Train-chasing bookend activities confirm my progress

The last part of our train chasing was a recent July evening

Last fall when I was diagnosed with metastatic cancer that had spread to my bones I was feeling terrible. No mobility, no energy, no stamina.

I was on a walker and needed someone to drive me everywhere.

When my oncologist said, "Let's get you feeling better" I was skeptical.

But lo and behold the meds DID help!

My first fun "outing" back then in early November was last-minute steam engine chasing on a Saturday. I had been having to ride in the back seat of cars because my back hurt too much if I could't stretch out. But on this particular November weekend I'd been able tolerate being in the front seat.

So I was game when my sister suggested we try to see the Tennessee Valley Railroad steam engine on its run in this area.

We tried to pick up the train in Chickamauga but were too late and missed it. So we hurried to Rossville where we finally spotted the smoke from the train on the Tennessee side of their run. My sister kept her eye on the railroad tracks on the car navigation system and we managed to beat the train to the end of Rossville Boulevard near Central Avenue and see it pass there.

My sister parked close enough that I could get out with my walker and lean on our car and have a good view while the train passed. We then chased it down Holtzclaw Avenue and I got some nice photos from the car window as we drove alongside the train.

This was in early November. You can see the season in the dusky sky.

The "bookend" experience just happened at the the end of my sister's July visit. She came for three weeks and took me to a WNBA game in Atlanta and to Savannah and our next-county-over family reunion.

One big improvement that is obvious in this bookend experience is that I'm not using a walker.

Not even a cane.

I don't walk well for long but I have SO much more mobility. And I could ride for six hours in the front seat of a car to Savannah. And six hours home. No problem.

And—appropriately—to make this an obvious bookend...

...at the very end of the visit after I got another good CT scan result, my sister and I happened along on a steam engine run, a special one for the national model train convention that was being held in Chattanooga.

We saw people gathering in downtown Chickamauga, and my sister realized it must be a train run. Well, this time we had some experience "chasing" and knew better where to go to get photos.

We first got good video by Wilder's Tower in the Chickamauga National Battlefield and then went got more video at the same spot at the end of Rossville Boulevard. And along Holtzclaw I took some photos. And at the end for us we saw the power-up with an added engine to get the train up and through the ridge.

Steam engine chasing was the perfect bookend to a period of improvement for me. My first outing after my metastatic diagnosis was a train-chasing one.

And we had an impromptu chasing at the end of my sister's recent July visit that included a trip that took me out of town six hours away for several nights.

Having these two comparable bookend experiences shows me very vividly how much better I'm doing. And my sister got to have clear comparison to assure her I'm really doing just fine on my own.

Neither steam-engine chasing was planned ahead of time but both felt like gifts.

I think they WERE gifts.

Ones I really appreciate.

Experience gifts along with the people gifts of my sister and everyone who has helped me in any way over the months since my diagnosis.

A whole village of helper folks. Folks who have helped me get through a tough time. Folks who have definitely improved my life in SO many ways.

I appreciate each one of you!

And I wish you obvious bookends when you need reminders of progress in your lives.

Maybe not steam engine ones...but ones that are just right for you.

Just like the train was for us!