Happy Birthday, Judy!

This is Judy, who you’ve seen so many times with me at MD Anderson. She’s been my friend since we were 12. We’re close enough that she can tell me when I have spinach in my teeth, or when I have a gap in my teeth, or when I need to go back to my mascara. She’s a doll. Bless her heart, she’d like for me to color my hair, but I just won’t go there. I’ll just look like her mother. She looks GREAT, but she’s as old as me, now. Can you imagine getting some of the worst news of your life (you have breast cancer and you need chemo, surgery and radiation) and then looking into these eyes? Her kids and her husband are so blessed. Don and I have been so blessed to have her be our dear friend through all of this cancer experience. She’s been so supportive. When we went to Tijuana she didn’t fight us. When we went to MD Anderson, she DROVE us to the hospital. We stayed at her house when I had the biopsy. I wore pajamas she brought me from Japan. When I had the mastectomies she was right there with me until I went into surgery and sat with Don all through it. She's spent HOURS and hours with us at MD Anderson through all our time there. She brought us flowers and food to the apartment. She GAVE me her kitchen stool for the apartment and I kept it and climb around my kitchen with it, still. She’s been such a true friend for so long and what a blessing she has been through this experience. We have so many memories to treasure. One is when I insisted she go get a senior drink with me at McDonald’s. I asked how much a senior drink was and the girl said, “For you it will be 35 cents, but for her it will be 75 cents.” Don and I bent over laughing and Judy said, “I rest my case.” (about me coloring my hair) I know I’ve left out a ton of what she’d done for us, but I didn’t mean to tell you everything; just enough to remind you of how special she is in our lives. Now she’s as old as I am, but she’ll never look it; she stays on top of looking young!

Life in Hobart today has been sweet. We had breakfast this morning with Dorothy and David at the Kozy Diner. Then we all went to check on Charlene in the hospital; she’s doing well, but will be there for some time with those fractures healing. After that visit we stopped by another friend’s auction, but didn’t stay long. I sewed a little today and cleaned up from all my exercises and got ready to go celebrate our friend, Maggie’s 80th birthday. Another good friend had a come and go party for her this afternoon and we were so pleased to be here for that special time. Jo Ann and Frank went to the birthday party with us and then we met David and Dorothy at a brand new steak house in town; today was their first day to be open. It was delicious, so we are proud to have another place in town to eat. It’s called the Wagon Wheel, so you’ll see me mention it, again, no doubt. After we hurt ourselves eating we came over to our house and played cards! This was Dorothy’s first time to play cards since she broke her arm. We have a cardholder that she could use and she did just great with it! The girls won one game and the guys won one. (Trish, that was the cardholder you gave us and she loved it! Thank you!)

I thank God for good friends who brighten our lives! I thank God for my healing and for Dorothy and David’s healing. Wow. We’re so blessed.