
My head was still in the clouds when the plane landed in D.C. With an achy body and God-given gumption, I moved at a determined snail’s pace to find a taxi to Bethesda. Four times at Reagan Airport–ANOTHER kind and gracious driver! He shared about saying good-bye to his wife and kids in Kenya two days earlier. The gleam in his eyes and smile on his face, despite the absence from his loved ones, lifted my spirit. His sunny disposition lit the night sky. “Humans make things hard,” he said. With a bit of renewed energy, I thanked him for his kindness and positivity. He replied, “Never worry. God has it all.”
The next day a dear childhood friend, Kerry, met me for the early shuttle to the NIH/NCI. The day was filled with scans, bloodwork, and visits with the specialists. Worldly welcomes! A spectacular fellow in research from Puerto Rico, the gracious travel coordinator from India, a lovely lab tech from Israel, and a courageous cancer patient from Canada. All of us meeting in this amazing global facility filled with caring researchers, specialists, doctors, and many other dedicated servants. Miracles in the making!
Scanxiety? I’ve lost track of the number of scans. Through the buzz, whirls, and clonks of all the machines, I hear Dad singing, “Welcome to my world.” Yes, this is my world. I’m so thankful.
My head might still be in the clouds a bit. There’s new medicine, another scan, and appointment this week. From a worldly welcome in D.C. to the cheers of the Missouri folks as our rocking plane (two hours of turbulence!) landed in the Ozark Plateau.
“We can change the world and make it a better place. It is in our hands to make a difference.”
Nelson Mandela
Can you imagine our world if everyone was so welcoming?
“You have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” Harriet Tubman

















Friends, your support means so much to me. Thank you for taking the time to read my updates and articles. I know how much you have going on in your worlds! I received news that my pancreas and liver are stable! There’s bone and lymph node progression. The bone marrow could be overactive. My spine MRI was… icky. I’ll leave that there! For those that have back pain, I empathize and feel for you, too. My energy level has not been what it was–but I keep my expectations reasonable and my hopes high. I’ll have another MRI on Wednesday and an oncology appointment on Thursday. I’m expecting great things! I look forward to catching up to hear how things are in in your world. I’m so glad we’re on this journey together. You are always so welcoming! God bless you and keep you all. You are loved. ❣️
Love, Karla and Finley 🐾❣️
“The world is big and I want to have a good look at it before it gets dark.”
John Muir






