I was home from my 12-day Pennsylvania trip for just two nights before I was on the road again. This time to Togus VA Medical Center in Augusta, Maine, with Paul, where he had surgery to remove a tumor from his neck.

His surgery went as well as it possibly could. It’ll be a couple of weeks before we know if we have anything more to worry about on that front; fingers crossed!

A 150-mile drive one-way, we went up the day before the surgery. What should have been a day procedure ended with Paul being admitted for the night. We were fortunate to have a room in the Fisher House, directly across the street from the medical center. 

Fisher Houses, privately funded by the Fisher House Foundation, offer free lodging to military and veteran families while their loved ones receive medical care at associated medical centers.

Bouncing back and forth between my room and hospital was just a short jaunt. Having this lovely place to stay reduced some of the stress from Paul’s hospital stay. I was able to cook a meal from the stores in the kitchen or pop a ready-made meal in the microwave. Kind staff members were on hand for support. As Paul said, “I was enlisted when serving on active duty in the Marine Corps, but they treated me like I was a 4-star general.” We are most grateful for this special place.