No Ordinary Days: Health Update July 19, 2012

Seattle ...city birds

Health Update July 19, 2012

(Sorry, no grandchildren this trip)

Dear Friends,

Tonight, as I think about filling you in on my news, Kate Woolf’s lyrics for “Give Yourself to Love” come to mind: ”Kind friends all gathered ‘round, there’s something I would say: That what brings us together here has blessed us all today…” We know what brings us together, and I do feel blessed to have each of you with me in spirit tonight to share my good news on yet another infusion day.

I’ve gathered you

From blueberry fields and kayaks

Quiet northern ponds

And windy Atlantic and Pacific beaches.

I’ve gathered you

From shady woods of the White Rabbit Trail

And the endless snake of the PCT.

And backyard gardens and hay fields

I’ve gathered you from Georgian Bay, Thetis Island

and Lake Memphremagog and landlocked Saskatchewan

A farmers’ market in Davis and a flea market in Santa Cruz

And rocking chairs, and freeways,

A small town in Italy, and who knows where else you’ve wondered!

But thanks to the Internet, I think I’ll do a pretty successful job

Of giving you all a big old hug tonight!

Dexa-daze

Good to go!

I am in Seattle for my maintenance infusion of Rituxan which I’m doing quarterly, sometimes in Ashland and this time at the Fred Hutchenson Cancer Research Center up here. The prognosis is I am nearly “normal”! All vitals look good, and the IgM is continuing to drop. Dr. Becker doesn’t think I’ll be able to get down to true normal of 200 or less, but I’m aiming for it. The encouragement I received today fortifies my belief in healing myself according to David Servan-Shreiber’s protocol in his book Anti-Cancer: a New Way of Life. Any swellings or food allergies or achy joints that I have are, apparently, not related to WM. They are to be blamed on lupus.

By mistake I arrived an hour early at the infusion room, so it was suggested I go for a walk down by Lake Union. What a treat! Not only did I get to see an amazing array of boats, but The Wooden Boat Museum was down there too.

Wooden rowboat...takes me back.

For Rod

Here are some pictures for the wooden boat lovers among you. The old rowboat reminded me of the one we had at The Lake growing up. I recalled Martha, Ann and me rowing it far out into the lake and then standing on the gunnel and bouncing it until we finally had enough momentum going to flip it. We’d leap off into the water and swim up into the trapped air pocket under the upside-down boat. Our voices echoed in the darkness and sounds of our laughter brings a smile to my face all these years later.

Life in Portland has been pretty busy lately. Peter and Hope’s house remodel has taken a lot more time and energy than they anticipated, so I’ve been pinch hitter granny. As you can see from my blog, it has been nothing but fun, but everyone is now ready for structure and calm and space. Hopefully move-in day will be this Saturday.

The following are some odds and ends I have saved for you…things I’ve enjoyed over the past three months that you may like to know about.

First is an amazing story of a rower in her boat. http://vimeo.com/39953815 I pulled it off of Zand Martin’s site. His is a fascinating story as all who met him at Carrie and Tim’s wedding would attest. http://zandmartin.com/bio/. In the past few years he has paddled his canoe across the US and Europe!

Here is an article of interest:

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/30/the-busy-trap/

Uplifting Video…amazing story, I think! It’s also about the power of dancing together

http://www.gadling.com/2012/06/21/video-where-the-hell-is-matt-2012-edition/?a_dgi=aolshare_email

I cannot stand the name of this and it will suck your day away, but I have to say it was fun to travel into the songs of 1944, my birthdate, 1959, the year Jim and I started dating, 1966, the year we married, and a few more…. the ‘80’s. Anyway, if you can stand hearing that awful man saying his name, you might enjoy listening to some oldies but goodies here.

http://upchucky.org/JukeCity/1944/OldJukes/player.htm

Book Recommendations:

Wild by Sheryl Strayed

Mink River by Brian Doyle (Oregon author…amazing word choice and unique style. “Delicious” is what Mary would say. I had to read it out loud just to delight in the words!)

When Women Were Birds, Fifty-four Variations on Voice by Terry Tempest Williams (If you can go to a book talk of hers, don’t miss it! She is terrific!)

I haven’t read the following book, but anything recommended by staff at Wheelock College gets my stamp of approval. Two years ago their choice was The Soul of Money by Lynn Twist. It’s not a catchy title, but is a fantastic book! I recommend it to every adult man and woman I know…. and others as well!

Picking Cotton: Our Memoir of Injustice and Redemption by Jennifer Thompson-Cannino, Ronald Cotton, and Erin Torneo

(Dr. Jenne Powers, the director of Wheelock College’s Writing Center and assistant professor of humanities and writing, announced that the Summer Reading Selection Committee has chosen Picking Cotton: Our Memoir of Injustice and Redemption by Jennifer Thompson-Cannino, Ronald Cotton, and Erin Torneo. The memoir tells a story that is first and foremost about justice – individual, social, and institutional. It will prompt conversation and deep reflection with reference to current issues, such as the Trayvon Martin/George Zimmerman case, as well as long-standing ethical problems, such as reliance on eyewitness testimony. Last year, as a community, Wheelock College read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and grappled with the immense power of science, which sometimes advances society while ignoring the rights of individuals. Picking)

OK, friends, I’m starting to slow down. Nothing creative has come out of tonight, but at least you have an update on some of my goings on. Oh, I almost forgot to share my last stop today: Whole Foods!