It's totally OK that my after-school snack is a glass of rose and a handful (or two) of wasabi almonds, because 1) I'm an adult and 2) I didn't get home from school today until well after 5PM.
I'd recommend it for everyone, but the stipulations above won't be true for many, more's the pity.
Friday, September 21, 2018
Thursday, September 20, 2018
interlude
Trying to find a title for this post, I'm searching my brain for a word that means a short time spent doing something unusual or different..., ah there it is: interlude.
The "something different" was attending a continuing education event for medical providers who treat thyroid cancer patients. There is a new endocrine surgeon here in the valley, and she is very enthusiastic about improving both provider education and patient care. She organized the event through one of the local hospitals, and asked me if I would attend this evening to improve awareness of ThyCa, the patient advocacy organization I have been associated with for over a decade now.
It was a little weird being there, since I'm not a doctor or a genetic counselor or any of the other professional types who there. But several people stopped by and asked about ThyCa and took some of my materials, and the surgeon's office manager took everything that was left! We are going to get together (or at least talk) later in the fall about reviving the in-person support group. At this point, I'm willing to give it a try, and I can afford to give up a few hours every other month or two.
Like this evening: before I went to the conference, I was all caught up with everything: grading, entering grades, planning. But my students submitted their first-pass experimental designs today, and I needed to give them feedback immediately. So I took a nap for about an hour when I got home, and here I am, having finished the feedback and grading but very much awake.
School is going well for me this year. I'm making a serious effort to keep up instead of wandering around campus and chatting people up, as I have done in the past, and it's making a big difference. I'm also making a conscious effort to watch the time when I'm at home in the evenings so I don't start on dinner too late. Some evenings I still miscalculate how long the cooking will take and we eat at 8PM, but that's better than miscalculating and eating closer to 9! So those two relatively small efforts are making life better.
I am struggling, though, simply because it's September and this month is full of sad and difficult memories of my mother's end of life. Most days I want to stay in bed and pull the covers over my head, but I'm working the "fake it till you make it" routine with moderate success. I've been here before, I just have to wait it out. I even have times, like today, where I briefly enjoy something: it rained, and the air smelled wonderful. Eventually it takes longer and longer for my own personal cloud to descend, until it just recedes completely. I have faith I'll get there some day, I'm just not sure when.
The "something different" was attending a continuing education event for medical providers who treat thyroid cancer patients. There is a new endocrine surgeon here in the valley, and she is very enthusiastic about improving both provider education and patient care. She organized the event through one of the local hospitals, and asked me if I would attend this evening to improve awareness of ThyCa, the patient advocacy organization I have been associated with for over a decade now.
It was a little weird being there, since I'm not a doctor or a genetic counselor or any of the other professional types who there. But several people stopped by and asked about ThyCa and took some of my materials, and the surgeon's office manager took everything that was left! We are going to get together (or at least talk) later in the fall about reviving the in-person support group. At this point, I'm willing to give it a try, and I can afford to give up a few hours every other month or two.
Like this evening: before I went to the conference, I was all caught up with everything: grading, entering grades, planning. But my students submitted their first-pass experimental designs today, and I needed to give them feedback immediately. So I took a nap for about an hour when I got home, and here I am, having finished the feedback and grading but very much awake.
School is going well for me this year. I'm making a serious effort to keep up instead of wandering around campus and chatting people up, as I have done in the past, and it's making a big difference. I'm also making a conscious effort to watch the time when I'm at home in the evenings so I don't start on dinner too late. Some evenings I still miscalculate how long the cooking will take and we eat at 8PM, but that's better than miscalculating and eating closer to 9! So those two relatively small efforts are making life better.
I am struggling, though, simply because it's September and this month is full of sad and difficult memories of my mother's end of life. Most days I want to stay in bed and pull the covers over my head, but I'm working the "fake it till you make it" routine with moderate success. I've been here before, I just have to wait it out. I even have times, like today, where I briefly enjoy something: it rained, and the air smelled wonderful. Eventually it takes longer and longer for my own personal cloud to descend, until it just recedes completely. I have faith I'll get there some day, I'm just not sure when.
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