Back and forth and

and so on. I had a primary care appointment at Oakland Outpatient today. Main purpose was to check in with my primary care doc and to make sure that I have the usual meds on hand. While I was at it, I picked up a copy of those medical records pertinent from the middle of last month on. I also now have a DvD with the relevant images. It is nice to have one’s own copies. Providing copies of my 1995 interactions with the medical system has certainly helped inform my current care.
And yes, same disease still/again. My particular flavor of non-Hodgkins lymphoma falls on the extremely slow growing end of the scale. Prior to immune therapy it was almost impossible to treat since chemo usually killed the person rather than the disease. That part really hasn’t changed so as you can imagine I am not a fan of multi-drug massive chemo. My personal plan is to start with tumor mass reduction. Unless it degenerates into something that is actually curable, I am looking at limiting disease growth for as long as possible. I was given a 50% survival in 1995. Obviously, since I have had over 21 years of pretty much disease free life I made the right decision. I have been able to watch my children grow from toddlers to adulthood. I had a good career in the military. In the last five years, I have traveled and met a lot of wonderful people. None of this is to discount all of those with whom I am still in contact from the KnitList and later Ravelry.
My goal was never to be internationally recognized, win a Nobel prize or wind up in the criminal system. Rather, I can look back at a life pretty well lived.
Now, I would just like more years of the same to do things like attend the RoundTable sponsored by the UC School of Public Health on the challenges of the next few years. The issues of change in narrative and the need to be inclusive rather than exclusive. To not foster an US vs THEM mentality. To understand and support preventive services; especially since many of the programs have been shown to have a positive impact by reducing major use of hospitals and decreasing chronic disease.
I’ll just add this to my dream list of when I am Queen of the Universe.
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About Holly

fiber person - knitter, spinner, weaver who spent 33 years being a military officer to fund the above. And home. And family. Sewing and quilting projects are also in the stash. After living again in Heidelberg after retiring (finally) from the U.S. Army May 2011, we moved to the US ~ Dec 2015. Something about being over 65 and access to health care. It also might have had to do with finding a buyer for our house. Allegedly this will provide me a home base in the same country as our four adult children, all of whom I adore, so that I can drive them totally insane. Considerations of time to knit down the stash…(right, and if you believe that…) and spin and .... There is now actually enough time to do a bit of consulting, editing. Even more amazing - we have only one household again. As long as everyone understands that I still, 40 years into our marriage, don't do kitchens or bathrooms. For that matter, not being a golden retriever, I don't do slippers or newspapers either. I don’t miss either the military or full-time clinical practice. Limiting my public health/travel med/consulting and lecturing to “when I feel like it” has let me happily spend my pension cruising, stash enhancing (oops), arguing with the DH about where we are going to travel next and book buying. Life is good!
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12 Responses to Back and forth and

  1. Alison says:

    Hang in there. We’re with you all the way

  2. Brad says:

    You have my vote.
    I share your dream.

  3. Janet says:

    You have always been Queen of the Universe…

  4. Isobel says:

    Yes.

  5. Kris says:

    Well, dangit! Or, as the Wisconsin girl in me would say, Shitski. Sounds like you are in good hands, which makes a huge difference. I hope the treatment you choose goes smoothly. I’m sure your healthy lifestyle helps. I’ve been thinking of you. I didn’t realize you’d dealt with this before, though you have referenced medical issues. I guess I missed it. Anyway, here it is again and you are on it. You are very practical, which I appreciate. I get what you mean about living long enough to see you children grow to adults and having a good life. I don’t know how I’d react to a life-threatening situation, though I hope I’d be like you are. I feel incredibly fortunate. So, I hope you have successful treatment and are able to continue with your interesting travel and watch your children build lives and families of their own.

  6. Holly says:

    thanks for the supporting comments and good wishes. I think I was less than two years out from diagnosis when I met you the first time (deployments are so much fun…) and I am shocked to realize that time was more than a decade and a half ago. Time flies when we are having fun. Or life is what happens while you are making your plan.

  7. Lorette says:

    Wait, I thought that I was going to be Queen of the Universe when the position opened up. Oh well. You be Queen, I’ll be the Enforcer. There are some people that I really want to smack in the head right now. If you’re Queen, you’ll need a good Brute Squad.

  8. Colin says:

    Boy, the aging process sure sucks! Sorry to hear that “it’s back”. Good luck, and yes, keep me on your mailing list.

    It’s seems like just yesterday we were all young, living on the farm and wondering what our future would be.

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