January 20, 2010
Who knew that fog could come here to this place so far from the oceans and linger on and on? The trees are outlined with hoarfrost, the air is full of biting moisture, and our world is monochromatic. The day’s forecast is for freezing rain, with more fog and ice forming everywhere. We build up our fire, give thanks again for the warm house and haul more seeds out to the feeders. It surely must be a trial for the creatures now; we see very little of them as we walk.
On Monday my GP and I reviewed the blood reading that came back from the Med Center in Omaha. The “blasts” have advanced quite a bit (The statement reads: “Interpretation:
A CD34-positive blast population. . . This finding is consistent with persistent myelodysplasia/acute myelogenous leukemia”.) When I looked up the term “CD34-positive blast population” I read that the average survival time is 126 days. Since I have never been average, I doubled that number, and that takes me well into next fall. Charles had the lovely idea of making this the year of The Celebration our 50th Wedding Anniversary. The actual date of the anniversary doesn’t arrive until August, so we will commence much earlier, making it up as we go along. I am warm, I am loved, and for this day and life in this time and place, I am filled with gratitude and thanksgiving.
PS: This Blog has been difficult to write because it is such a small subject compared to the horrors of the earthquake aftermath in Haiti. Charles and I have chosen the Red Cross as a first place to donate since they have a presence already in place there, and as time moves on, our churches will likely continue to send aid for years to come.