I wavered back and forth about writing this post and sharing it on SG. Not because I thought there would be backlash or lack of support. On the contrary, I've found SG to be an extremely supportive and positive online social community. One that I am glad I joined and got involved in by writing blog posts, commenting on the ladies' photosets, commenting on other members' blog posts, etc. It's so much better than Facebook, even though I'm quite active there too. There don't seem to be as many trolls here.
Anyway, my reluctance to write this post and share was due to respecting my father's privacy. But since he mentioned it on his Facebook account, I'm not as reluctant to share.
Friday night, well actually early Saturday morning between 2AM and 3 AM PDT, I'm heading out on an unexpected road trip to Mississippi. Well, actually Memphis, Tennessee, for the first few days, then to Mississippi for at least another week. I'm not sure yet when I will return home to Las Vegas. It depends upon how things go...
My dad was diagnosed with sarcoma cancer under his right arm a couple of months ago. Sarcoma cancers are rarer than carcinomas, about 6000 cases are diagnosed each year. Sarcomas don't usually invade the lymph nodes, so that's a plus, I guess. He's having surgery on Monday morning to remove the cancerous tissue. That part of the surgery is expected to take 2.5-3 hours. After they remove the cancerous tissue, he'll have the second part of the surgery to fill in the 'hole' with muscle and skin from his lower back. That part is also expected to take 2.5-3 hours. So we expect him to be in surgery for about 6 hours. He'll spend the next two days in the ICU. Barring any complications, I think they will release him from the hospital on Thursday. Though I'm not expecting the worst, with a 6 hour surgery (not to mention that my dad is 76), you never know.
In 1980, two months before I graduated high school, my grandmother (my mom's mom) went into the hospital for open heart surgery. My mom called my work and got a message to me that her surgery went well and she was in recovery. But when I got home, I learned that she died in recovery. If I remember correctly, the surgery was pretty routine, even for 1980. But you just never know.
Anyway, I'm going out there to help out my mom, as there will be things my dad needs done that she won't be able to do. I will be there for at least two weeks, but I could stay a month or more. Fortunately, my bosses where I work are very supportive and are allowing me to work remotely. I don't have nearly enough vacation saved nor can my wife and I afford for me to take a leave of absence. Even though I'm very underpaid where I work, it's things like this (plus the fact that I'm given the opportunity to learn new things, like test automation) that have kept me from seeking out other job opportunities. The people I work with and for are great.
So, this isn't really a vacation. I'll be working remotely as well as helping out my mom with caring for my dad and whatever else she needs. That doesn't mean I won't take time out to do some fun stuff. My aunt, uncle, cousins, second cousins and third cousins (on my dad's side) live in the same town, so I will be visiting with them some while I'm there. I also have a couple of friends who live in Alabama that I'd very much like to visit if I can work it out. I also hope to get out to take some photos while I'm there... Maybe a return trip to the Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge for landscape and wildlife photos. I'll look up some other places to go shoot too. On my return trip, I hope to stop for at least a half day at Petrified Forest National Park to do a little hiking and take photos. I also plan to spend at least a half day, hopefully a full day, at Grand Canyon National Park doing the same. I don't know how close the hospital is to the Mississippi River, but I might try to get out to it at sunset one day for a few photos while I'm in Memphis.
My Mini Cooper will be loaded: suitcase, backpack, computer backpack, two guitars, a small guitar amplifier and a small cooler for drinks (energy drinks and iced tea). I should reload some cash into my Starbucks app too.
I have no idea where I'll stop Saturday night. When I go on a road trip by myself, if I get hungry, I typically get fast food I can eat while driving so that the stop is short and I can maximize mr drive time. I stop for gas and bathroom breaks as needed. When I get tired and it's not time to stop for the day, I'll find a truck stop or someplace that appears to be safe (Walmart are pretty good for this) and take a nap in the parking lot for an hour or two and then get back on the road. So, I could end up driving 18 hours or more before I stop and get a hotel room. That said, I at least hope to get to Amarillo, Texas before I need to stop Saturday night. If I get lucky, I could make it all the way to Oklahoma City before it's time to stop. Either way, Sunday will be the shorter day of the trip. I expect to pull into Memphis, Tennessee no later than 9 PM CDT, hopefully much earlier. My parents should get to Memphis around 6 PM CDT.
I wish I was going out there for a happier reason, but it is what it is. And I do hope/plan to have some fun despite the circumstances for my unexpected journey.