The Silver Lining

I get by with a Little Help -- August 10 - 21, 2018 Help in this case comes in many forms, including chemical, emotional, and personal. The Cellcept finally arrived.  Designed for use mainly with transplant patients, this medication keeps the body from rejecting a newly transplanted organ.  In my case, it would re-vamp my immune system to keep it from attacking itself.  The first three months, my immunity will be quite compromised, and I will need to be careful about exposure to germs.  Then, gradually, my system should be “re-booted” in a kinder, gentler form that won’t try to kill itself. Knowing that my immunity will be compromised throughout the fall, I am looking at ways to streamline some things, to avoid public and exposure to colds and other germs. I have a face mask, I also carry and use hand sanitizer.  I am trying to be selective about where I go.  For example, since I retired 9 years ago, my “gift” to myself has been pretty acryli...

It was a clear & sunny Tuesday. The temps were unseasonably warm for November; it was Veterans Day so many people were enjoying a mid-week break from work. That was the day I moved to an apartment, alone. A couple of trusted friends had helped me load up a few belongings onto a trailer, then unload them in my new home. I was glad for their company as much as their help. I was very fragile, emotionally, though. I was undertaking a major life-change. By mid-afternoon, I stood in the living room, looking at the few pieces of furniture I had and the packing boxes. I'd taken a couple of chairs, a dining room table, and my piano, but otherwise left the furnishings that were in my previous home -- where I'd lived for nearly 30 years. My sister dropped by to check on me. Becky's not one for a lot of chit-chat, but as she stood looking at the semi-organized chaos of my apartment she asked, "What are you sleeping on? I dont see a bed." I explained to her that I didnt h...