FORWARD

This is the story of my life and near death experience.

This is not my normal style of blog writing as I often write short stories. This will be written in chapter form.

There is a lot to say.

I’m not writing this for entertainment, although as is customary, there will be humor. This is the story of cancer treatment gone very wrong and a brilliant team of Doctors that saved my life.

What happened to me is extremely rare. So much so that Doctors around the world are studying my case. If someone can learn from my experience than this will have been worth it.

But mostly, this is written by me, for me. 

Please get yourself a big old beverage of your choice, sit back and get ready for the ride of my life. 

Let’s take a quick review…

June of 2025, I was diagnosed with kidney cell cancer on my pancreas. Very unusual but that’s just me.

December 2025, it was found that there was a second tumor and the first tumor had grown.

Immunotherapy was the next step.

December 29, 2025, I had my first infusion of Keytruda.

 I had an infusion every 3 weeks, Jan 21, Feb, 11, and one scheduled for March 4. I never made that one.

In addition to the infusion drug, I also took a pill every day called Lenvima. The Keytruda works with your immune system to seek out and destroy rogue cancer cells. The Lenvima helps the tumors slow growth.

Both of these drugs, like all drugs, come with side effect warnings. But the overwhelming benefit far outweighs the potential for serious or even fatal side effects. Keytruda is one of the most widely used and effective forms of immunotherapy.

It nearly killed me.

CHAPTER 1

Circling the Drain

It started innocently enough. In late January the first side effect appeared. I had serious pain in my mouth. Almost anything I tried to eat or drink hurt. Things like a carbonated beverage would send my reeling. Mint toothpaste burned. Coffee was too hot, ice cream was too cold…anything scratchy hurt. I was given a mouth rinse called Magic Mouthwash. It numbed my mouth enough to be able to eat something. My oncology team believed it was the Lenvima that was the cause. The daily dose was lowered to try and ease the effects.

In mid-February, I developed some super nasty nasal congestion. Almost constant nasal drip combined with the oh so nasty green gunk one often sees with a sinus infection. I went to my Ear, Nose and Throat doctor. He found no infections. Sent me home to use saline nasal spray.

Any food or beverage I ate or drank started to taste awful. Chemical. Also very common. I was not eating. In February alone, I lost 14 pounds. Fatigue was real. I napped every day for hours. I slept all night. I was able to force myself to get up and out every day but the time out became less and less. Plus the weather sucked. I was becoming very weak. Of course I was, I wasn’t eating. I had no ambition to cook or make anything and I wasn’t  hungry. I tried to force myself to eat something. But the truth was IF I was taking in 400-500 calories a day, I was doing good. 

The last 3 weeks of February are in ways, a blur to me.

I started having trouble walking steady. Think Weebles Wobble. I noticed I could not hold my head up or stand up straight. My neck and back hurt. Of course they did, cleaning 12 feet of snow off my car must have done that. My voice was almost gone. My eyesight became blurry. All known side effects of Lenvima. 

On the final weekend of February, I knew I was in serious trouble. I had an infusion scheduled for Wednesday March 4. I figured I’d just wait until then and see the oncology team and deal with it then. I didn’t want to make a fuss. On Sunday March 1, a friend stopped by to visit and check on me. As we sat on the couch, I said to him, “I think I’m dying…” His response was what anyone would have said, “I know you feel shitty but this is the worst part. You’re gonna be fine”.

Well it’s been a bit since I stopped in to chat. I’ve been kinda busy trying not to die. I began my immunotherapy treatments at the end of December. I go every three weeks and get an infusion of a drug and then every day I take another drug. One of these drugs seeks out the rogue cancer cells running around and kills them. The other drug shrinks the existing tumors. Don’t ask me which one does what!

All was going along smoothly until about the end of January when some side effects started to show up. It was gradual at first but then WHAM! The first noticeable thing was fatigue. Suddenly I had no energy or ambition to do anything. I could nap for hours and still sleep all night. I could not go to the pool. Then the mouth issue happened. My mouth became so sore that I could barely eat or drink anything. Anything that was hot or very cold would burn. Anything carbonated would be excruciating. I had to change from anything minty for toothpaste to kids strawberry flavored toothpaste. And food that was crispy or had sharp crunchy things was a big no. Ice cream was actually too cold. My morning coffee had to be lukewarm, same with soup. I had great ideas for things to make but I had zero ambition or energy to actually make things. I also developed a sinus thing that was so nasty. Picture your worst sinus infection and there is nothing you can do about it. And dry mouth. That’s just a bonus.

The doctors had to lower the dose of the daily drug to try and ease some of these effects. It has taken time but some things are better. And when I say better, please think small increments. But I’ll take it for now.

It is not like me to be so defeated but honestly, this shit beats you up. I don’t really intend to die but also, there are moments when I fear that could happen with this. I think that makes me normal. I also think this nasty cold and snowy winter has not helped my mindset. Although there was a day last week when it was warm (32*) and sunny and I sat on my back porch, in the sun wearing just my shorts and t-shirt…and it was glorious. I have enjoyed the Olympics and my obsession with The Pitt. I have two more infusions scheduled for March and and MRI and CT scan to check my progress. I remain hopeful these scans will show what we need them to show so that surgery can happen soon. I have places to be in the late Spring and Summer so let’s all keep a good thought and make that happen!

Until then, I want everyone to know that I feel your love and good thoughts for me. I am so incredibly blessed with family, chosen family and the best of friends. It makes getting through this a lot easier knowing you are all there. Thank you.

I don’t know about you but those letters people include in their Christmas cards about how wonderful their year was make me crazy.

“Chad here…me and Penny want to let you know how wonderful our life was this past year and make you feel like your life sucked….our daughter Caliope starred as Annie in her school musical. The sun will come out tomorrow never sounded so angelic. Chadwick the 4th mastered tying his sneakers. We are so proud…” Yeah, I hate these letters. So I’m not writing one. I am writing a brief reflection of the past year.

As we all know, two knee replacements and a funky cancer diagnosis pretty much dominated the year for me. I began a course of immunotherapy treatment that will hopefully knock this shit out once and for all.

There is an odd feeling that takes over as the toxic chemicals are dripped into your bloodstream. There is that part of you that thinks it’s a good thing because it’s purpose is to help kill cancer cells and shrink existing tumors. Then there is the part of you that fears the side effects of this stuff. And to be honest, I sat there wondering if this would work…will it be enough? Did we catch this in time? Should we have started this back in September? Will I die?

There are no perfect answers to these questions. We can only hope that all the research and trials that have been done that show this is a effective treatment are correct. (Fuck you Robert F. Kennedy Jr) I am beyond fortunate that I live this close to the best hospital in the world. I have an incredible medical team. I have incredible insurance. I have family near and far that root for me every day. I have friends and chosen family members supporting me every step of the way. I have pools and ponds to run in. I have ice cream dates and cookies and coffee with those that love me. I have ladies who lunch. I have the Patriots and Drake “Drake Maye” Maye. I have the Bruins…when they actually play well. I will have the Red Sox as the year rolls on. I have Jason’s bat. And so much more…

The coming year brings great uncertainty. But there is one thing that is for sure very certain…me. I will face this challenge head on and fight every step of the way.

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

Robert Frost

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

Happy New Year.

Those pesky little cancer cells made it to the naughty list.

Let’s recap a moment….tumor discovered on my pancreas in June. Took 3 separate endoscopic biopsies to determine what kind of cancer this was. Final diagnosis made in early September.

Stage 4 metastatic renal cell clear cell carcinoma of the pancreas. Or in simple English, kidney cell cancer on my pancreas.

After meetings with two oncologists and a pancreatic surgeon, it was decided that surgery for this cancer would be necessary but not until I could lose some weight to make the surgery safer. The combined opinion of these experts was this was a slow growing cancer and we had time. They also felt that no treatment was necessary at this time. The plan was to wait until December and then check my progress. So 12 weeks later, I was down 31 pounds and ready for this to get out of me. But life has other plans.

I had an MRI on Dec 12 and it showed that the tumor had grown, slightly but still growth. And there was now a second tumor on my pancreas. Not what we had hoped for. I met with both oncologists and the surgeon this past week. The major concern is the new growth. Seems there are some pesky little rogue cells roaming around looking for places to settle. So the plan changed. Surgery will be pushed back 3-6 months while I begin a course of immunotherapy that will consist of a daily pill and an infusion every 3 weeks. We do not want these cells to set up house on other organs. So these drugs will shrink the current tumors and seek out and destroy those little traveling bastards. This is what happens when you make it to the Naughty List.

In September of 1971, my sister Cathy began her freshman year at Colby College in Waterville Maine.

Let it be known she is 6 years older than me…except for 4 days in February when we are 5 years, 361 days apart. These are my favorite days of the year.

I don’t recall exactly what she was going to get her degree in but I know she was (and is) very smart. Sadly, she got mono before she graduated and our family could not afford to keep sending her to Colby. She dropped out and was never able to return. But clearly the fire burned… a few years back, she audited a few classes at Colby but once again, could not afford to return to school and finish what she started.

The University of Maine offers free tuition to senior citizens. So Cathy decided to take some classes. And then a few more classes. And then suddenly she was on track to get her degree. Over the last few years, she has taken a few classes each semester and over the summer. She has done incredibly well and often receives great feedback from her professors. It must be fun for them to be working with a much older student. Cathy will often send me her grades and I will always tell her I am slightly disappointed and she needs to do better! Hard to do better than 100’s and A’s all the time. She knows I’m kidding with her and that I am very proud of her work.

Recently, she began a class on “Advanced Writing”. The task was to write a 2 page “Reflective Essay” Two pages isn’t much, especially for someone who excels in writing.

I present to you the actual essay she submitted;

Reflective essay  ENG 205

Catherine Taylor  10-28-2025

I had the considerable good fortune to spend the Christmas holidays in Washington, DC a few years ago. High on my list of things to do that week was to see the White House Christmas tree. Since childhood, we have watched with breathless anticipation as television brought to life the annual spectacle of lighting the national holiday symbol. It sparkled like a million stars, reflecting the joy of the season and the promise of an illuminated new year to come. 

But there was something else about it. It wasn’t big. As a matter of fact, it seemed rather ordinary, like a tree that would grace a town square anywhere in the country. It was surrounded by lots of smaller trees-50 of them, of course-each festooned with a Christmas wish from an individual state. They had never told us about them on TV, as if they somehow paled in comparison to the main attraction. Rather, these trees, and the modest stature of the main tree, spoke to me of the kindred spirit of Christmas, that it belongs to all of us in a shared and humble way.

And so it is with this memory close to my heart that I watched in horror as the wrecking balls and loud machines began to claw at the East Wing of the People’s House. I had visited there as well, and again was struck by the ordinariness, the homage to the past, and the honor of history. There was a frosty chill in the air, the fading winter sun dappled the worn carpet. There was a faint scent of old paper and apple cider. Holiday garlands seemed a little tattered, velvet ribbons well-worn, chairs a little dusty and moire wallpaper a little dated, but collectively charming, traditional and unpretentious, like my house and yours. This week, amidst the collective chaos, I actually felt something finally break in me; I wept for it all. 

The East Wing became a home to the First Lady’s staff during the FDR presidency, and Eleanor Roosevelt greeted female reporters, Girl Scouts and many other women guests there.  Under Rosalyn Carter in the 1970’s, it became the Office of the First Lady, recognizing the increasingly important role the of the spouse of the president (King). Here we find portraits of the First Ladies and framed presidential Christmas cards dating back almost two hundred years. It is no small metaphor now, to tear away the homage given to women in the White House, even as so much disrespect pervades our daily discourse.

I am old enough to remember when Jackie Kennedy invited us to the White House, as she graciously guided us through the elegant rooms-named for colors of the rainbow. We admired the doors, the dishes, the fireplaces and the artwork, and for many of us, it forged a personal connection to this proud symbol of democracy. Not fancy, but nice enough for a president and his family; they deserved such a home built on shared ideals, courage and steadfast appreciation for the somber weight of the office. Now, shattered by questionable morality, it is to become a gilded lily, as if the lily herself were not sufficiently breathtaking. 

What do we do in the face of such trembling rage? Of frustration born of the reality that there is literally nothing we can do to stop it? To pound the earth in fury as colonnades tumble and know without doubt that the very foundation of our world is crunching under the order of a would-be despot. Vengeful fellows sway in his sphere and applaud, but there is no real dancing to be had. The joy of Christmas, the light, the Green Room, the French doors are all gone now. Jackie’s breathless, wispy voice echoes in the smoky wind. 

When the roses are gone, what have we left? How do we reclaim the symbols of our heritage once they are carted away?  How do we calm the unease at seeing the visible symbols of history torn away?  What thread, what small fragment of hope can help us rebuild, maybe better than before, not as an ornate palace, but as once again a home to America and its legacy, a place where all are welcome? The East Wing once served as the portal for White House visitors; one of the many Christmas trees that stood sentry there was a tree honoring military families and their sacrifices. It is easy to say that bricks and boards are the weight bearers of our ancestry and culture, but it is more ethereal than that. America was born of nothing more than a dream of freedom; dreams may fade and swirl in the dust, but they are never really gone. We simply must not hand them over to gaudy spectacle, but rather reclaim what is rightly ours, and seize the fragments of democracy from those who seek to destroy it. 

King, Rachel. “A History of the White House East Wing”  Town & Country Magazine  

23 October 2025

In May of this coming year, my sister Cathy will receive her Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from the University of Maine, Farmington. It is entirely possible there will be some kind on cum laude attached to it. She will don her cap and gown and walk across the stage like every other graduate. No one, and I mean no one will be prouder of her than I will.

There is a very large recreation park near where I live. It has numerous playing fields, basketball courts, little league fields and of course “my” pool. Earlier this year, a massive construction project began to create a new multi purpose field, walking paths, pickleball courts and a major drainage project. So one day all these cool trucks and excavators arrived (a kids paradise) and started to dig up the park. Every day I would drive by and see a newly created pile of dirt. One of the piles was HUGE….and then there were many smaller piles randomly placed around the area. It made absolutely no sense to me.

But I was fascinated. I assume there is a plan for these piles but not being a dirt pile construction professional, I had no idea. I just really enjoyed the process. What was most fascinating to me was that the piles seemed to move from one place to another with no specific obvious reason. It seemed like men in big claw trucks just made dirt piles for fun. And then moved them the next day like chess pieces on a board. The new field started to take shape and I watched every day as another layer of dirt or stone or something was laid down. There are so many layers of stuff! This is obviously part of the drainage plan but again, so interesting to watch. Big roller trucks arrived and compacted the area down before a new layer was added. One by one the small piles began to disappear but the huge pile remained and actually became a lovely grassy hill. Could this be a permanent fixture? A new sledding hill? But no…slowly but surely the claw trucks took big chunks of dirt from the hill and made new piles. The new field is slated to be ready for use in October. I’m not sure that will happen since many piles remain. I’ll be sad when it’s done…but the good news is that they will then move to the other side of the park and start all over again!

Moving on…adults who ride those two wheel skateboard/scooter things with a motor are idiots. First of all, wear a helmet if you MUST ride one. Second, if you ride in the street, you actually have to obey the traffic laws. You are not allowed to ride on the highways…really. And when you do, and you weave in and out of traffic and get hit by a car, you will wish you had that helmet on to protect whatever might be left of your pea sized brain.

I will never grant the way for anyone driving a Tesla Cyber Truck. I will block any intersection you are trying to exit or enter. If you have one of these, you are compensating for a small penis. I will not indulge you. As the great Kathy Bates once uttered in “Fried Green Tomatoes”…”face it ladies, I’m older and have more insurance.”

Back for a moment to intersections…why does every car now that is trying to exit a side street just pull out so far that you almost hit them? And in some case, pull out and just keep going? These are the same people that think a red light means one or two more cars can go. They are also the ones that park at the end of the marked spaces at the end of a sidewalk/curb because there is room and they will only be a minute.

Kids crossing streets without looking because they are looking at their phones deserve to get hit. Not that I want them to but really, who’s fault will it be? And then there are the people who press the walk light and actually wait for it (thank you!) but then miss it completely because they were looking at their phones…and now dash out and try to cross anyway.

And last but certainly not least, if you are old enough to remember the 1999 Grammy Awards, you will understand my final thought…Ricky Martin is en fuego!

So yeah, I did a tattoo thing. Let it be known that I was the last of the family to do this. My sister has one, my brother had many and my nieces and nephew are all inked. Now I am too.

I was not opposed to tattoo’s, just never had anything I wanted permanently on my body. One thing I did know is whatever I may have gotten, it had to be in a place where I could see it. For many years I have looked at various nautical things because as we know, sailing is my thing. But I never found anything that I really liked that was unique. Until now.

Earlier this summer, my niece A sent me a beautiful sterling silver cuff bracelet. There was something written on the inside. It says, “Fate whispers to the warrior “you can’t withstand the storm. The warrior whispers back “I AM THE STORM” I loved this…so much.

And in that moment, I knew this was the thing I wanted permanently on me. This year has been trying in so many ways. But the reality is that my life has been trying in many ways as well. I’m no different than most people, just experienced different life drama and trauma. From family stuff, growing up with alcoholic parents, losing our house, being evicted from apartments to living with family friends or be homeless. Spending 38 years in a 911 career where nobody calls you when they are having a good day to the internal drama of managing employees. A previous bout with kidney cancer 13 years ago to where I am today. My ortho surgeon called me a “warrior” for how I have handled two knee replacement surgeries. And then as we know, I got a fun new cancer thing…and I will have to be a warrior to face that journey. My niece A knew a really good tattoo artist on Cape Cod. It seemed fitting to me to go there with her and get this done. So a plan was hatched. The artist does not work on Wednesday’s but she agreed to come in on her day off to do this for me. I can not say enough about how wonderful she was. So very talented. She was very thorough and took her time, making sure everything was perfect. It was a great experience, not at all painful and came out exactly as I had visioned. Thank you Madi Bristol from Great Island Tattoo in Hyannis Ma.

So yeah, I did a thing…and I love it. I AM A WARRIOR.

I don’t know.

These are the three words I have come to detest. I say them countless times a day. And I’m pretty sure I will be saying them for awhile. But finally, one thing I do know is that after 3 endoscopic biopsies, I have renal cell clear cell carcinoma…in my pancreas.

How did this happen? Well…I don’t know. I do know that this is not a good thing. But really, is any kind of cancer a good thing? I do know that they tell me this is unusual. It’s hard to understand how you get kidney cancer in your pancreas. Apparently cells migrated from my old cancerous kidney into the pancreas. Aren’t I lucky?

So what’s next? … (insert 3 detested words). I’m fairly certain some type of treatment is in my future. There has been some talk about surgery. The next step is likely to meet with my “cancer team” to decide on a treatment plan. I have lots of questions…

Like Shaboozey, I could use some “Good News”.

Join me as I go down this road.

It’s been awhile…and a lot has happened in that time.

“Annus Horribilis” is a Latin phrase that translates to “horrible year”. It was most famously uttered by Queen Elizabeth in 1992 is a speech describing a particularly difficult year for the British Royal Family. I am using this phrase to describe what has been my “annus horribilis” this past 12 or so months.

In July of 2024, I fell and basically destroyed my left knee. My right knee was not much better. After many physical therapy appointments, cortisone shots and meetings with my ortho doc, we made the decision to do total knee replacement surgery.

Fast forward to January 7, 2025. I went in to the hospital and had a total knee replacement on my left knee. There are few words to describe how intensely difficult this surgery was. You think you understand but really, there is no way to understand having your bones cut off. I did “well” for the most part. Had some severe swelling issues and for close to 2 months, I could not sleep more than an hour at most in my bed. The pain is indescribable. I got most of my “sleep” in a newly purchased recliner. I continued with PT and prepared for knee #2. Yes, you read that right! Because doing one knee was so much fun, I decided to do my right knee as well. So on April 23, I went in to the hospital and did it all over again! This time was different. I did not have the swelling or sleep issues as much. What I did have was some significant nerve issues. I absolutely could not stand anything touching my leg. This included long pants, blankets, sheets…anything. It took awhile but that problem has subsided. Today I continue with PT and still have pain every day. It’s a long process and could take a year or more. But I’m tough so I can handle it. I tell myself this every day!

And then the year turned really horribilis. I felt what I thought was an abdominal hernia. Went to the Doc and was sent for a CT scan. It was not a hernia, just an abdominal muscle torsion. But there was something else. A lesion/tumor on my pancreas. A flurry of tests ensued…CT scans, MRI, endoscopic biopsy, second endoscopic biopsy, second opinions from pathologists and very few answers. There are some things that are certain. This is cancer. From what they can tell, this appears to be metastatic renal cell carcinoma in my pancreas. Now…renal cell cancer is a fancy term for kidney cancer. So how do I have kidney cancer in my pancreas??? That’s the big question. In 2013, I had an “encapsulated” tumor in my left kidney. The entire kidney was removed and the tumor went with it. No further treatment was required because it was “encapsulated”. Well, here we are and it looks like a pesky few cells migrated into my pancreas and set up shop. I have known and have been dealing with this since mid-June. It’s almost 2 months later and I have no definitive answers. It has been very difficult knowing I have cancer but not knowing how or why or what is next. Some kind of treatment is in my future. There will be a 3rd endoscopic biopsy, this time at MGH. There may be a surgical procedure to remove the lesion/tumor. I don’t know. These are the 3 words I say many times a day…I don’t know.

This has been very hard on my family and friends. But they are all here to support me every step of the way. They manage information sharing for me so I don’t have to tell every single person. This helps immensely. I do my best to remain upbeat and positive and carry on every day as I normally would. But there is that nagging fear of what’s next…what will happen…will I die from this? I fight those questions off and live each day. One thing I know for sure…I will not die today from this.

Having voted early, my bff MC and I boarded a plane in Boston the day before the national election and flew to Florida. The last time I was on a plane was in the spring of 2005! My sister and I flew to Tampa/St.Pete for a few days of beach and sun. So much has changed in 20 years! First of all, driving to Logan was a new experience. The Ted Williams tunnel! What happened to the other tunnels???? The airport looks nothing like it did 20 years ago. Well, of course it doesn’t. But wow was I surprised. Navigating the airport was going to be a challenge for me…both because it’s all so different and because I am as well. MC made it easy for me. I’m not sure I could have done this without her help.

We boarded the plane and off we went. The flight was really very smooth and we arrived in Orlando about an hour early. The Orlando airport is massive….like really massive! We got our luggage and our rental car and off we went to our resort. MC has a vacation ownership and can go to many places in the world. We went to this incredible place in Orlando…with 5 pools, our “room” was a fully outfitted 2 bedroom/2 bathroom suite complete with full kitchen and in-room laundry. And a lovely balcony with table and chairs to look out over the fountain lake. It was fantastic. We got settled and then walked over to the big pool…and wow! This pool was massive. And right in the middle of the pool was a huge grotto with waterfalls. Amazing. We grabbed dinner at the poolside restaurant and then back to our room.

Election day dawned partly cloudy with occasional rain showers. So we made a list and off to Publix we went to fill the frig with lots of goodness. With the weather being less than ideal for the pool, we went to Disney Springs and went to the movies. Conclave….starring Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow and the beautiful Isabella Rossellini. This was a great movie, lots of drama and intrigue and one huge twist at the end. See it! By the time we got back, it was time for the pool…..

In fact, every day was a pool day! On the weekdays, we would arrive at the pool around 9 and procure ourselves a perfect cabana for the day. These cabanas had a table and 4 chairs and then 2 lounge chairs and side tables. We chose a location that was mostly shady as MC has that fair Irish skin! A hot tub was conveniently located right next to our cabana and the bathroom was 20 yards away. Also, each cabana has a ceiling fan and there is a USB port charging station in each one. Perfect! We spent all day every day at the pool. There was a water aerobics class at 11 each morning that was lots of fun. Each day MC would go back to the room and bring lunch down while I continued to lay claim to our cabana. We would pack it in each day around 4-430. I was sensible and tanned but did not burn.

On Saturday our friend R came up from Sarasota to spend the day with us. We’ve known each other for 35-40 years. It was great to see him and spend the day together. The weekend days were busier at the pools but there was plenty of room for all. It was fun watching the little kids in the spray pad area and the brave kids swimming under the grotto waterfalls. The water beats down hard! On Tuesday, it was time for me to come home. MC was staying a few more days and in fact, taking me to the airport and picking up her sister at the same time. I was on my own for getting thru the airport and did pretty well. It was not as far to go as when we arrived. I flew home, making a stop at Reagan in Washington DC before heading on to Boston. The weather in Orlando was very warm (80’s) and very humid. The weather in Boston was cold. I wore shorts on the plane because yes, it was hot in Orlando. I knew it would be cold in Boston but I also knew I was not going to be outside for a long time. Upon arriving at Logan, I texted my friend D who was waiting in the cell phone lot. When he pulled up and got out of the car, his first comment to me was not “nice to see you” or “welcome home”….no, his comment was “You know it’s winter right?!!! In fact, I actually enjoyed the cold and dry air. I certainly expected Florida to be warm. But I honestly did not expect it to be as humid as it was. The pools were averaging 82-85 degrees and the “cold” water in the kitchen and bathroom faucets was barely cool.

I had a wonderful time in Florida. MC made this trip easy for me and for that I am grateful. We sat poolside every day, reading books, sometimes talking, sometimes not and just relaxed. It’s the best kind of friend to have that does not need to be entertained every minute. We travel well together. Initially I was not going to take this trip. I was not ready. But MC made the decision to have me fly down with her and it made all the difference. Having someone to help me navigate the unknown and huge airports was key. In fact, I was then able to manage my return flight through 3 airports all on my own. Victory!

Where are we going next????