What will tomorrow bring?

What will tomorrow bring?

Man, if I knew that, I could triple my billing rate for my clients! I would also feel a lot less suspense waiting for MRI results. (I'd just feel the suspense a day earlier).

The truth is, none of us knows for sure what tomorrow will bring. We just know what we have planned.

Assuming things go as planned, I have a neuro test followed by a long chemo infusion tomorrow. This is a good thing, because my labwork came back good enough to proceed with treatment. I still have bone marrow. (Never take your bone marrow for granted!)

And assuming things go as planned, the day after tomorrow I will be recovering from chemo, and then I will have a meeting at my son's school. Despite our efforts to protect him, my illness has been a source of stress for him, and he started having behavioral problems at school right after my surgery. They have been minor and understandable, but we have learned that going to an award-winning school can be both a blessing and a curse. I have been warned by parents and pediatricians to watch out -- these award-winning schools are the quickest to label kids. If I had an 11-year prognosis I would home school him, because he's so darn smart and he did great at "Camp Mama-atta-homa" last summer. (Before my property values plummet as a result of this blog, I should mention that the school really does provide a fantastic curriculum, and is a great one for those children who are not facing a family crisis, and who are otherwise able to avoid acting like a five-year-old while in kindergarten.) Thank goodness for my mastery of the gorilla grin, as I will be using it during the meeting. (I've posted about this before--when gorillas are about to attack, they bare their teeth and appear to be smiling.)

After the meeting I get to hug my family goodbye and board an airplane. I am traveling to Utah for my first book signing tour! My alma mater, Brigham Young University, is having a Women's Conference this week, and the BYU bookstore is having a big book signing event with lots of authors, and I was invited to participate. I have other signings scheduled during my trip. Here's my schedule, for those who are in the area:

Thursday May 3
10:00-12:00 Seagull Bookstore, 1720 S. Redwood Road, SLC.
12:30-2:30 Seagull Bookstore, 5720 S. Redwood Road, Taylorsville.
3:00-5:00 Seagull Bookstore, 1625 W. 9000 S., West Jordan.

Friday, May 4
10:30-12:00 BYU Bookstore during Women's Conference
4:00-6:00 Seagull Bookstore 677 N. State Street, Lindon.

Saturday, May 5
10:00-11:00 Seagull Bookstore, 2250 N. University Pkwy #C56, Provo
11:30-12:30 Seagull Bookstore, 331 E. University Parkway, Orem
1:00-2:00 Seagull Bookstore, 1326 S. University Ave., Provo
2:30-3:00 Seagull Bookstore, 111 S. State Street, Orem

I haven't traveled alone since my head got cracked open. My travels have all been with family. Luckily I will be seeing and staying with family and friends, but I will miss being with my husband and kiddos, even for just a few days. But if things go as planned we'll have a sweet reunion Saturday night. And naturally, that thought leads to the analogy of what another tomorrow might ultimately bring (hopefully not for a LONG time). This disease creates the possibility of leaving my family behind again for a while. I'll hopefully be in a place where I can associate with other family and friends, although I will miss being with Jared and Jacob and Emma. It will only be a temporary separation, however, and we'll have a sweet reunion again -- one that will last forever.

After all, as Tony Snow has mentioned while discussing his own cancer experience, "God doesn't promise us tomorrow, but he promises us eternity."

Enjoy today!