A Year Ago

Last summer, Pat Killingsworth suggested on his blog that we have a Myeloma Beach Party in Florida this winter for us MM patients to get together and collectively give a defiant one-fingered salute to MM.  I was enthusiastic and encouraged him to go ahead with it, so I have been looking forward to this adventure for months.  However, when Pat chose the date for the party, I was chagrined to find that I can't go!  It is scheduled for tomorrow, Feb. 22, but this is the one weekend of the winter that I have a conflict.  Darn it all anyway!

Tomorrow I leave for Ocean Isle Beach, NC for a week-long golfing vacation.  This has been an annual event for my son, Jeff, my good friend, Bobby, and me for the past 5 years.  We will be meeting up with my brother, Terry, and sixteen other would-be golfers from near my home town of Greensburg, Pennsylvania.  I really hate to miss Pat's party at the Bahama Breeze Island Grill in Tampa tomorrow, but there is nothing that could get in the way of this golf outing!

Well, that is to say, almost nothing.  On this Friday evening, one year ago, I was all packed and ready to fly out the next day when Gretchen had her terrible fall down the basement stairs.  So I spent the next couple of days in the Surgical ICU watching her fight for her life.  Golf was but a distant thought at the time.  Thankfully, Gretchen pulled through.  Her recovery has been miraculous, but still, the last year has been a long, slow, rocky road.  As you probably know, there are no miracle cures for head injuries.  Just look at the litany of athletes who continue to suffer the effects of multiple concussions.  Things are just never quite the same.  However, Gretchen has done a wonderful job of adjusting to her "new normal", and we both take heart every time there is an incremental improvement.

We're going to celebrate her making it through the past year by going out for a late lunch today.  Actually, it will be a celebration for both of us, since I made it through another year as well. Hooray for us!  In the meantime, I have padlocked the door to the basement (just kidding).

Weber gas grill

As you can see from this photo, I haven't been using my grill a lot lately.  You can also see in the background that the Merrimack River is frozen solid.  This has been a tough winter.  I would be lying if I said I'm not looking forward to getting out of Dodge for a while.  It's supposed to be 70 degrees and sunny in Ocean Isle Beach on Sunday.  That does not suck.

Fore!