We were supposed to fly out to Bali tonight (thank you so much for all of your jet-lag tips and well wishes on Friday’s post!).  We’re going to postpone our trip, and I have to explain- it would be weird at this point not to.  I haven’t written about what’s been going on in our family life because it feels so personal, and we’re right in the middle of it, but I think we need your support and I’m certain many of you have gone through similar experiences.  Last year around this time Lou’s father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.  At the end of summer he had surgery and we were all hopeful that it would help keep the cancer at bay.  Unfortunately at the end of January we found out that it had come back and any further care would be palliative.  Palliative.  Hospice.  Metastasize.  There’s a whole new language to be learned when cancer comes into your life, it’s an education I wish for no one.

Pancreatic cancer is aggressive and one of the worst, from what we’ve been told.  We’ve been going back and forth to Florida since his diagnosis every chance we get- which we feel so fortunate to have been able to do quite a lot.  Our plan had been to move Lou’s dad in with us after our Bali trip, but some test results over the weekend made it obvious that we would be unwise to delay his trip, so tomorrow Lou will be flying back to Florida to get him.  He’ll be spending the rest of his days, however many they may be, with us here in Palm Springs.  We’re looking forward to caring for him and loving him through the rest of his life.  I feel like a robot typing this, I’m not ready to really write about what it all means and how it all feels.  For now the facts are all I can offer up.  But someday I hope to write about this experience- the beautiful, the messy, the real.  In the meantime, please keep us in your thoughts and prayers.  I love you, and thank you.  xx- Sarah