Roger and Jan are some of the finest folks I've ever known. For more than a third of my life, they've been right there across the street. That alone, is a testament to their patience and fortitude.
They've been constant companions since she was 21, and he was 19. If memory serves, I think they just celebrated their 50th anniversary.
Rog shares my passion for woodworking, and we converted the barn into the woodshop. Their home, a true log cabin. Time and termites took its toll on some of the bottom logs, so I harvested some timber from my property, and when they were ready to be used, we replaced the rotten ones. I've been their repairman for just about everything that has broken, fried, split, stopped, or gone AWOL. My invoice has always been the same. One home cooked meal. They've returned the kindness many times over.
Through the years, I've met most of the clan, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, spouses, children, and other assorted menagerie. Albeit the red-headed stepchild black sheep of it, they all treat me like family.
Last Monday as I was closing up the woodshop, I wished them luck for the Tuesday morning fishing on the river. Jan had experienced mild headaches and some neck stiffness for about a month to month and a half. Tuesday afternoon, it became severe enough that they cut the trip short and went to the hospital. The CAT scan showed the tumor to be the size of a peach, with tentacles extending outwards. The operation was on Wednesday, and they could only remove approximately 90%, the rest cannot be taken.
The swelling in her brain has slowed, she's showing signs of improvement and is awake, and responsive. She hopes to come home Monday. More than likely, I'll have to modify the downstairs bathroom for accessibility and install grab bars. I'll see what needs to be done to make it as comfortable as possible.
Thank you all for the continued positive thoughts and prayers.