"OH SH*T!!" No one made it...

We delivered "the goods"; "the goods", being my dad, to the University of Pennsylvania last night.  They didn't end up calling my parents to let them know that a bed was ready until after 6 pm.  Thank goodness my mom made the decision to catch a train as start down to the city about an hour before the call. When we arrived we had to wait an hour for the room to be clean.  We were thinking this must be a hell of a hospital room!! & it was!!!

When we got up to his floor and were waiting at the nurses station where we happened upon this wall;

 where I immediately looked and was puzzled by the lack of photos in the frames, then my mom caught my quizzical look at the wall.  Finally, Pop turned around...he shocking said, "OH SH*T!  No one made it." and laughed...
He still has his sense of humor!  Like I said he expects you to laugh and be fun.  No gloomy Guses in his presence.

His biggest fear was that we had to take the 11 pm train home & that we might run into hoodlems.  I reassured him that I had it covered.  I'm not sure that he believed me, but I knew that we were going to be just fine.  I take combat classes afterall.

Pop will be in the University of Pennsylvania for a couple more days until they can lower his blood's viscosity to a normal, more healthy level.  While he is not happy to be a patient, I know that he is the best hands in the tri-state area for his type of cancer & if anything was to happen he is being well taken care of.  I know this makes my mom less anxious and right now she needs to grab any break she can get. 

Hyperviscosity Syndrome, you SUCK!!

I received some crappy news today.  I know there are other, more mature adjectives for this news, but crappy, that is what I am going with.
My Pop, has to be admitted to the hospital at The University of Pennsylvania.  He will be receiving in-patient treatment for a rare side-effect from the Multiple Myeloma called Hyperviscosity Syndrome (HVS).  This syndrome causes a thickening of the blood.  We were told that this condition is pretty dangerous because the thickness of the blood could make his veins tear, his heart malfunction, there is even a possibility of a coma. 
Holy Moley that is a lot to digest.  Right now he is home waiting for the call that a bed is available.

My dad would never admit it, but he must be terrified.  I know I am terrified for him & of course, super helpless.
My mom is so exhausted, when she called me to let me know how the appointment went, the sound of her voice said it all.  Sometimes, I think she needs the thoughts and prayers that I am asking for for Pop.  This is not the first time she has been the care-taker for a cancer patient; afterall, my brother had cancer at the age of 15.  If you ask me there is NOTHING harder on a parent then childhood cancer.    He is now in his 40's and completely healthy. She also traveled up to Northern New Jersey a few times a week to help my grandmother care for my grandpop while he was ill.  This is not something that anyone should have to get used to, but she is a warrior for the people that she loves.


Anywho...as much as I loathe cancer and what it is doing to me & my family, I trust that EVERYTHING will work out the way it is supposed to.  Pop is the one who instilled that in me.  He hasn't lost Faith, in fact I think he has become more faithful if that is possible.  He would NEVER want me to give up.  Never stop laughing and having fun.  That's just Pop; always with a cheesy joke & a smile.  It is hard & I am scared, but cancer WILL NOT impose on my spirits.