It is accomplished!

Yesterday, Bridget received the large, hand- crafted, and very inspirational sign from Sherri (her elementary school teacher friend) that you see here. It definitely gave her added strength to get to that last appointment today! Thank you Sherri and helpers! Your giving really made a difference! We laid it right outside the door for her to see on the way to the last radiation treatment this morning.

Let me restate that important point...Bridget finished her last radiation treatment today at 9am! She is done with that chapter!!! Whew Yeah!!!!! Way to go Bridget!!! She even received a medal from her radiation team after this last treatment. Dr. Radany commented on what a fighter she is and everyone was happy and sad at the same time to be leaving each others' company...lots of hugs and tears. Bridget also took her last dose of chemo for a while (she gets a month off before having to take that again, but its oral tablets and generally well tolerated)!

We are packed up and, after a few quick errands, are ready to go to the airport. Bridget will be home tonight!!!

After arriving this past Sunday to be with Bridget for her last week of treatments out here, I have to admit that it was a rough week for her at times. However, as always she managed to tough it out, get through the low points of each day, and somehow manage to get herself going to go out for dinner or just get out and about for a time. Bridget gives all the credit to Divine intervention and your constant prayers and I do too. At the same time I am also amazed at the determination and grace of my beautiful, strong, and inspiring wife. Helping to get through the week, was a visit from Bridget's cousin Peter McCormick who was out on business. We took in dinner at Mastro's where a talented musician friend of ours, Rob Gonzalez, plays a few nights a week. It was a wonderful time with great music and Peter has a natural ability to make everyone smile and laugh. Local resident and my cousin, Quinn Hanchette, had dinner with us on our last official night in California. It was so great to have him so close during all this time out here.

We have been keenly aware that Bridget's time out here corresponded with block of time in the church calendar from Holy Week to Pentecost. The walk of Christ and inspiration of the the Holy Spirit has really been a gift to experience in a new way during this time for Bridget and our family. The masses with our wonderful priest, Fr. Mark, at home with copies of sermons forwarded on to Bridget...the wonderful masses themselves truly celebrated with gusto by our fantastic congregation have contributed greatly to keeping us going as a family.

I couldn't help myself and had to post a few more pictures of just some of the additional amazing blossoms that popped since my last stay here at City of Hope. I didn't have the chance to to ask someone what they are, but the purple flowering trees are in full bloom all over out here right now. As the blooms fall, they shower the ground in a carpet of purple. Everything blooms with flowers out here, even trees that look like maples get those pink little star fish shaped blossoms you see in the picture below. Remember to slow down...smell and see the flowers in life, when you do you'll appreciate that this is life as it meant to be lived, not the hyper-paced life many of us have created for ourselves for some crazy reason. Slow down, breath in life. Pace yourself, don't race...instead enjoy the journey and gift of life. You can't force a flower to bloom when you want it to. Take time to observe it as it unfolds.

We have been told that the drain on energy Bridget has been experiencing will last for a few weeks, so please understand if we don't pick up the phone or are hermits for a while as we settle in with Bridget at home. Note that Bridget has been living and breathing medical care for weeks on end. She has shared with me that when she gets home she wants to talk about "normal things"...not cancer, not medical treatments in particular. She is ready to just get back to living her "normal life" again. Your help with this will be most appreciated.

Thank you so very much to each and every one of you for your cards, prayers, time devoted to Bridget, advice, medical care, Denise cleaning the cottage, meals, giving rides to our kids, letting them stay at your houses, offers of help, taking pictures of our kids to send to Bridget, being there during surgeries, encouraging words, hugs, pats on the back, sharing pet cats for pet therapy (Thurman rocks!), handling the extra responsibilities at work, attention to our kids at school, and so much more. Words cannot describe our deep sense of love and appreciation.

Please continue to keep Bridget in your prayers each and every day.

Love, Tom and Bridget.