Justin phoned to check on our coordinates (thank God for cell phones!) and informed us that the weather report called for hail, 70 mile per hour winds and potential tornadoes.

The sky was turning dark in front of us, but we agreed to watch the weather report and pull over if necessary.

Our radio station wasn’t great so Jayane asked me if I knew the song that was in her head.

“It goes, I’ll be next to you, or something like that.” Jaynane repeated over and over. I couldn’t locate the melody in the anals of radio history within my brain so I turned to my cell phone for help.

You mean, “Next to me?” I ready my Google results. ”By Emeli Sandé?”

“Yes!”

We played the song as loud as we could on my iPhone. Singing at the top of our lungs.

When the money’s spent and all my friends have vanished
and I can’t seem to find no help or love for free
I know there’s no need for me to panic
cause i’ll find him, i’ll find him next to me

The sky was growing darker with each stanza, and then, Emile sang to us:

When the skies are grey and all the doors are closing
and the rising pressure makes it hard to breathe
well, all I need is a hand to stop the tears from falling
I will find him, will find him next to me

The storm clouds grew even nastier, darker and more ominous out our windows.

Justin called me back. “There’s no wind right now, which isn’t a good sign.”

It felt like we were driving right into the eye of the storm. Images of cows flying through the air and tornado chasers ran through  my mind.

And, then, just as we crossed over the Mississipi River, and passed the “Iowa Welcomes You” sign, the sky opened up and began to pour. We couldn’t see out our windows despite the wipers flying back and forth across the windshield.

So we pulled over and waited out the storm. Trucks and cars zoomed by us at lightning speed. And, while I felt safe on the side of the road I wondered if the other cars could see us – because we could barely see out our window.

Justin called and confirmed there was a rest area two miles up the road. We waited for a pause and then jumped back on the highway to meet Justin at the next rest station.

After the rain eventually stopped and the sun began to poke through and we continued down the road, Jaynane said:

“Look for the rainbow! There’s always a rainbow after a storm.”

Yes! I thought. There’s always a rainbow. But, today, on highway 80, there were NO rainbows.

A few miles down the road, I turned on the radio and our dear friend Emile’s voice sang out to us, again, this time even louder and stronger.

Next to me ooooh
Next to me ooooh
Next to me ooooh
You will find him, you’ll find him next to me

We were back in action. With sunny skies. But still no rainbow.

An hour later my friend Sara called. She tried to sing the lyrics to the song ”On the road again” but couldn’t remember what came after, “I just can’t wait to get on the road again.”

As we laughed, my cell beeped through and then I lost a call. “Shoot,” I said to Sara. “That might be my doctor.”

“Just call the number back.” Sara reasoned.
So I did.

It was my doctor. 

She had my complete test results. It turns out I have a mixed bag. The largest nodule on my thyroid is benign (yeah!!) but the other two are not quite so clear. One is suspicious with carcinoma cells, from the test results, but my doctor said it may very well be benign.

Bottom-line, I have a choice: surgery to remove the thyroid, or more testing to see if the suscpicious node is cancerous.

As I hung up the phone and reported the results to Jaynane with a heavy heart, I couldn’t help but feel that I am again, in the eye of the storm. More medical care. More decisions to make. A potential surgery. Another doctor.

I wanted the results to be benign. I hoped to be able to put my head back in the sand and pretend that it isn’t happening to me. I just wanted it to be over, to move on, to be free and clear.

But…. that’s not where I am.

As we pressed forward, out of the corner of my window I spotted something shiny.

“Look!” I screamed to Jaynane, startling her. “A rainbow!”