Beginning A Journey

I was a little blue when I stopped writing in the blog a couple of weeks ago. It was true that I was frustrated with the state of my arm/shoulder and that I was six and a half weeks behind where I should have been in regaining use of my battered limb. I was also frustrated with my lack of cre8ive outlets. There was another reason and now that everything is settled and my family has been informed I can talk about it.

I am having a kidney removed in a couple of weeks. It is assumed to be and most likely is cancerous but that determination is not final until the kidney is removed and a pathology report issued. As you can imagine, I am devastated. I am going through all the stages. Why me? I have taken such care. I have an excellent diet, maintain a good weight, quit smoking, exercise regularly, and take a huge amount of supplements. My doctor this summer told me I was perfect on paper - extremely healthy. Why me? Why not me is the answer, I guess. I know others who have maintained healthy lifestyles and have been stricken with the disease. Luck of the draw? I do not know the answer and will not dwell on it.

Music today is not meant to be a bummer. Gillian Welsh's beautiful song, I'm Not Afraid to Die, kind of says what I said in the last paragraph. Won't Give In by The Finn Brothers is my answer to it all as I won't give in. Here's Hayden with a version of Neil Young's, Tell Me Why. Kate Bush has a powerful song for how I'm feeling, too; Jig of Life, powerful I say!

Life's Surprises

I can't believe a repeat of the same tragedy that has recently occurred with two people I've told you about has happened once again. First was my very close friend who had an embolism the day after her surgery that nearly killed her. Then I told you about the seventeen year old girl in my community who died of an embolism one week after surgery. This time it is my sister-in-law in New Brunswick who has had a massive stroke at 57 after having had surgery on the 20th, nearly a month ago. Then, this morning I read this in a music blog that I regularly read. What is going on? When it happened to both my friend and the young girl, I heard a ton of horror stories about just that event occurring. It seems that everyone knows someone who has had a stroke or heart attack from an embolism after surgery. This is too much!!!!

My sister-in-law has gone blind with her stroke. I don't know if it's common, if sight can return or anything, really. She is completely paralyzed on one side, can not really talk and is very confused. I spoke to my niece and she doesn't have many answers, only questions. There is only she and her brother for her mom as my brother, their dad, passed away from leukemia when they were very young children. The kids are in their early twenties living their lives in separate parts of the province, not that near to their mom but she is in the hospital of the city where my niece lives. That's good, for now. This is such a tragedy.

I'm off out of province for a few days. If I hang out at my brother's, I'll post with one of his incredible photos or if I'm at my sister's I'll do the same and some of their music. With this tragedy happening Time After Time, that's what I have for music today - by Cyndi Lauper. Also, I'm Not Afraid to Die by Gillian Welsh.