Christie Silvers

Good afternoon friends. 

This morning started out nicely.  We got the kids up a little early and took off for a day of fun and fish.  With plans to visit the Tennessee Aquarium and then the Creative Discovery Museum, we dashed off to I-75N and across state lines.

The aquarium opens at 10am and we hoped for a thin crowd.  We were happy to see just that!  Two hours later we waved good-bye and started down the street to the museum.  Now we've never been to this museum.  It's a children's museum full of fun things for them to play with and explore.  There's a discount on the ticket prices if you bring in your ticket stubs from the aquarium.  What better time to go?

As it appeared when we reached the closed parking lot (due to being full) and saw the crowd of people standing in line to get in, anytime would have been better than the time we arrived. 

We slinked on by and decided another day would be better.  Instead, we had lunch, picked up a few school supplies for the oldest, and headed for home.

Unfortunately, all wasn't well once we reached home.  FIL waved at us to stop when we passed his house.  Turns out that he had a check-up with his oncologist this morning.  Several years back he'd had throat cancer.  After surgery and chemo he'd come out the other side with a clean bill of health.  As it happens, this morning's appointment showed that not only is his cancer back, but it's so much worse than it was before.

His doctor has scheduled a biopsy for August 19th, but he said that if he does surgery this time he'll have to take FIL's voicebox, too.  Then there would be a trach and one of those voice vibration devices for talking.  So right now FIL has to decide what he wants to do... surgery or not.  The doctor said if he decides not to do surgery FIL will just choke and suffocate to death when the time comes. 

I didn't know what to say to all of that.  I told him that it was his decision; no one can make it for him.  However, the biopsy will be done in the hospital and since it's on a Thursday (and Tim will be sleeping) I'll be the one going with him.

So there it is.  Our day started out fun and exciting, but ended on a sad note.  I don't know where the days will lead.  It's all up to what FIL decides to do with his life.

Feel free to send good thoughts in his direction.