It seems that 2012 was an annus horribilus for many people I know. Illness, death, loss, and despair seemed to dominate. Getting older is a double-edged sword; I get wiser and more content and comfortable in my own skin, but I also get closer to the more permanent events of life. Coming full circle, as they say.
2012 held for me the continuation of many difficulties, the beginning of some, and yes, the end of others. I'm sure I've mentioned them one too many times and I try very hard not to dwell on them. But it seems that serious and tragic events have dominated my life, and that of those whom I love, for far too long.
On a bigger and immeasurable scale are the tragedies we all have suffered this year. The mass shootings at an elementary school, a movie theater, a Sikh temple in Wisconsin, and at an intentionally-set fire in small town New York. The enormous suffering of the victims of Hurricane Sandy and the ongoing loss of so many young heroes as they fight for......?. My heart has broken so many times this year.
Yet we all march on, embraced by the constant belief that tomorrow will be better
than today. What choice do we have? Eternal pessimism? Ignoring the
inevitable and the unpredictable? What kind of life is that? We take the good with the bad and for me that is never more true than now, as I near the precipice of the big 6-0.
Back to my small part of the world. I'm about done with the bumps in the road. I've crossed more than my fair share. Nevertheless, knowing that life marches on and my future is completely unknown, there will undoubtedly be more sadness and loss for me and those I love. That circle of life thing.
So I have plans for 2013. I'm going to take more chances. I'm going to look forward to the future, rather than being afraid of it. I'm going to cautiously embrace things that used to scare me (except for snakes). I'm going to fill the empty spaces of time with things that I like to do. I know with certainty that my circle is not yet full.
So in the immortal words of Timon and Pumba, hakunah matata. A Happy New Year to all.
Showing posts with label Climbing for a cause. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Climbing for a cause. Show all posts
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Multi-Tasking
I can't multi-task any more to save my life! There's a lot going on today, including a new video - you'll see it here first!
GREAT news. I think we may have a venue for the fundraiser this spring! My lips are sealed but it's a wonderful place -- very glamorous and old-world. I'm old enough to have watched Andy Hardy movies every Saturday morning when I was a little kid. Anyone remember Andy and Judy Garland, "Hey, kids! Let's put on a show!" (Oh Lord, I'm old....................) Well, we're putting on a show!
Stay tuned, kids!
p.s. Oops! Wrong building. THIS one is in a beautiful suburb of D.C. -- all glass, just amazing.
(and thanks to my friend Val and her amazing connections!)
GREAT news. I think we may have a venue for the fundraiser this spring! My lips are sealed but it's a wonderful place -- very glamorous and old-world. I'm old enough to have watched Andy Hardy movies every Saturday morning when I was a little kid. Anyone remember Andy and Judy Garland, "Hey, kids! Let's put on a show!" (Oh Lord, I'm old....................) Well, we're putting on a show!
Stay tuned, kids!
p.s. Oops! Wrong building. THIS one is in a beautiful suburb of D.C. -- all glass, just amazing.
(and thanks to my friend Val and her amazing connections!)
Parkinson's sucks
Parkinson's. Sucks. Really. To quote former Vice President (can you believe it!?) Dan Quayle, "what a waste it is to lose one's mind. Or not to have a mind is being very wasteful. How true that is."
Yeah, what he said. Sorta.
Yeah, what he said. Sorta.
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Random Thoughts
Ok, here's something new! I've noticed over the last week or so that my hair is thinning. I finished chemo in March, so I have NO idea what's going on. Of course, as do all survivors my mind immediately goes to "metastases" and "it's back". But really, I don't see a connection. I have a thick head of hair and this is pretty noticeable. Hmmmm..................... stress?
We had to put our dog down this week. Layla was a Bernese Mountain Dog. We've had four of them -- the sweetest dogs you'll ever know. She had lung cancer and she was so miserable! Still at home is Marley, her litter mate. He's a gentle giant. I truly think he's in mourning. He's acting very strangely, and he lies near the front door most of the time -- like he's waiting for Layla to come home. It just breaks my heart! Here's a picture of the two of them, Layla in front?
I'm really busy these days - Everest has become my full-time job! I'm training like a madwoman (thank much, Jamie), tweeting, messaging, Facebook-ing, and planning a spring fundraising event. If it goes as planned it should be a rockin' party. We're planning to hold a silent auction and have a celebrity MC along with some pretty good keynote speakers. Of course, the best one will be..ME!
I've been flailing around trying to figure out how to make this happen. I have two wonderful friends who are helping me and who know a lot more about this stuff than I do. I hope to add a few more friends to the mix. The ideas just keep popping out -- way too many for a Parkinson's brain!
So I've mentioned how this amazing series of events/coincidences/miracles surrounds the Everest trip, right? Chalk up another one! A wonderful woman and stellar event planner has entered the fray via a request I made on a local e-mail network.* She's going to help us pro bono. How absolutely cool is that!? We met yesterday over coffee and she just glommed onto the whole thing in about two minutes. First order of business is to find a venue and nail down a date. She (and my awesome team!) have some terrific ideas that we hope to chase down over the coming week. While she does the "grunt work", as she called it (we'll pitch in, of course), the rest of us are going to work on the silent auction -- not a small task. I More to follow!
*neighbors-international.com. The network, founded by Sharon Rainey, started as a small e-mail chain among parents of kids in our local elementary school. Sharon has grown it into a thriving business that covers much of Northern Virginia!
We had to put our dog down this week. Layla was a Bernese Mountain Dog. We've had four of them -- the sweetest dogs you'll ever know. She had lung cancer and she was so miserable! Still at home is Marley, her litter mate. He's a gentle giant. I truly think he's in mourning. He's acting very strangely, and he lies near the front door most of the time -- like he's waiting for Layla to come home. It just breaks my heart! Here's a picture of the two of them, Layla in front?
I'm really busy these days - Everest has become my full-time job! I'm training like a madwoman (thank much, Jamie), tweeting, messaging, Facebook-ing, and planning a spring fundraising event. If it goes as planned it should be a rockin' party. We're planning to hold a silent auction and have a celebrity MC along with some pretty good keynote speakers. Of course, the best one will be..ME!
I've been flailing around trying to figure out how to make this happen. I have two wonderful friends who are helping me and who know a lot more about this stuff than I do. I hope to add a few more friends to the mix. The ideas just keep popping out -- way too many for a Parkinson's brain!
So I've mentioned how this amazing series of events/coincidences/miracles surrounds the Everest trip, right? Chalk up another one! A wonderful woman and stellar event planner has entered the fray via a request I made on a local e-mail network.* She's going to help us pro bono. How absolutely cool is that!? We met yesterday over coffee and she just glommed onto the whole thing in about two minutes. First order of business is to find a venue and nail down a date. She (and my awesome team!) have some terrific ideas that we hope to chase down over the coming week. While she does the "grunt work", as she called it (we'll pitch in, of course), the rest of us are going to work on the silent auction -- not a small task. I More to follow!
*neighbors-international.com. The network, founded by Sharon Rainey, started as a small e-mail chain among parents of kids in our local elementary school. Sharon has grown it into a thriving business that covers much of Northern Virginia!
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Botox in my neck?? For Parkinson's?? Yep. Got it today. From behind (above the waist, of course) I have the back-of-the-neck of a 25 year old! Anyway --
I have cervical dystonia. The muscles in my neck, particularly on the left side, are really tight and they hurt. My doctor very kindly gave me this explanation about cervical distonia and Botox:
"it partially and temporarily blocks the nerve from communicating with the muscle so that the muscle does not contract as strongly each time the nerve fires. The problem in dystonia is not the nerve but actually the brain sending too strong of a signal for the muscle to contract. But this is our best treatment to interrupt that “too strong of a signal” from reaching the muscle and causing the muscle spasm which we refer to as a “dystonia”.
It takes about a week to work and it lasts for @ 3 months. Pain free -- woo hoo! I took this very lame picture of the syringe of Botox!
©Evelyn Heilbrunn
all rights reserved
I have cervical dystonia. The muscles in my neck, particularly on the left side, are really tight and they hurt. My doctor very kindly gave me this explanation about cervical distonia and Botox:
"it partially and temporarily blocks the nerve from communicating with the muscle so that the muscle does not contract as strongly each time the nerve fires. The problem in dystonia is not the nerve but actually the brain sending too strong of a signal for the muscle to contract. But this is our best treatment to interrupt that “too strong of a signal” from reaching the muscle and causing the muscle spasm which we refer to as a “dystonia”.
It takes about a week to work and it lasts for @ 3 months. Pain free -- woo hoo! I took this very lame picture of the syringe of Botox!
all rights reserved
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Am I Really Going To Do This?????
For those of us in the know: "EBC" is Everest Base Camp. 5365 meters: 17,601.71. Oooooo.....
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