DAY 1255 - Day 1013 in Recovery Paradise

Wow - made it 1000+ days; so far so good.  I still haven't wrapped my arms completely around the concept of spending my extra gift of time as wisely as I could.  The down side of eternal optimism is that sometimes one has a tendency to deny reality and as a result, one doesn't plan accordingly.  


However, I think I am easing, somewhat into a workable combination of optimism (maybe not so eternal anymore) while also embracing the reality of more sand in the bottom of the hourglass than in the top and an inevitable body parts melt-down and of course the 'can't ignore it so much anymore' aging.  The bad news is that I can't do all the things I used to do (mostly can, but pay the price with aches and pains later), but the good news is that I can still do all the things I want to do.


My Blog from 2008 about this time.  


We had just returned from a week's vacation in Vancouver, thinking it might possibly be my last family excursion and I had gone in for my first full-body scan with a radioactive injection to determine the extent and spread of the cancer.  Father's Day 2008 was pending and life was uncertain (isn't it always?).

"Yet another reason I am a lucky guy. I am blessed with 4 great kids. 3 sons, age 24, 22 and 20 and a daughter age 9. The boys are all out on on their own and my oldest has his own celebration today with my grandson. The "little family" my wife and daughter and myself - went bowling to see if we can bend over without dropping the bowling ball....Father's day tradition...heard from all the boys. Life is good."


1013 days later: I am still that same lucky guy - but more so.  Grandsons, college graduates, bass guitar performance, flying, white-water rafting, great travel, and certainly much more appreciation of all the small things that ultimately are really the BIG things.  Family, love, stronger relationships, sunrises, and a deeper self awareness (that is the most difficult one of all).  Life is good.


rlw

DAY 873 - Day723 in Recovery Paradise

Well, here we go de'ja' vu on the cardioversion procedure.  The cardiologist originally described the procedure (electric shocks to the heart) as "rebooting " my heart...but changed the description to "changing channels" IE. TV land.  People at my work made the clicking the channel changer motion as I left yesterday...ha.

Regardless of how it shakes out, I had time to get one more adventure in...Class IV Whitewater Raft Trip down the Middle Fork of the American River.  Run by W.E.T. River Trips out of Coloma, it was a total blast.  Lise and I went with some of her friends from work and some people from the Chamber.  Hit all the Class IV hard rapids with no problems and then caught a submerged rock on a milder Class III section and the raft flipped, dumping all, including guide, out.  Lucky me and two others were rescued post haste by another raft down river and shuttled back to our now righted boat.  All of us agreed that it was the best part of the adventure.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME..ta da - got to be 63 today.  I am not recommending jump starting your heart on your birthday, but if it buys me a few more, then good-on-me.

Song of the Day:  Magic Carpet Ride - Steppenwolf