Visiting Suzi

Last Monday (June 9th) I took the girls up to visit Suzi in the hospital. I was a little concerned about taking them up there because she had had such an awful week before. But, when we walked in she was smiling and happy to see us. The girls had drawn pictures for her (and continued to write her little "love-notes" during our stay) and told her about their last few days of school and what their plans were for the summer. Suzi took a cute picture of the girls on her camera and then I took one of them with her. I hope to get those pics from her soon to post.

After visiting for a while, my mom took us on a "walk". We didn't know where she was taking us. She told me to pay attention to where we were going...I didn't see any reason to. So, of course, I didn't take care. After walking through endless hallways, around corners, up elevators, through parking lots, and yet another elevator...we ended up at the top of the Huntsman Cancer Institute building. Wow! What a gorgeous place. I guess someone told Mr. Huntsman that the Institute looked like a Ritz-Carlton. He responded, "Well, that's what we are going to turn it into after we find a cure for cancer." The building has a restaurant and a bistro on its top floor which is open to the public. "The Point Bistro" is where my mom treated us to lunch. (Really yummy food, BTW.) She gave me cash to pay for the food and then left to go back to the hospital to Suzi's room. She was to meet her siblings there and they were going to come eat with us. Well, she never came back. I ate my lunch with the girls, and then we ate some more...taking several bathroom breaks in-between...waiting for her to join us. I was very hesitant to leave. I wasn't sure I knew the way back, after all those turns and hallways and elevators. I was sure I would get myself lost with my four little ones in tow. My phone was in the car, so communication was not an option. After waiting as long as the girls would let me, I ventured into the elevator, not even sure of the buttons I should push. I backtracked every step, every turn, and with a little help at one point from a stranger, we made it back to the 5th floor of the U of U hospital in the BMT unit, even Suzi's room. And guess who was there...my mom and her siblings. They had never left. She apparently tried to call me, but my phone went right to voice mail. My mom wanted to inform me that they would not be coming to lunch just yet...they wanted to visit with Suzi a little first, and to meet her back there. She's lucky I made it. I wonder at what point she would have realized that I was lost and needed rescuing. I guess we'll never know. Thanks to my keen sense of direction (that has never existed before). I was really lucky.

Anyway, we visited with Suzi a while longer after my mom left with her siblings to go eat. It was really hard to be in the same room with her and not be able to touch her, hug her, hold her hand, "be" with her...we had to comfort her from afar. We were not allowed to get too close to her. And she had big machines standing in the way between her and us. It was really hard. Not like anything I'd experienced. I hoped that our verbal communication would be enough to buoy her up during this time.

I was so glad to see her doing as well as she was. The girls were glad to see their prayers for her were working. She figures she's got about 8-10 more days to go. We'll keep praying for you, Suzi!