Talking Health

It must be our age. We are not often invited to weddings or baby showers or graduations anymore. We are still not going to a lot of funerals but our conversations with friends and relatives are usually focused on health issues. What is your blood pressure? What is your cholesterol? We compare colonoscopy experiences. We recommend doctors.

We are also hearing bad news. Mark's wife Marianne was diagnosed with ovarian cancer a week ago Friday, had surgery a week ago and was released last Friday. It was major surgery, it will take time to heal and her treatments begin in about six weeks. Mark was in the horrible accident -  http://livingwellwithabaddiagnosis.blogspot.com/2012/08/an-adventure.html - which really changed him. His focus has been to heal and to rebuild his body. He has spent hours a day in a gym, had surgery to get a flat belly and was finally feeling better in control. He still has a lot of health issues as a result of the accident. He phoned Michael to talk about how it is now his time to take care of Marianne as she took care of him. He is home. He is cooking and cleaning and driving her to all the appointments. It is going to be a long road ahead for both of them but they will be facing it together.

The other shocking news came yesterday. Michael's friend Ricky - who "rescued" Mark and Marianne with Michael - had a colonoscopy last Wednesday. Everything was fine. He ate afterwards and vomited. After he recovered, he ate again and vomited again. There was also some pain. Lots of pain. He finally went to Emergency, had an ultrasounds which uncovered gall stones. On Friday, his gall bladder was removed and he was home on Sunday.

Then there is Don. He went off for a three-week vacation with a nice case of Shingles. They had subsided but while on vacation, the pain increased. There is nothing like Shingle pain. He was in Switzerland and Greece and had to seek medical treatment because he was in such pain with just the sun in his eyes and the wind against his head. Pain killers barely touched it. He is now home and still in pain.

So, we talk a lot about health issues, we talk about medications and treatments, we talk about vitamins and exercise but it our souls, we pray that everyone recovers and everyone has a long life in front of them. Fingers crossed!