Conversation is Life

I continue to wait for the first signs of my making white blood cells.  I was able to go 13 days between red cell transfusions; I feel very good about this accomplishment.  I’m on day 26 of this induction chemo round; Dr. Stone said it could take as long as 45 days until we know if my white counts will rise to normal.

It’s been a great week.  It started out really well with the election of a Ph.D. in Oceanography to be the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church.  As I understand more and more about global warming as a spiritual violation, I am so proud of our church for electing a person who can speak strongly over the next nine years about this catastrophic issue.  I haven’t seen Gore’s new movie yet, but I’ve seen him many times on the TV talk shows; the Charlie Rose interview was particularly good.  I accept his conclusion that humanity has about ten years to save life on this planet.  I’m happy for his optimism; I’ve been concerned that it is all over with, though we won’t know it for another hundred years.

It was good to be able to turn from my attention to global warming to a visit from Daniel’s sister, Bev.  Bev is not only a wonderful sister, but a social worker.  She has fine communication skills and the three of us had long conversations each day about the present as well as the past and future, particularly my health future.  We spent Wednesday in conversation in my hospital room, expecting that I’d be on furlough Thursday and Friday.  However, by Friday, my red blood had tanked (out) and I needed a two unit fill up.  That is a seven to eight hour process, so we spent the day and the evening here in the hospital room.  By evening we were giddy and decided to break out the champaign Daniel had brought in as a joke after I told him to ice it so we could have it on Friday.  I’ll include a picture of our hospital celebration when I figure out how to get pictures from my new phone onto my computer.  We did get out on Thursday and drove to Swampscott for lunch by the sea.

I’m on furlough both Saturday and Sunday.  Yesterday, despite showers, we drove out to Concord for an afternoon with Cory Lefebvre at her beautiful country home. I felt like a real person eating lunch and having conversation in a beautiful natural setting for the second time in a week.  I am overcoming my “hospital patient” mentality.  Today I’m seeing EDS friends; Susan Langle was a delegate from NH to the Episcopal General Convention.  We are all looking forward to conversation about Susan’s stories of the Convention.

From all this chatter, you can tell that I’m living life and being conscious of the grace that life can be.  Daniel and I marvel each day about how fortunate we are to live so full of love for our family and friends and indeed to appreciate this love in ways that we did not when we took it for granted and made little time for it.

Comments

[Mary Austin]

You are my star! As I went into surgery last Tuesday I thought of your strength. As Lamotte says, courage is fear that's learned to pray. Surgery successful. Home today for six week recoup. It sounds so plain, and I read your entries and am heartened. You are my beloved friend.
Mary Austin