Treated Just Like Family

As I post this blog I am sitting in an Extended Stay Hotel in Houston. I am here for my 1st regularly scheduled check-up of 2009. We discovered a Sarcoma cancer on a muscle in my back in 2006 and spent that entire year cutting it out, shooting the site with radiation, and cooking my body with chemicals to hunt it down wherever it lurked. Debbie used me for a nightlight for a few months.

I am expecting a good report tomorrow from the tests taken today.

I had to get up at the pond this morning at 4:30 to get dressed so that I could catch the 6:25 flight to Houston. I painstakingly made sure I had my essentials: work laptop, work blackberry, personal cellphone, iPod and got them secured.

When I arrived at the airport I had to remove them from their secure positions, place them and their chargers in a tray, take my shoes off, take my belt off, take the laptop from the bag and place it in a tray. I also had to show what I had in my cosmetic bag in order to prove I had no more that 3 oz of any liquid. Mom used to do inspections like this when I was a kid except she also checked behind my ears and would apply some spit with a tissue. After xrays were taken (Mom did not need machines she could see right through me) it took me 15 minutes to get dressed again and everything hooked back up.

The 737 was only half full this morning and so we were able to spread out. And the stewardi gave us special attention. Once the plane was airborne they came offering me both, orange juice and coffee - both! And refills as often as I desired! This was enjoyable as I read my airline magazine by my special reading lamp - since the cabin lights had been extinguished by the pilot.

It was still dark of course at 6:25 in the morning on a day in January. After she filled my belly with beverages my stewardess offered me a pillow on which to rest my head. As I began to doze she came by offering me a blanket and to turn off the reading lamp for me.

I said, "Uh huh, thank you. ZZZZzzzz."

Before I knew it our plane was descending for final approach to Hobby airport in Houston - 25 minutes early! The stewardess came and took my blankie and pillow and asked me if there was anything else I needed.

After we landed she thanked us for flying Southwest and to come back any and every time we fly. So as we deplaned and I passed her at the door what I said was totally an honest reflex!

"Thanks, Mom!"