Saturday, July 16 – Blessings

I've been intending to document - on a daily basis - all the fabulously wonderful things that have happened to me since this diagnosis. I've captured a few of them, but I'm way behind schedule. I'll attempt to catch up by back-dating some things! Because I was scheduled to be in Europe, I was going to miss the celebration that was planned by my cousin, Karen, in Scottsdale for my beloved Aunt Lil who was turning 100 on July 16.…

Friday, August 12 – Can I Just “be”?

I didn't think I'd get used to being a human 'being.' At least not this quickly. For so long, I've been lauded and rewarded for my human 'doing.' I'm an excellent do-er. Can I excel at being a be-er? It's been more than 3 weeks since my surgery and the days have passed quickly. I've been writing, pondering, napping, appreciating music, kitties and my gorgeous back yard. It's not as if I never sat here before, but I can't recall…

Wed, July 27 – A Week After Surgery

Piss! I don't know the time - just that it's pitch dark when I roll over in bed to my left ... and the damn plastic hose that connects my catheter tube to the collection bag pulls out.  F##k! It's not like I made a big puddle on our new carpet. Maybe a few drips. But still . . . this sucks! I want to cry and feel sorry for myself. I certainly am entitled - right? Instead I roll…

Tuesday, July 26 – Calling All Angels

4:11am and I'm awake. I'd napped yesterday - a couple of times, actually, so I am all slept up. And Brutus, my big, brawny black cat is awake and wanting attention. Scott dozes beside me. This is the first night I've slept upstairs. It had finally cooled off a bit, and I was confident that I would be comfortable in my real bed after three restful nights on the daybed in my downstairs studio. Scooping up the med bottles, my water…

Friday, July 15 – Re: Poop!

The blogs I publish to my WOW! Travel Club website are dedicated to sharing stories about my journeys. This particular journey was unexpected. And, while I love surprises and taking roads-less-travelled, I hadn't quite counted on this detour! The blessings, joys, unexpected consequences and silver linings have been profound. In this post, I'll share some of them with you. Thanks for reading! On blog titles: My husband, Scott, has the dubious privilege of reading the final draft of my blog…

Friday, July 8 – Poop!

A funny thing happened to me on Wednesday. Not the kind of "ha ha" funny, but "hmmmm, that's interesting" kind of funny. Several weeks ago, I noticed discomfort in my lower extremities. Kind of bloating, belching, non-normal bowel movements (sorry if that's TMI for you . . . ) and some unusual coughing. "Constipation," suggested Scott. Never having had an issue before, I wasn't exactly sure what was going on - but I knew this wasn't my normal. Nothing painful - just…