Going Home

God took Ruby on her journey Home today in our Cancer Center. Just yesterday I wrote how happy I was that she was alive and today she left us right before her scheduled radiation treatment. She was our first death in the Center and the first in outpatient oncology in many years at Summa. I already miss her dearly. The code blue call is still on my pager. I wish I still had that rubber foot.

Susan's obituary was in the paper today. A beautiful woman that I had the pleasure of knowing and meeting just a week or so ago. I talked with her the other day for about 15 minutes before wheeling her out to the car that was there to pick her up and waved goodbye. I do that a lot. But I never know when it'll be the last time.

It's been cold out but we had a few victories, too. Today was two people's final days of radiation and I hugged their respective children. One family celebrated with balloons and breakfast; the other with tears and gratitude. Monday is Marilyn*'s last day.

The road is long,
There are mountains in our way,
But yet we'll climb still higher everyday,
Lord lift us up where we belong.

In Memory of Friends Recently Lost
~ Jerry Huckels, Todd Kennedy, Susan Serves, & Ruby Combs