Forest Bathing Part II

Today we took the kids out for a first ever family mountain biking adventure!  Here is Nate cruising along with Darcy in the (distant) background.  (AJ isn't feeling so photogenic with his new hairstyle, hence this photo of the kids.) The weather was perfect for a second round of "forest bathing" and we hope that increased white blood cells will prepare Andrew for the second round of chemo, which starts tomorrow.  But just to be sure Andrew is in good form, after biking, we ate at Five Guys in order to give all of us a healthy dose of protein (and who knows what else.)  What a great day!
Tomorrow we start round two, which involves another marathon visit to the hospital for 5+ hrs of chemo infusion. It's a holiday, so we can't go back to our regular place, where we know the nurses and the comfortable reclining chairs.  We'll be in the hospital section and we're sure it won't be as easy.
Now, I have realized over the weekend that "easy" is always relative.  As part of my job, I often act as a sounding board for immigrants who just need a listening ear.  Over the weekend I spent a lot of time listening to the travails of Tina* who is helping another ESOL student, Luis* navigate the County's health services for the poor.  Luis has legal status but no insurance.  And it took Tina 72 hrs harassing the County in order to get Luis's 4 prescriptions filled, drugs he desperately needs for what is most likely an advanced form of hepatitis.  Compare this to our oncologist who on Friday, when AJ mentions the bone aches, immediately writes out a script for 30 percocet pills simply because, "I don't want you taking Naproxen."  And then we waltz out of the office without even being asked for our co-pay.  Meanwhile Luis cannot get lab work done because they don't think anyone will pay for it (despite my phone calls to the contrary!) 
So this is the perspective we are trying to maintain when we think about a Federal holiday hooked up to tubes. Thanks to all of you for your thoughts and prayers.  Please keep us in mind this week as Andrew regains his "friend" the chemo fanny pack!
*Not their real names.