Hubby’s mom and sibs are in central Oregon for a week. We’ve never done a *siblings and mom-in-law* vacation together. I’m exhausted from laughing so much. Great medicine for Hubby.
We’re in the small resort town of SunRiver. Riding bikes. Exploring the local mountain villages and lakes. Couples taking turns cooking. Floating a lazy river.
Physical activity is one of our cancer team members. And although I enjoyed the exercise – nine miles round trip, 1100′ elevation gain – and although the scenery is incredibly beautiful, the trail never too far from the sound of Fall Creek tumbling down the mountain, still …
… still, there was something missing.
David Letterman once interviewed Warren Zevon, a composer and performer, who was dying of lung cancer. Letterman asked: “From your perspective now, do you know something about life and death that maybe I don’t know?”
To which Zevon replied:
I know how much you’re supposed to enjoy every sandwich.
You want to know one of my favorite things about our annual Soaring Spirits Cancer Survivor and Family Camp held high in the Cascade Mountains? This. These people.
St. Charles Cancer Center co-workers
We are all about helping create community to reassure cancer survivors and their caregivers that they are not alone on this journey. How is it that I get to work with some of the best people on the planet?
Tenacity. A favorite word of mine. Because I like the way it rolls off the tongue. Because I like what it means. Persistent. Determined. As in, determined to live well despite not-so-great circumstances.
This describes Hubby with cancer. One tough guy. Today we walked a 3.2-mile loop of the Deschutes River trail. A new distance record for him since completion of chemo and radiation.
A variety of flowers colors the trail if you take the time to look for them.
We hiked a little more than two miles today. I believe it’s the furthest Hubby has walked since the start of radiation. Radiation zaps the last shreds of energy from a patient. And when you consider that Hubby was low energy before starting radiation, well then, you can see what an accomplishment.
Copyright © 2025 Marlys Johnson
