On Sunday Travis and I headed to Jacksonville to meet with his colorectal surgeon Monday morning. The drive was tense to say the least. The days leading up to the appointment were stressful...not knowing how soon they would want to schedule surgery, and not being done with unpacking the house, we felt unprepared and anxious. Thankfully, we have amazing friends who live in Jacksonville and invited us to get dinner and stay the night with them.
That dinner and night at their house completely set the tone for how the rest of the trip would go. They lifted us up with positivity and light humor and introduced us to the best cake I think I've ever had. If you're in Jacksonville, go to Biscotti's and order whatever they have in their dessert case. You will not regret it because it's ALL amazing...so amazing that I ordered a slice of coconut cake to eat in the restaurant and a slice peanut butter pie cake to go. Yes, that good! Anyway, Travis and I were both put at ease that night and were able to enjoy our evening with each other and our sweet friends.
It also hit me while sitting in Biscotti's, as most people around us were drinking, that one of the BEST feelings in the world was feeling overwhelmingly stressed and NOT feeling the need to suppress it. Previously, when I would get THAT stressed I'd at least think about how easy it would have been to drink it away. This time, tamping it down or buffering with alcohol wasn't even a thought that crossed my mind, and that felt GOOD. Allowing myself to just feel felt so darn good.
The next morning, we headed to MD Anderson where we met Travis' surgeon. This man and his staff (the entire hospital really) are AMAZING. They are patient, kind, encouraging, and level-headed. Up to this point, every medical professional we came into contact with acted like there was a ticking time bomb sitting in my husband's body. The fear some of them instilled in us was so unnecessary. This surgical team put us at ease. They reassured us that we had time. That they wouldn't let us down. They spoke truth, and in that truth we found peace.
After the appointment we enjoyed a little time together and stopped at Trader Joe's and TJ Maxx in Tallahassee and then headed home with goodies for the family. Let me tell you though...we really should have gotten more than one bag of peanut butter pretzels from Trader Joes!!
Today we got the call that surgery is scheduled for next Thursday, 8/25. Sooner than we were expecting, but we are looking forward to having this part of the journey over. Prayers for Travis and his surgical team are very much appreciated!
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