91

I was home last week to celebrate Mother's Day with Mom. We had a delicious brunch at Mom's favorite Phoenix spot where I ate too much and all we could muster the strength to do when we got home was open gifts! It was a delightful day to celebrate Mom.


I spent the rest of the week taking Mom to her radiation treatments. I had already been to the hospital with her for her first doctor's appointment, but this time she took me back with her to the Ladies Locker Room (LLR) where she preps for her treatment. There were other ladies there watching the Today show and reading magazines before their treatments. We all chatted about what number treatment they were on and how the TV was too loud and that the dressing gowns they provided were such a bad shade of grey.

My favorite lady in the LLR was 91 years old. She had breast cancer and had surgery last week and was now in for 5 quick radiation treatments. She wasn't up for talking about her cancer though - the important news was that she was not happy with her doctors. She looked down at her hands and cringed while she told us that the doctors had made her remove her fake nails before surgery and she just hadn't had time to get them replaced. Then she covered her eyes and said that she can't lift her arm high enough since surgery to put on her makeup so she had nothing on her face. "I think I should just wear a paper bag over my face until these treatments are over".

After she walked out of the room, her daughter told me that every day after her doctor's appointment they go to Diary Queen and her mother gets a chocolate shake that she put on her night stand and sips before she takes her afternoon nap.

When I am 91, I want to be that cool.