#going to have to stock up on the ol' painkillers

[thescientistowl]

Had a thought; if Lucanis has an itch behind his eyes when someone taps into the fade, what the heck is living in the Lighthouse going to be like for him?

I haven't read the Wigmaker's Job in a while, but I seem to remember Luca getting a massive headache due to the events of the story (but then again, I could be mis-remebering).

Is the poor guy just going to have a migraine 24/7?

[hereforhalstead]

Period Pains

*Gif not mine, credits to the owner*

• Pairing: Jay Halstead x Reader.

• Requested: Nope! Just fancied some soft!Jay

• Warnings: pure fluff besties 

• Summary: Jay looks after you as you experience a rough period, unlike anything you’ve felt before. 

• Words: 2482.

• A/N : When I tell you this is the ugliest thing I’ve ever written lmao. I’m so weak for soft!Jay at the moment and had just came on my period when i started this  a few weeks ago.. I have a few ongoing requests at the moment that I’m working on, promise I’m not ignoring them but I just don’t want to post them until I’m happy with them! 

Hope you enjoy!

You notice the bed beside you dip with Jay’s weight as he joins you, fresh from the shower as you feel the heat radiating from him. You attempt to shift and face him, craving the feeling of having your head against his chest with the rhythm of his heartbeat soothing you to sleep. You wince as a cramp hits your stomach, slinging your arm across your stomach as a natural reflex for when the wave of pain arises. 

Jay places a hand on the edge of your shoulder, gripping round your skin as he moves your hair to one side to place a delicate kiss to the exposed shoulder blade “Stay facing that way, I’ll be able to rub your stomach” he whispers into the nape of your neck and causing a shiver to run down your spine at the softness of his words. 

You happily do as you’re told, still in somewhat of a half consciousness as you doze in and out of sleep with the thought of knowing he was there beside you helping the pain drift away. 

“Life your hips for me baby” he softly demands, encouraging you to lift your side for just a few seconds to allow him to slip his arm under you to rest a hand on your stomach “You’re burning up” he tuts, removing the hot water bottle you had pressed against you and placing it on the the other side of the bed “Don’t want you getting too warm, you’ll make yourself ill”. 

His firm tone made your heart flutter, he always had your best interests at heart and made the smallest of actions seem natural to him. You’d happily let yourself curl up under a blanket with a hot water bottle until you were burning hot but it would always leave you feeling faint and you’d end up cooling off in a cold bath or shower which really defeated the object..

You laid in a comfortable silence with Jay, cursing under your breath as another wave of pain hit "Why am I a girl” you mocked, digging your head further into your pillow as some form of distraction. Jay would take it in his stride, dropping a kiss to your back and chuckling as you swear under your breath to take your mind off the intense cramps. 

The motion of Jay rubbing his hand softly over your stomach didn’t stop, you expected it to after a while but it never did. He was constantly tracing shapes across your skin, running his fingernails back and forth under your shirt and laughing as you occasionally flinched if it tickled. Whether it was a placebo affect or not, the cramps would ease under his touch and helped you get a brief moment of sleep. 

You awoke just under an hour later to an empty bed, turning over to see the covers thrown back and Jay’s side of the bed vacant made your heart sink. He was the one helping you through this and even though the painkillers had kicked in, you still missed him just being beside you.

You would often be the first one up in the mornings, heading to the gym before work or just wanting to be awake to make him a morning coffee meant you weren’t used to being in bed alone. He was always there with you, even when you teased him for how long the pair of you would spend in bed on your days off, you loved it and wouldn’t want it any other way. 

In replacement of Jay’s hand, you must’ve reached for the hot water bottle in your sleep and that was a mistake. You were now sweating, the clothes clinging to your skin as it glistens with sweat, feeling clamy and gross wasn’t what you needed right now.

Trudging over to the bathroom and catching a glimpse of yourself in the mirror was an instant regret, you were hunched to try and relieve the cramps, hair disheveled and your body was covered in red blotches from the hot water bottle. If you didn’t feel horrendous before, you did now. 

You always worried in your relationship that you weren’t good enough for Jay, he woke up and looked perfect, would finish an intense workout and look like a sports model or even concentrating on some paperwork he would look flawless and here you were looking the complete opposite.

You let out a deep sigh, running your fingers through your hair in some attempt to regain a sense of decency but there was no point. Your feelings were being intensified from your period and leaving you feeling worse than ever, wanting to curl up in bed and cry was seeming most appealing but before you can enjoy a good ole pity cry you hear the keys turning in the lock.

Quickly wiping the tears from your face and using Jay’s tshirt that you were currently wearing to try and remove the stains from your cheek was useless, you panicked. Jay seemed to have unnatural ability to tell when you’re not feeling yourself, and this is no exception. Just from taking one look at you he’d be able to tell you were upset and you didn’t want that to be the case, you’d already had a pity day and the last thing he needed was to see you were feeling worse. 

You chugged some water that he had left on the side and took another glance at yourself in the mirror, the red blotches had made their way to your neck so were now much more visible and your normal cheery smile was no where to be seen. 

“Baby?” you hear Jay call out, rustling around with some bags in the kitchen before making his way over to the room you shared. You were sat on the edge of the bed with your arms folded across your stomach, leant forward in pain as you rested your head on your knees.

His heart pulled at the sight, you were in pain and there was nothing he could do about it. He prided himself on always doing whatever he could to help you in any given situation and not being able to take away the hurt was killing him. He’d helped you through many periods in the past but this was the worst one by far, you’d be able to take some paracetamol and carry on but this was defeating you.

You barely had a chance to respond before you heard the footsteps getting louder as he made his way towards you, letting out a deep sigh as he sees you scrunched over in pain. The noise of bags rustling comes to a stop as he crouches down in front of you, resting his hand on the back of your neck and the other on your knee to hold himself steady as he balances.

“What happened baby?” his smooth voice was music to your ears, he didn’t even have to do anything and he was already soothing you more than you ever could. You sniffed before bringing your attention onto him, watching as his eyes soften when he see’s the redness in your cheeks and the hurt in your gaze. 

“Nothing” you lie through your teeth, already knowing he won’t fall for it but thinking it was worth a shot. Instead of giving you the normal ‘are you forgetting how well I know you?’ speech, he simply tilted his head to the side and lifted his hand to rest on the side of your face with a doting look “We’ll talk about it later”.

You were grateful for how well he knew you, knowing not to push you and that you weren’t in the mood to be interviewed like a suspect. Normally you loved it, thinking it was cute how he always craved to prove how well he knew you and could tell you were off just by a simple look but in doing this he knew best to leave it until you were ready. 

“Did you have to go back to work?” you question, still absentmindidly leaning into Jay’s touch as he gently moves his thumb back and forth to caress your cheekbone. A simple shake of his head made you smile, you were secretly hoping you’d have him to yourself so when you awoke to the empty bed you just assumed he’d been called in. 

You couldn’t hide the frown that formed as he removed his hand and stood in front of you, reaching for something on the bed as you stayed hunched over below him. “I got your favourite ice cream” he comments, holding the tub out to you with a grin spreading on his face as your eyes light up “I thought they stopped selling it?” you questioned, already peeling off the plastic from the lid. 

“They did in our local, I asked around and drove to the only place they said still sells it” the pride in his voice was unlike anything you’d heard before as he carried on rummaging around the bag before pulling out 3 more tubs “Didn’t know how many you wanted so I stocked up” he chuckled, placing the tubs back into the bag and watching as you nibble round the edge of the container, too impatient to wait for a spoon.

“You don’t want these then?” you looked round to see him holding a family size bag of crisps, a handful of candy bars and even a box of your favourite instant hot chocolate that you used to have as a child. “How did you know” you probe, reaching for the box and examining the text.

Struggling to remember the last time you saw the packaging in a shop, let alone holding it in your hands. The box feeling so much smaller than it used to from when you were young, bounding to the cashier with 5 or 6 boxes to buy with your pocket money.

 “On our first date we passed a shop that sold them and I’ll never forget the look on your face. You told me how your mum would always make you one if you were having a bad day and they’d always make you feel better” he smiled and could feel the tears brimming in your eyes.

You and Jay had been together nearly 8 months and he still remembered the tinist detail from your first date, something you had even forgotten about. A little remark you made as you passed the shop on the way back to the car park, not thinking much of it as who would remember about a box of instant hot chocolate that probably didn’t even taste good? Jay did.

“Get into bed and I’ll get some bowls for these” he collects the items and puts them back into the bag, his tone still gentle despite the excitement you knew he had inside from presenting you with everything you needed without being asked.

You shook your head, standing to wrap your arms around his torso. Nestling your head into his chest as you feel it vibrate from a silent laugh “I told you to get into bed baby” you felt the shivers run down your spine as he rested his hand on the back of your head, allowing his hand to roam up and down your back in a soft motion. 

“What did I do to deserve you” you mumble into his chest, feeling him rest his head on top of yours as his hand settled on your lower back to push you further into him “So I did good?” you could practically hear the smirk on his lips, pulling back to examine the glowing grin peering back at you as his eyes glistened.

You reached to place a light kiss to his lips, a soft kiss that told him everything he needed to know “Are you gonna make me tell you to get into bed again?” he joked, tapping your back to retract yourself from him. Begrugingly you did so, already feeling the slight cold from the lack of contact you now craved from him. 

Picking the bags up from the bed to pull back the blanket, you felt the weight of something still in the bottom. You opened the carriers to see what must’ve been atleast 5 boxes of different sanitary products rolling around in the bags “What’s this?” you asked, confused as to why he went out of his way to buy you the snacks but you never would’ve expected him to know what products to buy you, or atleast try and guess as you always joked about how little men knew about the whole thing. 

“I didn’t know if you needed any” his voice was timid, reaching to rub the back of his neck with his hand which was a sign of nervousness you’d picked up on over the past few months . “Jay, how much do you think I bleed?” you were grateful to see the corners of his lips lift in a smile “Well, I realised I’ve never bought you any so I wanted to get a few so I had more of a chance of getting the right ones” he admitted, your hands falling to your sides as you allowed the bag to drop to the floor. 

Your feet were bounding over to him before you could even think, all you wanted to do was throw your arms around him as you had no words for everything he had done. “I can’t believe how much I love you” your voice slightly cracked as you felt the lump rise to your throat, as much as Jay loved to care for you, you never would've expected this. 

“I’m sorry I can’t take the pain away” you felt him plant a kiss to the top of your head, another one of his small guestures that made you week at the knees without him even knowing. “You’ve helped more than you’ll ever know” you smiled into him, cringing at your cheesy confession but knowing he loves to hear these things from you, adding to his ego of how well he looks after you. 

You both stood in a comfortable silence, basking in each other presence with the simplicity of the background noises coming from the streets below. From someone looking on, the way you were standing probably didn’t look very comfortable. The way you were entangled together, your arms hanging from his neck as his moved around your body to press his fingertips in the various parts he knew you were probably feeling pain. When Jay finally breaks the silence, he mutters the words that at the moment sounded better than ‘i love you’ when they fell from his lips “Do you want some ice cream, baby?” 

**

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[hedgehogsofasgard]

Hedgehogs are not rodents!

Small mammal ≠ rodent.

Unlike another familiar quilled friend, the porcupine, hedgehogs are not rodents. A rodent is any mammal in the order Rodentia. They are characterized by their pair of continuously growing incisors, which has lend them their name: Rodentia comes from the Latin word rodere, “to gnaw”.

Let’s talk teeth!

Rodents don’t have canines, and they have a large gap between their huge incisors and the premolars (most species at least). Those teeth were made for gnawing! And they have to gnaw, because their teeth never stop growing. In some species even the molars and premolars have to be worn down constantly by an appropriate fibrous diet or else they’ll become too long. While rabbits and hares have similar continuously growing teeth (they have four incisors in the upper jaw instead of two), they’re not rodents but are members of a closely related sister group, the Lagomorpha.

Muskrat skull with a set of seriously impressive incisors. Go big or go home! (Image source: landofstrange.com)

Most rodents are mainly herbivorous. Very few are exclusively herbivorous though, because they tend to eat the occasional eggs, meat, fish and/or insects as well. This means many rodents including popular pets such as rats and hamsters are actually omnivorous. However, for most of these rodents the majority of their diet still consists of plant matter and I prefer the name “herbivorous omnivore”. Rodent dentition reflects this, as they do not have canines and the molars tend to be large and well-equipped for grinding fibrous plant matter.

Even less rodents are predators. One of them is the grasshopper mouse, an adorable animal which might be the honey badger of the rodent kingdom. It turns scorpion venom into a painkiller and howls like a wolf. A true badass!

But what about hedgehogs?

If we take a closer look at a hedgehog skull we see something entirely different. We see a mouth full of sharp teeth: large incisors facing forwards, small but pointy canines and (pre)molars. It’s clear these aren’t rodent teeth!

(Image source: viktorjezek.estranky.cz)

What stands out most (especially when viewed from the front) are those large incisors. While rodents have two enlarged incisors placed next to each other, hedgehogs have adorable fangs.

Hedgehogs: secretly vampires

Dentition, as we’ve seen in rodents, can tell us a lot about an animal’s dietary preferences. Hedgehog teeth are very typical for an insectivorous omnivore. Those vampire fangs are great for catching and holding onto squirmy invertebrates. The lower central incisors face forwards instead of upwards to pick up prey. They fit right between the gap of the top incisors. The front teeth are followed by two more incisors in the top jaw and one more in the lower jaw. After these come the small canines and the premolars, which have sharp cusps made for crunching invertebrate prey. The third upper premolar is relatively large and pointy, and paired with the first lower molar it mimics the carnassial tooth found in carnivores - a tooth which makes a shearing motion for faster and easier cutting (as opposed to tearing) through flesh. Ideal for eating large insects and the occasional reptile, bird or rodent! The molars are broad and have relatively low cusps compared to stricter insectivores such as moles. This suggest a more varied, omnivorous diet than just invertebrates.

To put it in other words, hedgehogs are walking trash bins that will eat basically everything that moves. Or doesn’t move. Anymore. While they are primarily insectivorous they are considered opportunistic omnivores (I prefer the term “insectivorous omnivores”), which means they’ll eat whatever is available at that moment with a preference for insects and other invertebrates, carrion, eggs, small reptiles, rodents and birds, and a bit of plant matter (to a certain degree).

But teeth aren’t the only factor playing a part in animals’ dietary preferences. Another big difference between rodents and hedgehogs is the latter not possessing a caecum: the part of the intestine which helps digest cellulose (plant matter). Hedgehogs have an extremely simple gut system and do not digest plant matter well, even though they occasionally eat minor amounts of it. In fact they’re such walking trash bins most of the undigested plant matter found in hedgehog guts and faeces has likely been accidentally ingested.

Okay, so hedgehogs aren’t rodents and they are insectivorous omnivores. But where do they belong on the evolutionary tree?

I won’t go into too much detail or else this will get way too long (like it isn’t already I’m sorry, I like teeth). Just like their dietary preferences, their classification was somewhat of a mess. They were previously grouped in the now defunct wastebasket taxon Insectivora. The requirements to join this group of fun insect-crunching mammals were basically: are you a primitive placental mammal? Do you eat insects? You’re not a rodent? We have no idea what to do with you otherwise? Great, you may now join the Ancient Placental leftovers! There are still vigorous debates between traditional palaeontologist and molecular phylogeneticists on how the grouping of modern placental mammals should be done, because (short version) there’s still a lot we don’t know but the general consensus, at least as far as the ol’ Insectivora goes, currently favours the molecular phylogeneticists.

The traditional palaeontologists placed the hedgehogs together with several other mammals such as shrews, tenrecs and (golden) moles in the order Insectivora, based on fossil records. Due to the very primitive features of the animals (both living and extinct) that got grouped in Insectivora it was viewed as an evolutionary grade, and early researchers assumed the Insectivora must contain the stock out of which all other placental mammals had evolved.

Cue molecular phylogenetics: by analysing molecular differences, mainly in DNA sequencing, researchers discovered that some of the animals grouped together in Insectivora aren’t even closely related to each other! This meant the entire order had to be split up and re-grouped. They were no longer viewed as the base of placental mammal evolution but got their own separate branches on the evolutionary tree instead. This is the current hypothesis on hedgehog and “Insectivora” evolution.

The family tree of placental mammals based on molecular phylogenetics looks like this. In red underlined are the members of the now defunct Insectivora; the golden moles, elephant shrews and tenrecs got regrouped in Afrotheria while the threeshrews and colugos were placed in Euarchonta. In Laurasiatheria we find the remaining animals from Insectivora, which are now grouped in Eulipotyphla. The hedgehogs and their closest living relatives, the gymnures or moonrats stick together in their own little family Erinaceidae (formerly the order Erinaceomorpha, which is still the name on the image), and the moles, shrews and solenodons in three other families.

The order Rodentia is underlined in green. As you can see, while they shared a common ancestor millions of years ago rodents and hedgehogs aren’t closely related to each other.

(Image source: wikipedia)

TL;DR hedgehogs are not rodents + fun facts:

Hedgehogs don’t have continuously growing teeth

Hedgehogs do not chew or gnaw on things like a rodent does

Hedgehogs need animal protein to form the bulk of their diet

Hedgehogs need chitin-based fibre in their diet (chitin is found in invertebrate exoskeletons) 

Hedgehogs cannot digest cellulose (plant matter) well

Hedgehogs have adorable vampire teeth

Hedgehogs’ closest living relatives are the gymnures aka moonrats (which, despite the confusing name, are not rodents either)

Hedgehogs are also related to shrews, moles and solenodons. None of which are rodents!

Eulipotyphla is the name of their order, which means “truly fat and blind”. These researchers don’t beat about the bush! Although I vote for “truly cute with bad eyesight”.

If you want to know if an animal is a rodent or not, look at its teeth. If it has a mouth full of tiny sharp teeth it definitely isn’t a rodent!

[adriennefrank]

Abdul

"Ring this bell

Three times well

the toll to clearly say:

My treatments are done

Its course has run

and I am on my way"

The bell mocked me from the other side of the waiting area in the newly built facility as I walked in that first day. ��Though the atrium, right outside the doors, was flooded with sunlight pouring in, this comfortable room relied on unnatural bulbs.  The snack bar in the corner was fully stocked with processed foods and high fructose drinks.  This always felt odd to me.  Why would they offer such unhealthy options to people who are trying to get healthy?

I wanted to run up and grab the cord attached to the clapper and ring that bell.  More than three times.  I wanted to ring it until everyone in the waiting room looked over.  I didn't want to wait until my 30 treatments were done.  In fact, I didn't want to have thirty treatments.  Thirty more treatments.  On top of the thirty and thirty I had already faced.

Radiation sucks.  And I am so terrified of it.  In a way that surgery doesn't scare me.  How will my body stand up to this toxic beam that is destroying this mapped out area of my face and neck?  What side effects will I suffer due to the unknown?  Will radiation follow the path of DDT?

One doctor is convinced that my right jawbone died because of the two full rounds of radiation it endured.  We will never know.  Cancer attacked the bone and it's gone.  To where, I have no idea.  A medical research laboratory?  An incinerator? Gone.  Would the same happen to my left bone?

I knew what the next six weeks, plus six months would hold.  Pain.  Loss of appetite.  Taste changes.  Pushing back on doctors.  Dry mouth.  Fatigue.  Extreme fatigue.  I had done it before and I didn't want to do it again.  But my doctors held out hope for a cure, and the Lord knows I would have done anything at that point.  So, radiation it was.

The unfortunate fact (although at that time it seemed most facts were quite unfortunate), was that this amazing new, state of the art, medical facility was approximately 90 miles from my home.  And I had to go there every day, Monday through Friday, for six weeks.  Thirty trips.

Jan came over in the July heat with her notebook.  "How can we help?  What do you need?"  The most pressing issues: child care, meals, and rides to Rochester.  She took the needs and ran.  Ran to friends, family, strangers, searching for help.  I had no idea how I was going to get to treatment each day while carrying the burden of side effects.

My people responded, just as they have every time.  So many wanted to help, but most had jobs that kept them from being able to physically drive me to my daily appointments.  Jan worked with the responders and coordinated dates and times while I checked into transportation options to fill in all the gaps.   There was a shuttle that ran from the Mall of America, but I would still have to get myself to the mall and find a parking space, which I knew might be more than I could handle on some days.  Hell, it's right up there with about as much as I can handle most days.  Not to mention the cost: $800.  I knew that people would want to help with the cost, but boy am I tired of asking for help.  I even checked into daily flights from MSP to Rochester.  Wasn't there some high-level executive, some Mayo doctor that flew his own plane in each morning with an extra seat for me?  Not the most safe of all options, but I wouldn't complain.  Now, that would have been the good life.

I voiced my concerns to the social worker who had been assigned to help me.   "How do people do it?" I implored.  "It's impossible."

Karen gave me a number to call.  There was a possibility that my insurance could help, she said.  Medical transportation.  

I called.  I was approved.  From August of 2016 to August of 2017, my insurance would help me get to every doctor's appointment that I needed to.

It was hard to wrap my head around this amazing gift.  I would have my own personal driver that would drive me to Mayo each day.  The story was worth sharing with everyone I met.  It felt like a miracle.  I didn't even know this benefit existed and now I don't have to worry about driving or coordinating a ride or finding some millionaire with a plane.  Even now, months later, as I think back on this, it feels unreal.  And while I have been so angry with God over my lot in life, this feels like He handed me a diamond.  He pried my tight fists open and laid this jewel on my palm. 

I set up my transportation as the start date grew closer.  I didn't have any preference for a transportation company, so they just set me up with any old one.  Days later, I wondered if this company happened to have the availability for a reason.

They continuously showed up late, even after I would call them that morning to remind them I needed a ride.  The drivers didn't speak much English, which isn't the most horrible of sins, but when you are car sick and need to get out of the vehicle immediately, English is pretty important.  Speed limits were mere suggestions to them.  One of my drivers wove around cars on 35W going 80 MPH (where the speed limit is 55).  I asked him to slow down, recalling the previous car sickness as well as the highway patrol cars that line the path to Rochester.

"I'm just trying to get you to your appointment on time!", he sharply replied.

"Well, if you had been on time to pick me up, you wouldn't need to speed," I responded.  "Please slow down!"

I can't remember the exact number of chances I gave them.  It may have been four or five.  I called the transportation coordinator back and told them I needed rides from a different company, citing my complaints.

That night I got a call from an unfamiliar 651 number.

"Hello, my name is Abdul, and I will be picking you up tomorrow to drive you to the Mayo Clinic."

It certainly was nice of him to call the night before, but would he actually remember to pick me up the next day?  I had very low expectations.  

The sky was overcast and gray the next morning when a silver van pulled up in front of my condo building.  There was a sign on the side, noting the name of the medical transportation company.  I cautiously climbed inside.

The driver introduced himself in a kind, accented voice.  I think I thanked him for being on time and mentioned my past experience with medical transportation.  As we merged onto 35W, I asked this stranger if he was planning to be my permanent driver or if it might change day-to-day.  He responded that if I wanted him to drive me each day, he would.  I thanked him, but then feared that I had too quickly signed on with this unknown person.  What if he ate stinky food really loudly during the entire ride?  Or subjected me to techno music?  Or was a serial killer that was looking for his next victim?

Abdul carried on a very polite conversation as we drove south.  I can't remember what I shared about myself, but I remember learning about his family, the places he lived, his love for travel, his previous employment, and so many other topics.  I despise small talk, but I truly enjoyed learning about this new person.

Other than being about the same age, we couldn't have been more different.  After being born in Ethiopia and living in Africa for several years, his family relocated to The Netherlands.  Then, after his father passed away, his mother and siblings all moved to Minnesota.  I, on the other hand, had spent my entire life in the good ol' US, never travelling to explore new cultures or lands.  I tried to keep track of his siblings, but between my painkillers and the fact that he had what seemed to be siblings upon siblings upon half-siblings, it was no easy feat.  Compared to my one brother and one sister, holidays at his home sounded quite a bit more exciting.  Different religions.  Different personalities.  Different backgrounds.  Different life experiences.  Different careers.  Other than our October birthdays, there wasn't much we had in common.

And yet, these rides became the high point of my day.  Some days I slept, but most days we talked.  We spent the drive discussing politics, cancer, family, and travel.  I introduced him to Etsy.  He introduced me to the newest models of cars as he debated what type he would buy next.  We spent many hours while he educated me on Islamic holy days and the inter workings of his small business.  I educated him on cancer and radiation treatments.  With the election on the horizon, we discussed the joke known as Donald Trump and our disbelief that he had supporters.

I never had to call to remind him that I needed a ride to Rochester; he was organized and kept track of my appointment times.  He always pulled up to my curb with the headrest of the front passenger seat pulled off, so I could see out the windshield in an attempt to avoid the dreaded motion sickness.  When pain drove me to the ER, he offered me a ride in his silver van.  Always reliable, always kind.

I thought I knew what to expect when I went through radiation.  I knew all the negative side effects and pain that would follow from this treatment.  I had done it before.  Didn't I call myself a "cancer expert" with an air of arrogance and sarcasm?  And yet, I hadn't expected that deep in the heaviness of fighting for my life, I would meet a stranger who would become an ally.  

So, when day 30 of my radiation treatments arrived, I knew Abdul needed to celebrate with me.  He had put in almost as much work as I had, driving hours upon hours to make sure I reached my appointments safely and on time.  This was his victory too.  

After that final blast of the radiation beam, I walked out into the waiting area and stood near the bell, waiting for Abdul to join me.  Once there, I grabbed the cord and rang it "loud and clear", wanting the whole world to know what I had accomplished. What we had accomplished. My treatment was done and as the poem reads, "I was on my way." Literally.  With a new friend.