morning with hopes that they would arrive at the hospital around noon. That would allow time for Trixie to be discharged, everyone to grab a bite to eat and be back in the air around 2:00 p.m. They would be in Sleepyside in time for a late dinner.

When Dr. Jacobs came in early on Thursday morning Trixie greeted him with a growl. She looked straight ahead when he examined her incision and could barely be civil.

“My, but we are in a good mood this morning,” he commented.

“I’m sick of sitting around in this hospital eating crappy hospital food, staring at the walls. I can’t even do much writing because it hurts my arm. And I miss my kids.”

“What would you say if I told you that you’d be seeing your kids before you go to bed tonight?”

Trixie’s eyes lit up. “Don’t tease me like that. I miss the chaos of their arguing more than I ever realized.”

“I’m not kidding. I want to get the lab results back from the blood work I ran this morning and then we can discharge you,” Dr. Jacobs said. “I would say by noon or so you should be ready to leave the hospital. I won’t need to see you back here unless something unexpected comes up. Dr. Weber can do your follow up and keep me posted.”

Trixie was so excited she could barely contain herself. She looked over at Jim and noticed he didn’t seem at all surprised. “Do you know something I don’t know?” she accused.

Jim rolled his eyes and innocently said, “Who me? I know nothing.”

“Well, you’d better get a move on and get us a flight out of here. I don’t really relish the thought of taking a commercial flight back to New York but if we must….” There was a knock on the door.

“Come in,” Trixie called out.

Slowly the door opened and to Trixie’s complete surprise there stood Matt, Lizzie, and Jenny. Trixie gasped and tears began to fall down her cheeks as the three children carefully made their way over to their mother.

“What are you doing here?” she exclaimed. Trixie struggled to sit up and embrace all three of her children at once. She winced when one of the kids accidentally pushed against her incision.

Jim walked over and joined the four of them in a group hug. “Careful so you don’t hurt your mother,” he said.

For one of the few times in her life Trixie was speechless. “How… what…who.” She was so excited she couldn’t combine the words to make a coherent sentence. She looked up over her family and noticed a shadow in the hallway. In an instant, the shadow transformed into Brian and Honey. More tears trickled down her cheeks as she reached out a hand to them still not able to speak.

Finally, Trixie smacked Jim on the shoulder.

“What did I do now?” he asked.

“How long have you known I would be released and what else are you keeping from me?” Trixie tried to look angry but the joy she felt could not be suppressed.

“Oh, Trix, Dr. Jacobs told me yesterday that you might be able to be released today. I knew how much you missed the kids and since it was Brian’s day off I conned him and Honey into bringing them out with the plane. I figured Dan and Hallie were probably ready to collapse after taking care of these three for the last week.”

Brian was finally able to give his sister the hug he wanted to. Ever the doctor, he couldn’t resist asking how she was feeling.

“Well, I now only feel like I got hit by a Ford Ranger instead of a Mack truck. I’m sure once I get back into my own bed I will start to feel like my old self again.”

The lab results came back and Dr. Jacobs, hearing that Brian and Honey were in the hospital, stopped back one last time to say good-bye. It didn’t take long for Trixie to get dressed and ready to leave. They stopped and grabbed a bite to eat on their way to the airport. As planned by 2:00 p.m. they were in the air headed back to New York.

The return flight was uneventful. Trixie slept for most of it while Jim caught up with the lives of his three children. When they arrived at Sleepyside airport the Wheeler limousine was waiting for them along with the Wheelers. Mickey and Stella were waiting for their parents as well. Once everything was unloaded Brian, Honey and their kids headed back to their house.

Everyone else loaded into the limousine and headed to Ten Acres. The minute the door to the car was closed Trixie fell into a sound sleep. When they arrived home Matthew and Madeleine helped get the kids into the house. Jim bent down and picked up Trixie and carried her into the house. She stirred a little but didn’t offer one word of protest. Dan and Hallie were there as well. They had spent the day cleaning up the house and making sure everything was in order for the Fraynes’ return. Helen Belden had a light meal waiting for them.

Originally, Jim had planned on carrying Trixie to the den, but when he realized how exhausted she was he carried her straight up to their bedroom. He removed her shoes and coat but didn’t bother to change her clothes. After surrounding her with pillows and protecting her incision he quietly left the room.

Despite the fact that the children had not seen their parents in a week they were on their very best behavior. No one fought and Lizzie and Matt finished up the last of their homework before heading to bed.

Finally, the dishes were done and Jim was able to sit down and relax with his in-laws, Dan, and Hallie. Mart and Diana stopped by. They had to see with their own eyes that everyone had gotten home all right.

“O.K. Jim, how’s she really doing?” asked Diana.

“All things considered I think she’s doing pretty well. She was really bored in the hospital and missed the kids and everyone else terribly. I know she is glad that she can do the rest of her treatments here in New York and not be traveling to Rochester on a regular basis.”

Jim let out a deep sigh and closed his eyes. “I don’t know how she’s going to handle the next phase of the treatment. You know Trixie has never been one to be overly concerned with her looks but once she starts to lose her hair I’m not sure what she’ll do.”

Shortly after everyone left. Jim picked Jenny up and carried her to her room and put her to bed. Then he went into his room and joined Trixie in bed. It wasn’t long before he was sound asleep.

 


back home next

 

Author Notes

Of course I can’t start my author notes without thanking the Lovely Diana, Wonderful Beverly, and Fabulous Bonnie for all that they do to keep me in line. I think Beverly must think I’ve never heard of a comma.

To Mal, I’ll just say “Thanks” again. You have no idea how your calm, mentoring has helped me.

I am not a doctor and I don’t even play one on T.V. All the information I’ve used regarding the treatment of breast cancer has been from people I’ve known that have had breast cancer and the Mayo Clinic website. www.MayoClinic.com

If you’d like more information about breast cancer including fundraising check out www.komen.org.

“Everyone Deserves a Lifetime” is the motto of the Breast Cancer 3 Day Walk.

Caring Bridge is a wonderful website that was set up as a way to update families if a loved one is sick. It is set up so that your privacy is protected. For more information check out www.caringbridge.org.

Once again I channeled myself into Trixie when I spoke of how she dealt with Lizzie’s surgeries. That is exactly how I felt.

Mall of America is the largest shopping mall in the United States (at least it was when it was built). It is huge with an amusement park, aquarium and more stores than you can visit in a day. I HATE to go there. It’s too big. They do have some fun stores for kids though. It’s just that I hate taking mine there because it is always packed.

Salad Brothers is a little deli type restaurant located right across the street from St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester, MN. I’ve spent many a lunch running over there to pick up a salad or sandwich.

Mal thanks the awesome Terry for her endless patience in holping with the techy stuff!

Word Count, 5,670


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