Can't catch a break

An update from the other side of our lives.

Chica and The Mann. I'll tell you, if two people ever deserved a vacation, it's those two. They just can't seem to catch a break. Just when you think, "what else could possibly go wrong?" something does.

First it was the chemo. Chica was allergic to the medicine. Allergic to something that was supposed to help her get better. Then it was the "port" that they used to administer said medicine. The first one had a defect, then she got an infection, and went almost a month trying to convince every doctor that she talked to that she was really in pain.

While this was going on, their refrigerator died, forcing them to spend hundreds of dollars that they didn't have on a new one.

After someone finally believed Chica about her pain, it was almost too late. She was admitted to the hospital again, and given large doses of antibiotics to help with the infection, and it has helped to the point that she can move her arm again.

In the middle of all of this, her school district switched insurance carriers, and her oncologist was not in the new network. Thankfully, the new insurance company decided to do the right thing and pay for her existing oncologist as in network.

Now, instead of having to get chemo once a month, she's having to go once a week because the antibiotics they're giving her for the infection interfere with the chemo.

And if all of that weren't enough, The Mann ended up in the hospital this past weekend for a blood condition that he's had since he was in college.

I think if I were in their shoes I would be going stark raving mad. It's amazing that they are still as sane and loving as they are.

Last weekend, we got a call from Chica asking us, begging us, to come over to the house. They had both reached a point where they needed some space, but The Mann, being the dutiful husband, did not want to leave his wife alone. He also was getting overly annoyed with her. She wanted me to take him out of the house for a bit. We ended up going over that evening, and what started off as stress relief for two of the most stressed people we know turned into an impromptu party. While we were there, Chica's cousin and his family stopped by, then her brother, and finally some friends from work.

Chica's house has always been the place for gatherings, and even though it wasn't planned, it was so good to see everyone there, supporting them. Chica smiled more that night than I've seen her smile in a long time.