Cancer

One of our first trips planned was to the Annapolis boat show followed by a stop in Cleveland to visit my dad.
The boat show was great except for the signs posted all over motel that pets are not allowed.  The penalty was a fine and eviction with no refund. So I checked craigslist and found a woman who would take a cat for a few days. She warned me that she was a hoarder and looked a little like a bumb. She was perfect. She had dogs, a tarantula and some rats. Dexter was enhralled by it all. We were able to enjoy our days at the show and our nights in the room. When we went to pick up Dexter I knocked on the door and got no answer. So I went back into the bedroom searching and found him in one on my shirt on the bed. I shouted with joy and continued my boisterous greeting until I noticed a body under the sheet. My first thought that it was dead because not a twitch was triggered by my loudness. But in the moment the woman stirred and groggily pulled herself together while I made a quick escape.
Next stop, cleveland. We stayed the cabin we had booked for the following year at the Pine Lake Trout Club.  We and Dexter loved all the wildlife (black squirrels and great blue herons to mention a couple) and the stream outside our windows.
But we hit a bump in the road when I discovered a lump in my armpit. That lead to nearly 10 days of tests, diagnosis of breast cancer and treatment plan at the Cleveland Clinic. All the doctors and other staff assured me that they treated everyone the same but how many queens of England can there be?
It all fit in perfectly with our move to be near dad until death do us part.
But our kids were encouraging us to get treated in Boston so I booked appointments at both Dana-Farber and Mass General Hospital.
Dana Farber convinced me that I must do the treatment through them, but I didn't take MGH off the table. I knew they would have to offer me much more in order to commit to them.