First an update from last weeks doctor's visit; Barry's bilirubin had dropped from 17 the week before to 7. This is great news as this is the measurement of the health of the liver. The lower the number, the better. A normal liver functions around zero. Dad had the whole facility to himself on Wednesday. Kay, his nurse, is WONDERFUL! She is very attentive and made sure that Dad, Shirley and I were comfortable all day. I was able to work from the doctor's office and really enjoyed talking with Kay. This round of chemo has really taken a lot out of Barry. He has been getting very tired. It seems like he needs a rest every 3 or 4 hours, but I think that the lower billirubin levels have been a great motivator.
This posting is "Keep on Truckin'!" There are 2 pictures for this post. The first is of Barry and his dad, Don. It is taken in front of the Dodge truck that they were both owners of. This was the day that the truck went to another owner outside of the family. She was always good to both of them, so it was a bit of a sad day for all. Dad mentioned that this was one of the only vehicles to not leave him stranded. For those of you who have ever been camping or boating, this is a great little piece of humor.
The second picture was taken out at the auction road. This is Dad and me next to his work truck. We saw Terry loading the truck out there. It was a great field trip for Barry. He also saw a good friend from Central Valley, Rod. It was really fun meeting him. He mentioned that he had just finished eating an apple. He then asked us, "You know what they say?" Expecting to hear the old...keeps the doctor away, but it was followed by, "...keeps the wife away!" He said that if he eats the fruit, his wife is happy. He must have given Dad 10 hugs. I could tell that they have a very close and special bond.
Who would have thought that such good friends could come in the most unlikely of places. It made me so happy to know that he has always had such caring friends while on the road. There have been several fellow truck drivers that have called him because they saw his truck and trailer, but that wasn't him driving. There was even a call from a highway patrol officer at the weigh station who had pulled the truck aside because Barry wasn't the one driving. He called to offer his thoughts and prayers to Barry.
This just goes to show how we can all learn from Barry. I am sure that all of this kindness that is being extended to him and to all of us is a direct result of his kindness. Pay it forward. For those of you who haven't heard this before, it is a great philosophy. It simply means that you will do for others with the expectation that they will do the same for others...pay it forward. In other words, you give without expecting that you receive anything in return. This describes Barry to the letter. He has always given of his time, himself, his knowledge, his skills, his everything-without ever expecting anything in return.
Thanks Dad! And thank you to all of you for offering your kindness to all of us. We promise to do our best to pay it forward!
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