Neal went with my father last night to be a part of a Texas Hold’em game in Oklahoma (not far from Sherman). I thought it would be good for Neal to get out and just have a good time, besides the casino in Oklahoma is not like being in Louisiana or Vegas. The stakes aren’t as high and I think it is more ‘simple’…if gambling can ever be simple. They were gone for a good while so I figured they must have been doing well. When they finally walked in the door I could see on Neal’s face he’d had what I call a ‘wake up’ call. Sure enough after telling us didn’t lose a dime and actually came out on top, he told us about the man he sat next to in the tournament.
The man Neal sat next to was in a wheelchair. He has MS. Neal said it took a few rounds and he saw the man trying to stack his chips but couldn’t move his hands very well. Neal asked if he needed any help and the guy said, “Oh, no, it’ll take me a bit but I got it” That is when the man told Neal he had MS and was diagnosed 17 years earlier. Neal (being Neal) said, “Welcome to the club.” 😉 So they began to trade symptom and med stories. The man ended up with a lesion that tore through his lower cervix. Eventually the guy was out of the game and then Neal got beat out by my father. Neal said talking to that man was like getting a bit of water splashed in his face and suddenly he was back to appreciating life in the moment.
Tomorrow morning Neal has to go get his yearly MRI’s done to see if there are any new lesions. We pray there are NO new lesions. If there are new lesions then that just means more symptoms will soon follow. So, please say a prayer for Neal. 🙂
Today was spent traveling back home to Kingwood, unpacking and making the most of begin L A Z Y before getting back into ‘life’ at home. It is unlike me to just sit here but it’s been a long time since Neal and I have sat together and watched two movies in a row! 😉
I don’t think it was a ‘coincidence’ that Neal sat next to that man. Sometimes God can be obvious and LOUD.
Are you paying attention?
Blessings
Shannon