3 days instead of 6 weeks ...

Instead of 5 more weeks, I am now going home in 3 days! While I am sad to be going home under these circumstances, I am so happy to be seeing my family in three days. I am sad that I do not get to finish my contract and do all of the things I still wanted to do, but my family needs me and that is what is important right now. So here is the scoop of what is going on at home …

For any of you who have had chemo, or know someone who has had chemo, you know that is a very hard thing to go through. For the past three weeks or so, dad has been undergoing chemo to help stop the liquid in his abdomen from his cancer. At first, the side effects were not so bad. He just felt like he had the flu which was something we could deal with. But the more chemo he got, the worse his side effects got. He lost his appetite and did not want to eat. The chemo also made him very weak and unmotivated to do his therapy; consequently, his body became very weak, making it difficult for him to walk around. Due to his weakness, he fell earlier this week while trying to get to the bathroom. This was extremely devastating to him, and caused him to want to give up. While my dad is a fighter and anyone who knows him will testify to that, his spirit has been weakened due to the chemo and being in the hospital for over 7 weeks. The family is trying to keep him motivated but it is challenging. 

As a family, we decided that it would be best if I went home, to hopefully provide some motivation for him to keep going. After all, I am daddy’s little girl. Deep down inside I know that my dad wants to continue and will continue to fight like he did the last time, he just needs some reminding that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Mom also needs me. She has been so incredibly strong since this cancer started in March of 2010. She has had to fill dad’s role of being the rock of the family and she had done so and much more. That being said, I knew I had to go home when she broke down and asked me to come home. Throughout this whole adventure, she insisted that I stay here and finish what I started. So when she said she needed me at home, I booked the first flight I could for Saturday.

I am going to miss my ship family. I absolutely love it here. I love the places I have been to and all of the amazing things I have seen. But none of these places or things can come close to love I have for my family. Since being here, I have realized more than ever how much I need my family in my life. I never realized how much I needed those simple hugs from mom and dad or the simple smile from my nieces. While people here have been super supportive and have a special place in my heart, no one can ever take the place of my family. That being said, I am sad to be leaving on these circumstances, but happy to be returning to my family, the people who know me and love me. Together, as a family, we will overcome this trial and come out stronger than before!