Almost March

I realized yesterday that March is next Monday. Perhaps this does not come as a surprise to anyone else, but it did to me. I was doing the yearly physical exam on one of my female patients, going over the preventive things we need to address for her health. I made the comment that when she turns 40, I want to order her mammogram. She pointed out that her 40th birthday is March 1st, this upcoming Monday. Wow! Already! Great news. Somehow, I've been mired in February and winter in my mind-
seems like f-o-r-e-v-e-r.

After my run this morning I was filling the bird feeders, cleaning up the trees that had been blown over by all of the recent snow, and trimming some of the dead stalks from my perennials. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that the perennials are gearing up with new green shoots and leaves. I hadn't noticed any of that from my bedroom window, but at ground level, it is quite obvious. Fabulous to see spring just around the corner.

I spent this past w-e in Charleston with my Mom. She had fallen on her face last week, just one more thing for her to deal with during this difficult time. My stepdad hasn't been doing very well in the Rehab facility where they moved him after his latest brain surgery. However, things progressed some this w-e for both of them. My Mom's face is getting better slowly with less swelling and bruising everyday. She can drive again and even walked with me Sunday for exercise (getting her Teresa points as she calls it). And, we were able to get Brian up to sit outside, visit with their dog Dixie, converse with visitors, eat on his own, and walk (assisted) to the bathroom and shower. I am hoping that he has turned the corner and will be able to do more and more as he regains his strength. I know that eventually his brain tumor will come back-it's an aggressive bastard-but my hope is that he can go home before any of that happens.

I was struck by how odd it feels to help dress and bathe and walk with Brian. I had my own hospital days not so long ago with lukewarm showers and hospital food and interminable hours in my own little room. I was weak too, especially after that 7 day course of continuous chemo to get into remission from the leukemia. I too, could barely walk on my own, fatigued even by the act of eating. Amazing to think that without those tough times, I wouldn't be here. Boy am I glad I persevered through that and more to be here today to run through Ayr Mount park as I did this morning, to get to see all of the woodpeckers at my feeders as I write this, and to notice all of the green shoots coming up where I trimmed away the old dead stuff. That, to me, is the perfect morning, as we barrel towards March now.

Fat Tuesday

We attended the Mardi Gras parade held in downtown Asheville this past Sunday before we left for Hillsborough. There was a lot of standing around waiting at the street corner for the fun to start, and many conversations among the spectators about where the route would go. It was not a big deal parade like the one at Christmas, but it was spirited nonetheless. I do think there were more people who turned out to catch a glimpse of the "freaks" and the costumes than there were paraders, but that's okay. Susan took this photo of the dancing girls leading it on. Early February is a little cold for those outfits, but they sure got into the music.

Happy Mardi Gras!

Half the Sorrow, Twice the Joy

This is a bit belated being that yesterday was Valentine's Day. I was more than a little distracted by my Mom's accident and all of the attendant worries and concerns that brought up for me-not just about today and this episode but also for the future. When something like this happens, you realize that a 5 hr drive is not close enough to take care of someone from afar. But you cobble together some plan and hope it works. As my boss says about staying home with her sick kids when her Nanny is sick, " I am only 1 deep," meaning that she is the back up. I think one of my biggest worries for both of my parents is that they will find themselves alone dealing with all of the vagaries that older age throws at you. I read something in a novel recently that I think is quite true-marriage was described as offering half the sorrow and twice the joy. What a sweet way to boil it down. I would add that a committed relationship offers the same thing-I have been lucky enough to have that. My Valentine has shouldered much adversity with me these past few, challenging years. I am so very grateful for that.

Thanks to my gal for halving my sorrow and doubling my joy!

Tag, You're It

It is always amazing to me how differently people handle tough medical issues-not only their own health crises but also those of their loved ones. Being pretty solidly in middle age now, like most of my friends, my time has come too. My stepdad's recent diagnosis has certainly affected my sisters and me, but more from the standpoint of trying to support my Mom. We have been visiting him to help her-translating medical events, driving to the hospital, and trying to disentangle his online banking system for her. Many of my good pals have recently made emergency trips home due to medical issues with one or more of their parents. Well, it's my turn now. Earlier today I got a call from my sister saying that my Mom tripped on a speed bump in a parking lot and fell flat on her face (my nephew Ethan calls that a face plant). Apparently she landed on her nose, cut her face requiring stitches, and injured her knee. Hmmm, it's one thing to do a face plant when you're 8 and sledding down a snowy hill; it's another when you're 68, distracted by your husband's brain cancer and fall on the asphalt. That stuff hurts. All I could think of when my sister called me with the news was "tag you're it." My turn to share in the unexpected health woes of my parents.

You might think I'd be pretty good at it with all of my medical experience. Suffice to say that when it's your parent, you're just the child like everyone else. We are really lucky that my sister was already there visiting with her kids. And we're lucky because one of her oldest friends can be with her this week until I can get there this w-e. I hope that she rests some and lets herself heal. It's been a rough last 6 mos since Brian's diagnosis.
February is often a tough month-it's the longest, short month. Seems like ours is going to be filled with doctors and hospitals and trips to Charleston.

This year we are getting lots of fun snow the mountains, and I really enjoy that. This is a shot of Beaver Lake which is one of my favorite runs near our house.

Happy 70th Pop

As I was running in the woods yesterday, enjoying the serenity of being alone on my favorite mountain, I remembered a card I had made for my Dad when he was in Vietnam. I was in my horse phase and drew him a horse's head with the caption

2 good
2 be
4gotten.

I thought it was a nice sentiment that I still want to convey all these years later. Today my Dad is 70 yrs old, a far cry from the 26 yr old he was when I made the card. Pop (that is what I used to write in my letters then), I hope that you have a really great day and a fabulous year ahead. Happy Birthday!

Snow Days

In the Triangle, we are still digging out from the latest snowstorm. All of the schools were canceled yesterday, and my clinic was closed as well. The secondary roads were and still are pretty much a mess. I went running yesterday morning, dodging cars as we vied for clean asphalt at the edge of the roadways. We had the same beautiful white stuff in Asheville over the w-e, but they did an excellent job of salting the roads BEFORE the snow hit this time (they learned from their mistakes with the recent December storm). In Asheville, we played in the snow and did 2 hikes around town to look at all the trees and houses and mountains with their 8 inch blanket. It was really spectacular when the blue sky rolled in on Sunday before we left to drive back. The interstates were clear, but our neighborhood was pretty icy and still is. I think they are holding the speed skating trials on our loop road here later today-tee hee. Actually, it isn't that bad if you drive slowly. It has been really cool to see so much snow again after our trip to NH to cross country ski. It sort of reminds me of living in New England.

I used the snow day yesterday to check out the new Orange County library. At the end of December, the fine old building near our house closed, and they relocated it to the new official looking county building on Margaret Lane, near the Weaver St Market. I have to say, I will miss our little hillsborough library with its quaint old building and everything/everyone all jammed in together. The new building looks so institutional, and the inside looks, well it could be anywhere. I am sure it is much nicer for the kids to have their own reading room and for the librarians to have their own desks/reference areas, but I will miss the character of the old place. It really did have character, and I am not just saying that because it represents a change. Oh well, all things change... and then you have the iPAD.

Okay, one thing that doesn't change is how much fun I am having on my runs lately - enjoying the invigorating winter air and the long range views one gets this time of year. I hope that all of my pals can get outside to enjoy that fresh sunshine and wiggle their joints a bit.