Sunday, April 28, 2013

WE ARE IN CHICAGO...well Wisconsin...

HELLO one and all!!!
We are here, we have landed, took a limo to the hotel, got checked in and unpacked and met a few other CTCA patients on our way.   Joe is our CTCA driver is super nice and helpful.  He met us at the baggage claim and took our bags to the limo and we were off.  Our hotel is JUST over the Wisconsin line.  So we are technically in Wisconsin, but only a 15 minute drive to CTCA.  Just a hop on the freeway and we are there.  GREAT news my blender made the trip! Good thing I packed it with like 10 scarves! Ha ha so did the gallon of water! :) I am not so sure how it will make the trip home, the water I mean since I will have to unpack it from when it was shipped to me.  I got some tips from Pinterest about traveling and all your bottles and how to keep them from exploding, it worked! Not that I had any doubts on pinterest! :)
 
This place is NOTHING like I imagined it would be.  Ha ha I was expecting a BIG city, tall city skyscrapers, something like downtown Phoenix.  HOWEVER, that's not what we got.  We have a lot of "country land" barn style buildings...quaint little town.  We are actually in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin.  There is a outlet mall right across the street, a McDonald's, and a Culver's close by...nothing we can eat exactly.  Maybe we can take the shuttle to a wal-mart or something and get our food and odds and ends. We are staying at The Radisson and they have sleep number beds! Ha ha Scott has been wanting one of these and was SO excited to try it out...first thing he did when we walked in was jump on the bed and find his "sleep number".  It's 40.  He then discovered that this is basically just a high tech air mattress! LOL and was disappointed!
 
There is a two hour time difference.  So I will try to remember that when texting or making phone calls...However it will effect me more than you guys. :) We have some free time this evening and will be heading out to get some dinner, somewhere NOT McDonald's.  We don't check into the hospital until 11:45am tomorrow.  So we can sleep in since the last two days have been HARD WORK preparing for this trip.  When we got to the hotel, we were under the understanding that we would be paying for the hotel at a discounted rate of $75 for 6 night stay.  Well to our surprise they said CTCA covered the Hotel.  How awesome is that! :) Then I got a text from Mom saying "Zion is the place Jesus called home" (In the bible) that's a sign of great things to come! I just know it!!
 
Thelma one of the ladies we met in the limo has been doing treatment with CTCA and said "all the good things you've heard about CTCA is all TRUE, get ready for a life changing experience.  She didn't want to share much on what kind of cancer she had.  Said her original diagnosis she beat, but now she has something new and isn't ready to discus it with anyone."  She went to CTCA in New Jersey (where she is from) for her first diagnosis.  Once she was diagnosis with this new cancer they sent her here to Zion.  She was out here for 6 MONTHS, doing treatment and then was home a week to get her affairs in order and is back out here for another 8 months! This kinda freaked me out! I am not, nor prepared to be away from all my everything, family, friends, dogs, home, EVERYTHING for any amount of MONTHS...I think I just had it in my head that my last treatment was 3 days on and 21 days off.  So I had it in my head it would be the same here.  I guess I just have to take a step back and remember THIS IS ONLY A CONSULTATION, so put it out of my mind until I see CTCA doctors tomorrow.  Not only that but EVERYONE's treatment plan is different for everyone and every cancer. 
 
I am going to sign off for now and get some dinner and relax.  I love you all and thank you all for the prayers for a safe flight and kind words you all have shared with me today.  I can't thank you enough.  You know who you are! :)
 
Until tomorrow,
 
Tanya


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