The End?

-I have a cousin who dealt with cancer.  He's one of the good guys.  I don't know him real well.  A couple of holidays as kids, a funeral or three, weddings.  You know the drill.  I saw him a few years ago during a layover at O'hare.  Like I said, good guy.  Single dad who raised his boys, has worked for the same employer forever, and puts out some of the funniest stuff on Facebook.  Good parents (aunt and uncle), and good brother.  (Another cousin.  Of course.)  Good people.

Since the cancer was treated and went into remission, my cousin goes back for periodic scans.  "Scan parties," is what he calls them.  I used to wonder how he dealt with the potential mortality of his situation.  And the constant reminders at those parties.  I assume that for each person that these questions and issues are so personal, so deeply wound around experiences and outlooks and friends and family and even the day or the week or the month, that there is no answer.  There is no one-size-fits-all to contain these loud or quiet moments -depending again on the person.  But I find myself now in a similar boat.  And the newness of the situation has not provided ample time for definitive statements just yet.  With one or two exceptions.  

I am going to go back for scans on the lung nodule every six months.  I have been fortunate that for now, they don't see anything that causes them great concern.  I am going to go back for a scan of my esophagus soon, as well.  Right now, I am on a script that should produce good results.  

​And I will be changing positions (career-wise) very shortly.  Probably within the next week or two.  (And on that bombshell...)

So, this trip, the Fast Present, thing is at an end.  We have tied up the loose strings.  Bartowsky is back in Wilmington supposedly editing the footage from the trip.  We'll see.  Heavy course load and social scenes that center around college life are hard to overcome.   The heart, lung, pet scan, esophagus montage that started at the very start of this journey has been left with an ambiguous ending.  But so be it.  Scan, scan, scan...  Alright.  No problem.  For today, and any foreseeable day, that is better than death, death, death.  (Even though the thought of finally going home has an undeniable appeal.)

And the recent development of the job going bye-bye is also okay.    My beautiful better-half and I have talked a lot about living a good life in lieu of simply living.  Her mandate is clear.  "Do something you love and want to do."  As opposed to simply taking the well-paying gig that one may not enjoy.  We have, in part, the health issue to thank for that.  We also have this journey across twenty-five states to thank.  The Fast Present Road Trip has lent a modicum of perspective to a sometimes busy life.  Somewhere after day three...

I would do the trip again in a moment.  Maybe slow down slightly more on the repeat, but definitely again.  And I hope that I do.    

And so, again, we are at the end of this chapter. Thank you so much for taking the journey with us.  

I really hope you enjoyed the ride and the blog.

"Hello, New Beginning!"  Possible updates to follow?  We'll see.  For now, we will take one road and one day at a time.  

The VTX was short lived. I did get the Stateline.