First of all, I feel I should apologize to you for not posting more often. Important stuff has been happening, and I want to document it all here. Truth is, life has been busy -- and happily so. And I want some "space" and peace and quiet (internal as well as external) around me as I write to you. So I haven't been posting much...
I've been volunteering at the Academy of Natural Sciences pretty regularly for the last several months, and enjoying that immensely. One of these days, I hope to post about what that experience means to me.
And, after cleaning out my Dad's house, I wound up with 14 boxes of documents and memorabilia, which now decorate our living room in a most unbecoming manner. Among other things, I found my Mother's 3rd grade report card; my varsity letter from high school (for tennis -- never got a sweater on which to wear it, though); Dad's income tax return from 1972 (along with hundreds of other financial returns and receipts); dozens of greting cards of the birthday / Christmas / anniversary variety; (I never really understood how deeply my parents loved each other, as they never allowed themselves to show it. But the truth is written in the cards!); a box full of WWII pamphlets, newsletters, military orders, etc. -- from the 1940"s and 1950's; and on and on.
... and I've been performing a bit and working out at the gym and having music lessons and practicing on my keyboard and doing morning meditations and stuff like that. But it's not that I haven't had time, I just haven't had quiet time.
So there. But anyway, I'm okay medically. Pretty much, that is:
A Visit with My E/N/T Doc
Deb and I visited with my E/N/T doc yesterday for a routine check-up that proved to be exactly that. Routine. Nothing new. Everything seems to be fine.
In the process of telling me how good I looked, he muttered about "that nodule in your cheek seems to have dissolved" or something like that. Hmmm... he hadn't mentioned anything about a nodule before. So I have a choice of being happy that it's gone now or anxious that he's not telling me about everything that's going on.
I think I'll choose the former course and just let it go.
Blood Clots, Anyone?
I mentioned in an earlier posting that I was about to have some comprehensive blood testing done -- including DNA analysis -- to try and pinpoint the issue(s) associated with my blood clots. The results are in -- have been for a considerable time, in fact -- and there's something of a path forward emerging from the data.
All of the blood chemistry numbers were within normal range except one. Something called "antiphospholipids," or "APS." Here's a link for that: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antiphospholipid_syndrome. My chemo doc tells me that a single test for that is not conclusive for anything and that a second test roughly 12 weeks later is highly recommended. And I'm scheduled for that testing Thursday, March 5th. Results to be posted here after that date, of course.
The genetic testing did not identify any DNA markers for clotting, but that part of the story has a new and interesting facet. My cousin Frank (who's an MD practicing in Kansas) wrote me an e-mail recently that lists a number of relatives who have had blood clotting issues. And those that have had DNA tests for clotting have also come up negative. So he's suggesting that there is a genetic origin for these conditions, but one that hasn't been identified yet. So who knows?
I'm still wearing compression stockings every day, but have now been off of blood thinners for months and months. And Deb and I flew to Key West several weeks ago without incident. (The flights were quick, but I got up several times to walk around -- get the blood flowing -- and I had taken aspirin before each flight -- just in case.)
So the idea of flying to Alberta to do dinosaur work this summer is back on the table! (Lemme hear you say "Yay!")
Thyroid Status
I went to my GP several weeks ago with a set of symptoms that she identified as possibly related to a thyroid condition. More blood tests. And they showed an overabundance of TSH (don't ask), which suggests an underactive thyroid (please don't ask).
Like the APS testing above, a follow-up test is strongly recommended, and that testing will take place in a week or so as well.
All of Which Means...
When I look over the outstanding medical issues above, it becomes clear to me that I should expect issues like this because I'm 64 years old. The previous encounter with cancer notwithstanding. Deb will still need me, Deb will still feed me, but she can't undo the wear and tear on my body that 64 years of living has left within me.
So I'm good. Really.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Sunday, January 16, 2011
The Selling of 1209
My youngest brother has sort of a "hands-on" theological issue he's trying to resolve: either Dad has an angel riding on his shoulder or Dad is riding on an angel's shoulder. Neither he nor I know have figured out how to resolve this. But it's sort of fun to think about...
And the issue of the sale of his house (i.e., 1209 Tupelo Place) brings this issue to mind.
As reported in a previous posting, my Dad had come to understand that the house he had owned and lived in for more than 50 years would have to be sold. None of his kids wanted to or was able to live there and the money from the sale would be critical in paying for his assisted living accommodations.
So we found a realtor who put the sign up in the front yard -- and that's when the magic started to happen. First of all, the guy we chose to represent us turned out to be wonderful at his job. He understood immediately how the four of us siblings felt about the place -- and how those feelings could interfere with the sale: "When the four of you look around this place, you see your childhood come back to life. Each room, each piece of furniture brings back memories, and you probably wish that nothing would ever change. But anyone looking to buy the house has no such attachment. To them it's just another house -- probably one of many they've looked at. So you have to start looking at this house the way they are going to look at it." That basic idea was a huge help all the way through the preparation and sale.
One of my brothers had a wonderfully romantic idea about the sale. He suggested: "We need to find someone who understands how special Wilson Point is -- and specifically this neighborhood on Wilson Point. We shouldn't sell the house to someone who will just 'flip' it for resale. And we shouldn't sell it to... well, the wrong kind of person."
I tried to explain to him that being selective as to who we would sell the house to was not only unreasonable but illegal. If someone met our price with a legitimate offer, it didn't matter whether they were the "right kind" or not. (See "redlining real estate" for an explanation of this.)
Anyway, we cleared the house as explained in the December 2010 posting. And we gave our realtor an initial asking price that was probably unrealistic in this current market. (He had given us several sets of Competitive Market Analyses to help us set this price. But realistic or not, however, the realtor was smart enough not to argue or propose a lower number. If that's what we wanted to ask for the house, that was our business.)
And over the next several weeks, several prospective buyers came through. And everyone's impression seemed to be the same: The house is a wreck. It needs too much work. The price is much too high. (Well, the house wasn't really a wreck. It had, what our realtor called, "good bones." But the carpeting was shot and all the windows needed replacing and the basement was only half-finished and the kitchen was decades out-of-date and so forth and so forth. Got the picture?)
Now I had taken the lead on the sale process for several reasons. One, I was the oldest surviving sibling. Two, I had a legal Power of Attorney over Dad's financial and legal matters. Three, I had more spare time than anyone else. And I felt it was critically important that, no matter how the sales process went, the four of us needed to be comfortable with what took place and be at least as close as we were before -- and hopefully even closer.
So I had to relate these dismal reports on the house via e-mails and try and coordinate the responses from my siblings. And I was mentally composing an e-mail to them suggesting a revised strategy: lower pricing and investing in substantial renovations.
But then the miracle happened:
The realtor called and said that a couple who had lived on Wilson Point for several decades had been looking for a home for their parents/in-laws. They thought that 1209 (which was a block from their house) was exactly the right place and were anxious not to let the house get away from them. So they made an immediate counter-offer astonishingly close to our asking price. And they would accept the house without a thorough inspection and take it "as-is." Lousy windows and shredding carpet and everything. (Which would, of course, allow them to upgrade the house exactly the way they wanted to!)
Oh yeah, and they were already approved for a mortgage by their bank, so money wouldn't be a problem.
Now let's count up the blessings here: Dad now has the financial resources to meet his needs for the forseeable future. And the four of us did not have to spend weekend after weekend painting, pulling out old carpet and putting in new ones, learning how to replace windows (or hiring someone to do that for us). And my brother got the new owner he had hoped for. Exactly what he had hoped for. And the new owners get a chance to "feather the nest" of their own parents to meet their needs exactly. And Wilson Point doesn't have to put up with "the wrong kind of people." And our nice young realtor make the commission he richly deserves. And none of the four of us needs to worry about Dad's finances.
So the aforementioned theological issue remains. But it doesn't really matter that much, does it?
And the issue of the sale of his house (i.e., 1209 Tupelo Place) brings this issue to mind.
As reported in a previous posting, my Dad had come to understand that the house he had owned and lived in for more than 50 years would have to be sold. None of his kids wanted to or was able to live there and the money from the sale would be critical in paying for his assisted living accommodations.
So we found a realtor who put the sign up in the front yard -- and that's when the magic started to happen. First of all, the guy we chose to represent us turned out to be wonderful at his job. He understood immediately how the four of us siblings felt about the place -- and how those feelings could interfere with the sale: "When the four of you look around this place, you see your childhood come back to life. Each room, each piece of furniture brings back memories, and you probably wish that nothing would ever change. But anyone looking to buy the house has no such attachment. To them it's just another house -- probably one of many they've looked at. So you have to start looking at this house the way they are going to look at it." That basic idea was a huge help all the way through the preparation and sale.
One of my brothers had a wonderfully romantic idea about the sale. He suggested: "We need to find someone who understands how special Wilson Point is -- and specifically this neighborhood on Wilson Point. We shouldn't sell the house to someone who will just 'flip' it for resale. And we shouldn't sell it to... well, the wrong kind of person."
I tried to explain to him that being selective as to who we would sell the house to was not only unreasonable but illegal. If someone met our price with a legitimate offer, it didn't matter whether they were the "right kind" or not. (See "redlining real estate" for an explanation of this.)
Anyway, we cleared the house as explained in the December 2010 posting. And we gave our realtor an initial asking price that was probably unrealistic in this current market. (He had given us several sets of Competitive Market Analyses to help us set this price. But realistic or not, however, the realtor was smart enough not to argue or propose a lower number. If that's what we wanted to ask for the house, that was our business.)
And over the next several weeks, several prospective buyers came through. And everyone's impression seemed to be the same: The house is a wreck. It needs too much work. The price is much too high. (Well, the house wasn't really a wreck. It had, what our realtor called, "good bones." But the carpeting was shot and all the windows needed replacing and the basement was only half-finished and the kitchen was decades out-of-date and so forth and so forth. Got the picture?)
Now I had taken the lead on the sale process for several reasons. One, I was the oldest surviving sibling. Two, I had a legal Power of Attorney over Dad's financial and legal matters. Three, I had more spare time than anyone else. And I felt it was critically important that, no matter how the sales process went, the four of us needed to be comfortable with what took place and be at least as close as we were before -- and hopefully even closer.
So I had to relate these dismal reports on the house via e-mails and try and coordinate the responses from my siblings. And I was mentally composing an e-mail to them suggesting a revised strategy: lower pricing and investing in substantial renovations.
But then the miracle happened:
The realtor called and said that a couple who had lived on Wilson Point for several decades had been looking for a home for their parents/in-laws. They thought that 1209 (which was a block from their house) was exactly the right place and were anxious not to let the house get away from them. So they made an immediate counter-offer astonishingly close to our asking price. And they would accept the house without a thorough inspection and take it "as-is." Lousy windows and shredding carpet and everything. (Which would, of course, allow them to upgrade the house exactly the way they wanted to!)
Oh yeah, and they were already approved for a mortgage by their bank, so money wouldn't be a problem.
Now let's count up the blessings here: Dad now has the financial resources to meet his needs for the forseeable future. And the four of us did not have to spend weekend after weekend painting, pulling out old carpet and putting in new ones, learning how to replace windows (or hiring someone to do that for us). And my brother got the new owner he had hoped for. Exactly what he had hoped for. And the new owners get a chance to "feather the nest" of their own parents to meet their needs exactly. And Wilson Point doesn't have to put up with "the wrong kind of people." And our nice young realtor make the commission he richly deserves. And none of the four of us needs to worry about Dad's finances.
So the aforementioned theological issue remains. But it doesn't really matter that much, does it?
Saturday, January 15, 2011
A posting slightly out of order, maybe...
I had a revelation about holding onto things and letting things go. It happened late last year as my siblings and I were clearing out our Dad's house.
I started writing about the insight back then, but wanted the message to season a bit before posting it. When I finished it and posted it this morning, I was surprised to see that the posting showed up in last year's lists rather than sequentially as the most recent posting.
Because (it seems) Blogspot says: "If you started to post something in December 2010 -- even if its only a draft -- it stays in December 2010." And a Blogspot dictum is not to be trifled with or changed.
You might like to take a look at the posting. To make it easier to get to it, I've put the link here:
http://randyshealth.blogspot.com/2010/12/clearing-1209-with-buddhist-overlay.html
Comments are, as always, welcomed and encouraged and taken to heart. So please feel free to do so -- either here or there.
I started writing about the insight back then, but wanted the message to season a bit before posting it. When I finished it and posted it this morning, I was surprised to see that the posting showed up in last year's lists rather than sequentially as the most recent posting.
Because (it seems) Blogspot says: "If you started to post something in December 2010 -- even if its only a draft -- it stays in December 2010." And a Blogspot dictum is not to be trifled with or changed.
You might like to take a look at the posting. To make it easier to get to it, I've put the link here:
http://randyshealth.blogspot.com/2010/12/clearing-1209-with-buddhist-overlay.html
Comments are, as always, welcomed and encouraged and taken to heart. So please feel free to do so -- either here or there.
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