The "Family Room"

We made it alive! 

We arrived in California on saturday night around six pm.

So glad we're back and safe.

Today was DAY 1 of chemo treatments.

This morning has been just a bundle of emotions.

We woke up at six forty five to get ready.

Getting in the car, Adam turns on the radio.

The song "you gotta keep your head up ohhhh oh. You gotta keep your head up yaaaa ya." comes on.

I couldn't figure out if our Ford Focus was giving me a hint of the film Transformers, or if this the Lord singing to me.

We drove all the way to Sacramento to freeze our future babies at a sperm bank and hurried on back to Roseville for chemo treatments.

(incase your unaware chemo has potentially and will most likely make you sterile.)

Waiting in the waiting room was sorta wierd but entering the "family room" as i like to call it is was even more weird.

I imagined chemo was a private thing. You would sit with an IV in your arm in a quiet room and barf if you needed to in your own privacy.

How wrong i was!

at least at kaiser.

There were reclining chairs lining the walls and the room sorta looped around like an L shape. Some people had curtains but no one chose to use them.

The cancer patients just sit in the recliner with there IV's in and let the poison drip.

As most would agree when walking in you feel a little eerie like you just walked into the wrong classroom on the first day of school. 

But i soon realize not to feel eerie but to "make yourself at home."

After the four hours of us being there, it felt like a big family room.

Some people got the medication without any loved ones by there side, others had the max of 2 visitors the whole time.

I believe, they don't close the curtains because they find support in one another.

Today I learned that there is something magical in the strength of numbers.

Every person's treatment is different.

It's interesting ease dropping.

And oh brother, you try and avoid in there.

It's naturally and everyone does it.

Thus another reason why the "family room" is so appropriate.

Some patints are scheduled to come back in 3 weeks, we WISH!

we're back in tomorrow.

and the next day.

and the next day.

and the next day.

five days a week.

four hours a day.

then a two week break.

and 

REPEAT.

We love having visitors. Makes the time FLY.

Adam is peacefully asleep as they gave him a "tranquilizer" to take every night to help him relax.

Enjoy some pictures from our day:)

Now before we begin, let me preface.

The nurse handed Adam three pills and said, now these might make you feel a little wired.

You might not be able to sleep tonight.

Ergo.

Our photoshoot.

Todays lesson:

There is strength in numbers.