Nov. 21: When I went outside to wait for the medics on the night my aneurysm ruptured, I wrapped myself in a steel-gray fleece blanket. It was just a quick grab on the way out the door. But I’m so glad to have it. They let me keep it in the ambulance, at the hospital … read more My blankie
Category: Refraction
How a wave changes direction. Life changes, creating change and recovery from change
Up and around
There’s a whiteboard in every ICU room with spaces where they fill in important info, like the name of the nurse and nurse tech, today’s date, family member contact, and the goal for today. No one has been filling in the goals for me – in fact, they often don’t fill in the staff names … read more Up and around
Yakking, and other verbal skills
I was joking with the neurosurgery staff from the moment I woke up from anesthesia. “Why’d you let me sleep so long? I’m really hungry! I haven’t eaten since yesterday lunchtime!! Bring some damn food!” Smile. I’ve been reading emails twice a day on my phone. I’ve talked to two of my sisters, too. Yak, … read more Yakking, and other verbal skills
Why me?
Why did the walls of my brain artery get thin and balloon out? And then rupture? I’ve asked all the nurses and doctors who have come to my room. Seems like there are a lot of them, but I’m not getting much in the way of answers. “High blood pressure,” they all say. But I … read more Why me?
I almost died last night
I was standing at the stove, cooking a couple of turkey burgers for dinner, when suddenly I felt a sharp headache, very dizzy, and my hand looked strange. Colored with bright speckles. I laid down on the floor so that I wouldn’t fall down – and that turned out to be the first of several … read more I almost died last night
We gotta get out of here
Would you pay $30 to be locked in a room with a group of strangers for an hour? And be required to solve a lot of problems in order to escape? Well, this is what people do for fun in Atlanta now. It’s called a room escape game, and Atlanta has eight companies offering this … read more We gotta get out of here
The missing family
Catalogs that come to my mailbox usually get dumped straight into the recycling bin, but today I took a cruise through Shutterfly’s. There was something strange about the catalog, though. It took me awhile to figure out what it was. And then I realized: It’s not what it is. It’s what it isn’t. A 24-page catalog, … read more The missing family
The worst job I ever loved
The worst job of 2015, according to an analysis by CareerCast, is one that I held for 12 years: newspaper reporter. That job was hard and often exasperating, but I loved the challenge, was fascinated by the people I met and stories I reported, and was proud of my profession. It seemed a perfect fit for my curiosity and my … read more The worst job I ever loved
Why I hate Halloween
On October 31, 1976, I got the worst news of my 17-year-old life: My boyfriend, Jim, had died after a car wreck. He’d been driving drunk and ran a stop sign. He was my first lover, and sobbing in front of his casket I knew that God had punished me for my sins. A popular song at … read more Why I hate Halloween
That green silk outfit
I had a silk dress suit, a slim black skirt with fitted emerald-green top. The silk was soft and subtly patterned, the top with a perfectly fitted bust and waist, and the overall effect was stunning. I bought this outfit when I was in my late 20s, so it was a size 10. I’m not sure … read more That green silk outfit