Back Home in Florida – arrived safely

I arrived home safely on Thursday, June 19th. It was an amazing trip. I’m so thankful I took action on my dream to take another road trip. I was able to accomplish what I set out to do, which was to visit my friend Cindy, then go visit my firefighter friends in Georgia and South Carolina. I was also able to camp in a few campgrounds and have a campsite at a lake along the way.

A few months before I left, I began planning where I wanted to go, what I wanted to do, and to work towards getting the medicine and supplies I would need for a couple of months. I knew the decision whether or not I could go would be made a few days before I wanted to leave. However, I planned like it was going to happen, and it did. I didn’t know when I began the trip how my health was going to be, or how long I could be away. I planned on being away 2 or 3 months, it turned out to be 6 weeks. That’s still pretty great in my book, especially since I accomplished everything that was really important to me to do. If you have a dream, plan, work towards it… it might just come true. Step out in faith.

On my way home after I left visiting with the Georgia firefighters again, I stopped at my friend Cindy’s house in near Jacksonville, Florida, for a few days. I took almost 2 days driving home, it was too much to drive in one day. I am not able to drive the distances I did a few years ago. It’s too hard on my body to sit for long periods of time.

While I was on my 6 week trip, I wrote several stories, they are in several posts below this story. There were periods of rain, mostly in the afternoons. I also encountered pea size hail once while I was camping. If you read the stories about my time at the fire stations, you will know how much we enjoyed our time together, they welcomed me with open arms, hugs, and their hearts. I returned those same feelings back to them. I think of all of them as “my firefighters and their families.” We adopted each other. I have open invitations to come back anytime for a visit.

After I got home, I had to unpack the camper. That was a challenge. I know I could have asked for help, but that’s still not an easy thing for me to do. It was hot out while I was unloading the camper, and since I live on the 2nd floor, I had to make many trips up and down the stairs. I didn’t realize how much of a physical strain this put on my body until the next morning. Friday morning, I got out of bed and when I went to walk, my calf muscles were so stiff and sore. It was not easy to walk. Saturday was a little bit better, but still it’s hard to walk and go up and down the stairs.

As I was unloading the camper van, I saw the letters MSVFD on Molly’s back bumper. It’s her tattoo from Chief Dent. MSVFD stands for Madray Springs Volunteer Fire Department. When I was at his department I saw the decals of these letters sitting on a table and noticed that they are on the departments air tanks and several pieces of equipment. I asked Chief Dent if he could put it on Molly and he said certainly. So before I left the station on my visit in May when I was heading north to South Carolina, he put it on her. I display it proudly. The first lettering was black, then he put a slightly smaller decal of royal blue letters over it. I don’t know if it shows in the pictures, but it’s royal blue lettering outlined in black. As I traveled, periodically I would be asked what MSVFD means and I would proudly tell about what I call ‘my firefighters,” the volunteer firefighters and the job they do and their needs.

msvfd 1 MSVFD bumper

Thursday night just before sundown we had a heavy rain. Then the sun came out and I saw a full arc rainbow above the building next to mine. I have seen several full arc rainbows over the years, but none quite like this one. Below the rainbow in the semicircle were colors in various shades of yellows and pinks. The rainbow was in the east and it must have been over the ocean since that is what is east of me.

rainbow left rainbow right

I know many of you are wondering how I did healthwise on this trip, periodically when I wrote a story I would give a brief update. During my trip, I did keep in touch with several friends and let them know in more detail. I also let several people know my location every day in case it was needed. Since the fire chiefs and a few others close to me were concerned for my health and safety they asked me to let them know anytime I left and got to a different location, so I did.

There were several days when the pain was pretty intense. If I had to travel that day I would not have been able to. Thankfully, I didn’t have anywhere I had to be on any certain date. So, if I had planned to leave that day to go elsewhere and I wasn’t up to it, I stayed where I was for another day or so until I could travel. No one was upset to have me an extra day or two. In fact, most of the time they welcomed me to stay longer, or come back anytime if I could. I know the tumor is growing and it’s shifting to the left side of my body. It’s affecting more nerves and pressing on my organs more. I’ve had to increase my medicine to manage the pain. I sent my doctors office an email letting them know I was back safely and that the pain is more intense, and they wrote back that the doctor wanted to see me the next day.

On Friday afternoon, I went to the doctor and she confirmed that my tumor is larger and she said harder. I told her I didn’t think that was possible, it’s been quite hard for a long time. She said she can tell that it is harder, larger, and more invasive. I told her that I’m planning on taking a few short camping trips in the next couple of months if I can, and that in September I want to drive out west to the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta, Oklahoma City, and Fort Worth, if I’m able to. We will see… so until then, I will continue to pray and plan and see what happens.

If you read my story last year when I was camped at a lake in Georgia about my health and how my life would play out, God clearly gave me an important message about my life and the path it would take. When a few of my friends knew I was camping at lakes on this trip, they asked if I was talking with God and got any messages this year. I replied that I continually talk with God. I did continually, including while I was camping at these lakes as well as when I was driving. I didn’t get the same type of message this year. I did feel like God was still talking with me, however, it was more subtle and that it was more of a follow my heart and body and I would know how this trip was to evolve. I listened to my body and  that’s why I came back at this time. I knew things were changing and probably not for the better.

I am taking my time putting everything away from my trip. I am so happy I went away and had the experiences and time with friends that I did for the past 6 weeks. I think about what I would have missed if I didn’t take the risk to go. I would have missed so much if I had let fear and what if’s take over my thinking. I’m glad I stepped out in faith and went on the trip.

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1 Response to Back Home in Florida – arrived safely

  1. maggie bossett says:

    A lesson to all…step out in faith and God will send rainbows! Live the miracle every day!
    Blessed days to you Carol. Love,Maggie

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