Meg and Kelly had been up for hours and were starting their river routine. A nice leisurely breakfast, meds and the application of Megan’s leg pumps that treat her lymph edema. Meg laughed as the pumps began the process of pushing up the edema in her lower legs so that her heart would not have to work as hard. “I always feel like the “Goodyear Blimp!” she cracked her ever present smile as the hour long process began. Of course, Max, the pug, was just as enthralled by the process even though it was a daily routine of twice a day. He pranced and barked at the pump box and then at the neoprene leggings that encompassed Meg’s legs from foot to crotch. He huffed and strutted and begged to be picked up and Kelly tried to keep him entertained by giving him treats and playing on the floor with him until the treatment was over. But Max was intent on Megan and wanted on her lap at all costs. “He just does not up give does he…” Meg chuckled as she watched the little dog’s antics. “Nope! He is just like you…..relentless!” Kelly smirked as she tried to grab the stubborn dog and pick him up. She laughed as the dog tried to wiggle out of her arms and jump up on Megan who was perched on the couch that doubled as a pull out bed. “I just don’t want him to puncture the leggings…” Kelly petted the pug as she watched the pressure on the gauges and the timer. “Look….just prop the door open and let me look outside and take him out for a run in the yard…..I will be fine! I’ll holler if the pressure gets too much!” Meg smiled wryly. Kelly looked a little wary at the suggestion, it wasn’t that she didn’t trust the machinery….but she also knew that Megan had an incredible tolerance for pain that she witnessed firsthand on a daily basis and what was unbearable pain for most people…was more than acceptable for Megan. Kelly eyed the controls carefully and then searched Meg’s face for any signs of discomfort. But Meg was relaxed and smiling so Kelly got up off the floor and headed out the door with the Pug taking care to prop open the door in case Meg needed a hand. “Just twenty more minutes and we can deflate you…..” Kelly smiled as she and Max headed out the door. “I look forward to deflation…..” Meg laughed as she watched her partner walk out. Megan closed her eyes for a moment and silently breathed in and out in a slowed and timed rhythm. It was a technique she had learned to cope with many of the daily medical requirements that kept her going. Breathe…..slowly….in…..out…..and again. It took her to that place where pain seemed so distant and the freed her temporarily of the restraints that bound her. Before she knew it…the timer on the machine was softly beeping and Kelly who was stationed just outside the door on the little stoop that they had built; was up and in the camper in a flash. Kelly had this part down to a science. Snap off the switch to the pumps……detach the hoses…..let the leggings deflate…. and then help unzip Megan out of the confinement. Packing up the leggings, the pump and getting them back into the medical bag was quick and efficient with both of them working together. Megan’s face, which had been a little pale an hour before, began to get that the rosy blush of life that Kelly looked for after each treatment. It was the sign that the Doctor’s and technicians had cautioned her to look for and it was an indication that everything was progressing well in the treatment. Kelly felt Megan’s face and felt her own heart leap a little at the new warmth that she felt. This was such a small price to pay….to see that rosy and healthy glow on Megan. Kelly breathed another prayer for the technology that kept Megan going on everyday despite all the medical conditions that she fought. She was a walking and breathing miracle….and nothing seemed to daunt her or get her down. Meg’s outlook and demeanor surprised everyone. The doctor’s and nurse’s loved her…because she genuinely was thankful for everything that was done for her. They laughed with her…many…many had become friends….almost forming a network between the different practices when it came to Megan’s care. But at the core of it… was Megan….her smile….her laugh….her sense of humor…..it is what touched everyone. “How are you doin….” Megan brushed Kelly’s hair out of her eyes as she searched her partner’s face. “You amaze me….” Kelly said softly as she hugged Megan close. “Ahh….you are the amazing one…” Megan said as she hugged Kelly back. “Putting up with all this on a daily basis…..you are the one that is amazing…” “Whatever it takes baby…..whatever it takes….” Kelly kissed her gently. “You keep that up and you are going to make Max very jealous….” Megan laughed as she watched as Max was jumping up on the stoop outside like he was on a mini tramp. Boing….boing….bark…..bark…..boing….boing….bark….bark! “I guess we better join him outside before he has a little fit….” Megan giggled as she watched the determined pup try to get their attention. The weather was gorgeous with a soft breeze blowing over them as they sat together for a cup of coffee. This was the oasis that both of them looked forward too each week when they came over. It was a literal time-out from the daily grind of the work day week and the many medical appointments that kept their schedule very full and exhausting. But here were the moments that they enjoyed the most. Simple….rustic….stolen bits of time to reveille in the simplicity of the imaginary before them. They had turned their little lot into a habitat for the abundant wildlife that populated this area. There were bird feeders, squirrel feeders even butterfly and bat habitats. The had used tall decorative grasses to form a border around the yard, interspersed with Rose of Sharon bushes and trees so that it enclosed them from the normal traffic of the road that encompassed the lot and carved out a natural nook where nature came and paid daily visits that were a constant source of wonderment for both women. This is what it was all about……these quiet times…..talking….laughing…..and enjoying what they considered…..precious moments…… Click On The River To Continue To Chapter 57 Labinky Park 2008 Labinky Park Enterprises 2008 |
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Chapter 56
