It's a metaphor, "dodging a bullet". Usually, it's a fair sized bullet that's dodged if you use the metaphor. And here's why I've used it today...
Eight years ago, I missed out on something that would have been deadly. Instead of waiting until age 50 to have a colonoscopy, my gastro doc wanted to do one when I was 47. Came up in a conversation with him for something unrelated. But he suggested doing one then, rather than waiting 3 more years. I gritted my teeth. Not what I wanted to hear. But I agreed, and I did it. And if I hadn't, I'm not sure I'd be here today.
He found 2 polyps, one precancerous. 2cm in size it was. It would have become cancer. Maybe before I was 50...well, I'm guess that it would have. And at 50, if I'd waited, I'd have had colon cancer...the disease that killed my grandfather many years ago...at the age of 62. And, since there was a precancerous polyp, I'd have another procedure in 3 years, yep...at age 50. That happened in 2000. Better diagnosis...one polyp, benign. I could wait 5 years until the next one.
And that happened yesterday. New state, new doc. New junk to drink that tasted ok for a change, but was lousy on the gut. A former Navy medic did the IV and made it almost painless (I've had horrible IV experiences and I freak out if it goes badly). Once I know the IV is ok, I'm ok. Well, better than ok it turns out. No polyps...none. Great news.
My grandfather is not the only person I've know to die of colon cancer...we had a friend that died the year I had my first procedure. She was 53. It's a lousy way to die. You lose weight, you feel weak and sick. And then you're gone. Too soon.
But, like I said...I dodged that bullet. But this is a cancer that you can beat, if you stay ahead of the game. You see the ads...yeah the prep for it isn't much fun. The procedure is actually not bad...an IV, nice drugs. Then you wake up and go one with your life. I gave my daughter away this year when she got married (for the second time, wasn't at the 1st). In 2006 I was present at the birth of my grandson (my younger daughter who lives close by). I've lived to see this insane race for the White House. I've shared over 13 years with a wonderful human being.
All that would have been cut short if not for that first step, 8 years ago. While I would rather not have to go through this, I'm glad that I have. Cause I beat it. Maybe someone will see this and do what I did...and it will save a life. It saved mine.
26 September 2008
22 September 2008
A Long Week
Last week was a long week, personally and professionally. Big changes in the markets, the financial arena, the global marketplace. Changes too in the health of family members, people I care about but cannot assist as I'm just too far away. I can make phone calls, work with other family members, hopefully find solutions to the current problems.
All of this is very draining. It's an emotional high alert and really zaps you. So we took a nice drive yesterday, dog and all. We found fruit to bring home, we saw clouds, rain, evidence of fire...more "clouds" from a fire still burning. We saw the sun break through as evening approached, providing a spectacular sunset. There is just not much to write. Not without lots of details, and I don't want to do details right now.
It's a new week with new challenges and the continuation of some old challenges. The sun is out, fall is in the air...crisp days, colorful trees. The cycle goes on, the season march past on as we stop to glimpse their passage. A new week...
All of this is very draining. It's an emotional high alert and really zaps you. So we took a nice drive yesterday, dog and all. We found fruit to bring home, we saw clouds, rain, evidence of fire...more "clouds" from a fire still burning. We saw the sun break through as evening approached, providing a spectacular sunset. There is just not much to write. Not without lots of details, and I don't want to do details right now.
It's a new week with new challenges and the continuation of some old challenges. The sun is out, fall is in the air...crisp days, colorful trees. The cycle goes on, the season march past on as we stop to glimpse their passage. A new week...
16 September 2008
Disasters
Disasters come in all shapes and sizes. Personal disasters may be health related, employment related, finance related, "my team didn't make the playoffs" related. There are degrees of disaster, and what may be a disaster to someone, may just be an "oh well" to someone else. Personally, that is.
Other disasters happen on a much grander scale. Earthquakes, hurricanes, disasters that are the work of Mother Nature. We may not be in their path, but we may feel their affects. Not in New Orleans during Katrina, many of us still were impacted. We sent aid, we paid at the pump for the increased cost of oil, we suffered the effects of the temporary housing provided by the government. We struggled to find goods and services, people and materials to rebuild, we found a sense of purpose in volunteering our time and efforts. Now we do the same for Galveston in the wake of Ike.
At a time when the man-made disaster of the economy looms large over all we can see, there will be jobs...come to Galveston and help rebuild our city. Come to Galveston, Houston, Texas...and find work. Come together as we do during these earthly disasters and help those in need, and help yourself. Work, grow, be a part of the greater good.
We band together during times of national disaster (Katrina aside); we strive to pull ourselves and each other up. Man-made disaster is another matter. Greed and lax oversight have driven the economy into something of a black hole. Just when you think it can't get worse, it does. Our resiliency as a people is often undone by our ineptitude in learning from our past. Each generation produces its "whiz kids"...and hubris dictates that they make leaps made with disastrous results previously...claiming it won't happen now.We amplify the folly of the past, by not only taking the same path, but by failing on a much grander scale.
So here we are. In spite of claiming otherwise by our inept leader...the economy is NOT solid. Downturns in many industries (housing, manufacturing), higher costs for food, gasoline, medical care, failures of some of the largest financial entities in the world, and hubris. We're so good this can't happen to us. Like the short-sightedness that kept us from understanding the lead up to Sept 11, 2001, we continue to wear blinders and believe that all is ok, cause we got Bubba in the House. A disaster...on the economy, foreign policy, the environment, the list goes on. The disaster grows.
We work together to overcome disasters that are out of our sphere of influence. Standing on the shore and telling a hurricane to go away is not effective. Pointing fingers at others and assigning them the blame for our failures is not effective. Disasters. Hindsight, foresight. Somewhere we have to begin to lessen the disasters we can control (human failing it is), and to respond better to those we can't. Otherwise? What a disaster that will be.
Other disasters happen on a much grander scale. Earthquakes, hurricanes, disasters that are the work of Mother Nature. We may not be in their path, but we may feel their affects. Not in New Orleans during Katrina, many of us still were impacted. We sent aid, we paid at the pump for the increased cost of oil, we suffered the effects of the temporary housing provided by the government. We struggled to find goods and services, people and materials to rebuild, we found a sense of purpose in volunteering our time and efforts. Now we do the same for Galveston in the wake of Ike.
At a time when the man-made disaster of the economy looms large over all we can see, there will be jobs...come to Galveston and help rebuild our city. Come to Galveston, Houston, Texas...and find work. Come together as we do during these earthly disasters and help those in need, and help yourself. Work, grow, be a part of the greater good.
We band together during times of national disaster (Katrina aside); we strive to pull ourselves and each other up. Man-made disaster is another matter. Greed and lax oversight have driven the economy into something of a black hole. Just when you think it can't get worse, it does. Our resiliency as a people is often undone by our ineptitude in learning from our past. Each generation produces its "whiz kids"...and hubris dictates that they make leaps made with disastrous results previously...claiming it won't happen now.
So here we are. In spite of claiming otherwise by our inept leader...the economy is NOT solid. Downturns in many industries (housing, manufacturing), higher costs for food, gasoline, medical care, failures of some of the largest financial entities in the world, and hubris. We're so good this can't happen to us. Like the short-sightedness that kept us from understanding the lead up to Sept 11, 2001, we continue to wear blinders and believe that all is ok, cause we got Bubba in the House. A disaster...on the economy, foreign policy, the environment, the list goes on. The disaster grows.
We work together to overcome disasters that are out of our sphere of influence. Standing on the shore and telling a hurricane to go away is not effective. Pointing fingers at others and assigning them the blame for our failures is not effective. Disasters. Hindsight, foresight. Somewhere we have to begin to lessen the disasters we can control (human failing it is), and to respond better to those we can't. Otherwise? What a disaster that will be.
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