God has allowed me to experience so much joy in the last few days--right in the middle of cities, airports, and hospitals--some of my least favorite places. But somehow, there has been contentment, and even happiness. I know my feelings have ebbs and flows, but I am capitalizing on the flows of joy right now.
Thursday, after six days in Arizona where I didn't even get the treatment I had gone for (but that is another story and that is okay) I flew home to Sioux Falls this time. I am becoming quite adept at going through these airports!
And I'm loving the old fashioned atmosphere at the South Dakota airports. My plane landed more gently this time and didn't give me whiplash (though I had nearly panicked upon boarding when I noticed how very small the tires were, compared to the big jet and all the weight of the hundreds of people on board.)
Anyway, the tree above was directly in front of me when I entered the airport--sleds, skates, skis--so cute!
Every tree had a different theme. These were a couple of my favorites. I found myself completely off the wrong direction following the trees in awe and wonder and had to turn around to make it to baggage claim.
This star said to choose an ornament and write in one word what Christmas means to you.
Don't you love the responses? Most of the ornaments said Jesus, but here were ones that said "Hope."
"Miracle." (That was one of my favorites.)
Family.
Peace on earth.
Jonathan picked me up and less than 1 1/2 hours later he was dropping me off at a medical appointment, followed by shopping and a walk at a nearby city park called Falls Park,
where the falls are lit up with Christmas colors.
The next morning, Jonathan was dropping me off at the
front door of the hospital where I was supposed to get an echo
cardiogram to test my heart. My lungs are having issues, and it is
suspected that herceptin is the culprit, since this drug can cause heart issues which in turn can cause lung issues, which is why the doctors didn't
want to give me that drug in AZ before tests ruling it out. But a chest
X-ray in AZ revealed "hyperinflated" lungs. So now an echo cardiogram was
ordered.
I couldn't get one in AZ until Dec 21, so I scheduled one in Sioux Falls within two days.
I
could have been unnerved by entering a huge, strange hospital, but it
wasn't strange after all because Jonathan and I had stopped there to
visit Faye a couple months ago, and I had sung "His Eye Is on the
Sparrow" over the phone to her right near that front door.
And a flock of sparrows had flown up out of the bushes there.
Now here I am--this time the patient--God's little brown sparrow!
It
seemed like everyone there were angels that day--so kind and sweet and
helpful. The lady at the registration desk is fascinated with holistic
approaches to diseases like cancer and was so sweet. She called a
volunteer who works there--for no pay--to help directionally-challenged
patients like me to find her way to who-knows-where in the hospital.
He
showed me up this elevator and down that hall and across a long walk to
another waiting room where I discovered this cute angel made from white
mask fabric hanging on the tree there.
The echo cardiogram didn't take long, with the sonographer being sweet and kind, too.
I really think that if we are sweet and kind and grateful, we receive it back.
Such a South Dakota scene met our eyes on the way home!
And then it was good to be home with my youngest children--in our own home. How pleasant so many things seem when we've had to be in airplanes, airports, empty home in Arizona, clinics, imaging center, and hospital.
Small joys seem immense after all that.
Thank You, Lord!
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