Richard & Lula
Story 128

Richard Taylor: My name is Richard Taylor.

Lulu Taylor: Mine is Lula Taylor.

Richard Taylor: We run a rescue ranch for animals. Lulu's animals are geese, ducks, chickens.

Lulu Taylor: Turkeys.

Richard Taylor: Turkeys.

Lulu Taylor: Rabbits.

Richard Taylor: Emus, rabbits, and dogs.

Lulu Taylor: Yeah.

Richard Taylor: Mine are horses and the grown-up emus. So we stay busy taking care of animals. In three days, we will be married...

Lulu Taylor: 44 years.

Richard Taylor: 44 years.

Lulu Taylor: Going on 45.

Richard Taylor: I can't remember the number. I can't remember my age. I have to calculate that every year because it changes. In '04 the VA noticed a spot. In the meantime, my dear wife developed a lobe spot, and they said, "Well, we're going to refer you to the cancer center." We have been thoroughly happy coming here versus going anywhere else. The people have been so supportive. I'm almost choking up.

Lulu Taylor: I just fell in love with all of them. I'll take them home with me. They're just all so great and so sweet.

Richard Taylor: They talk to us like normal human beings. They don't use the high falutin doctor talk. They get down and we can understand…

Lulu Taylor: So we can understand.

Richard Taylor: What they're saying, and that I love.

Lulu Taylor: Yeah, me too. Me too.

Richard Taylor: We travel an hour and a half to get here and driving home. The days are really tied up coming here, getting it done and going home. That supportive fund and the support structure that the hospital has developed around it is more than helpful. Here I go choking up again. This has really helped us. With those gas cards that we received that allowed us to keep going and not break the routine, we did not miss a single day for either of us.

Lulu Taylor: I just love it here.

Richard Taylor: Yeah.

Lulu Taylor: I'm going to miss everybody so much when I leave.

Richard Taylor: I told them we got tomorrow off. I don't know what we're going to do.

Lulu Taylor: I do. Oh, I can figure out something.

Richard Taylor: I'm sure you can. The honey-do list.

Lulu Taylor: I'm going to be cleaning.

Richard Taylor: I'm going to go out and start a tractor and just listen to it.

Lulu Taylor: Well, push some dirt around while you're at it.

Richard Taylor: Okay. I can do that. We try to keep life happy. It's hard enough on your body to go through it. Might as well go through it with a positive attitude and say, “I only got so many of these to do and I'm done,” and get it done.

Lulu Taylor: Yep. I don't know what else to say. They're just great people.

Richard Taylor: Yeah, but I’ve got to say those gas cards, they help tremendously.