Catching up

Rainy autumn weekend in north-central Montana. Missed Havre High School homecoming parade and game (to see Caroline play in the marching band). Instead, Paul and I were in Great Falls at Benefis for the suprapubic catheter operation. Great results, but coming out of the anesthesia was difficult. Then, getting a prescription filled for a painkiller was a pain, pun intended. It finally ended with the surgeon meeting Paul in the parking lot of Walgreens to write a new prescription. Kind of like a drug deal!

So, whereas we thought we'd make it back for the game at least, we failed. Still, it rained the whole day in Havre, and my powerchair is not water-friendly, so it all worked out. Especially since a band parent posted the half-time performance on Facebook. Now I can see it over and over, bone dry!

My brother Mike was in a motorcycle wreck last Saturday and is still in the hospital. Life can change in a few seconds; in some ways, I have been blessed with the time to prepare. I believe Mike will recover and be okay. If I think about those killed in Oregon, they had no warning, no chance to prepare. Life seems so cheap, when I see so many the world over lose their lives so randomly and abruptly.

Joy stays, however. I have a loving family, I appreciate all the weather we are given, I have a wonderful support network of women bringing dinners once a week. And getting rid of my internal catheter for an external one is terrific. Simple pleasures, simply enjoyed.