December 9, 2006
One of the things I love most about the Christmas Season is touching base with and hearing from friends near and far. My life has been pretty uneventful this year. I had a 6 months health tune-up, lost too many friends, acquaintances, and a relative, and got a wonderful new Eng. Bulldog.
As some of you may already know, March thru August I went thru what I called my 75,000 mile (for age 75) tune up. March and April I had tests that culminated in a breast biopsy operation – that came out perfectly clear. The bronchostomy with the operation destroyed a back tooth so I had
to get a dental crown at the same time I was getting more tests for my back in May and June. Found a good doctor for that; however, the good news is I won the Osteoporosis battle (no spinal fractures) only, bad news, to lose the disc war. My spinal discs are compressing (minus 2 in. upper spine from kyphosis) and in lower back rupturing and compressing (minus 2 more inches in lumbar region). There is no cure or operation, or anything to solve the problem. Just live with it and buy new clothes if I can find them to fit.
July and August I had cataract surgery, dealing with as many as 7 different eye drops a day on different times and doses, including a negative reaction to one drug not found for 4 weeks. It was a stressful 6 weeks where I didn’t do much but eat, do necessities, care for dogs and me. During my first eye operation, Brandy got real sick, her kidneys shutting down & I thought I might be operating hospice. I had to constantly change her food, give her gourmet cooked rice and $5 a lb chicken breast, etc. On Mon before my 2nd eye operation Aug 1, Cookie got an abscessed tooth, so she was getting her operation the same time I was getting mine. She is fine now, but totally toothless along with being deaf. On July 29 I got an opportunity to get a 2 yr old fully housebroken, trained, loving English Bulldog. Some of you will say I was out of my mind in my ‘overmedicated’ state, and maybe I was, but I did it and I am not sorry. She is a dear dog (Coco) and Brandy truly is, at 12 3/4 yrs, diabetic, blind, and pancreatitis, on her last legs, tho she has perked up unbelievably since Coco’s arrival. Gotten a 2nd wind. “The Pack” only took a few days to start getting along just fine. Sometimes it is a circus, but it is fun and funny.
This has been a brutal year for losing people I know. Besides 2 very good friends, Harold Cooley (46) in Jan & Roger Grooms (70) end of April, I learned of or lost six people in one week the first of June. One of those 6 was the 50 year old (first) son of my cousin Fred Munier, & half brother to Joe & Suzanne. He was a Col. in the Army in Afghanistan. Came home for a 2 week leave, spent a wonderful day in Dallas with his brother before boarding a military plane for non-stop back to Afghanistan. When he got off the plane, he collapsed on the tarmac with a blood clot; was put on a medivac to Germany; but they could not save him. They flew him to New Jersey where his wife and daughter saw him, then they pulled the plug. 2 Marshall Coll. friends both lost their husbands (5/11 & 6/1); a Drama Workshop friend I had known for over 40 years & 2 Phi Betas were the others. A month later I lost 3 friends the first part of July, and 3 more the end of Sept. Just this past week, 3 more friends passed. That makes 18!!! I guess we are at a time in our lives when we can expect this, but I cannot, like 2 of my men friends, just flip it off like that’s the way it is. I feel and grieve them all.
On a happier note, my eyes are fine and I no longer have to wear glasses for distance vision; only for reading/closeup. I am still working as an SPI at med school, tho some belt tightening in their budget has resulted in 20% fewer hours this year. Symphony, Opera, Playhouse, and some community theater plays, museums, listening to CD,s and reading keep me entertained. I have done some singing (Mozart Requiem in Oct.) some sewing (a fleece hospital gown to keep me warm in those cold exam rooms at med school; and have to do more with my developing weird body structure) & some photography, including
learning how to use 2 new digital cameras. The farthest I have traveled is 7 trips to my Indiana camp this year, the Rasor reunion in New Madison, OH in July, and a trip to Dayton to see Rijksmuseum/Rembrandt of Amsterdam art exhibit in Nov.
In other family news, Joe Munier, at age 23, is branch manager of the largest Wells Fargo branch office in Las Vegas; and at the same time is still supervising manager of his former grocery store branch while the female manager is on maternity leave. Needless to say, he does not have much of a personal life, but loves his work. Suzanne has become a loan officer on desk at another Wells Fargo branch, and she is engaged to be married ( Sept. 2008) . Oh, yes, also they both are taking 1 or 2 college classes a quarter working toward their college degree! They and Robin plan on visiting me in June after Robin’s PTA convention in St. Louis. Robin is President of the Nevada State PTA, and Admin. Asst. to Lois Tarkanian, (yes, wife of THAT UNLV coach) on Las Vegas City Council, working 60 -70 hrs a week, so Fred hardly ever sees her. But she, too, just loves what she is doing.
Leesa, Annette Roth, Glenn, Paul, some neighbors and other friends have looked after me, and been wonderful help during my tune-up and other times I need help carrying stuff, etc. I am so blessed to have these dear friends. I hope all is well with you and your family and that you are blessed with good health and happiness; or with the strength and courage to weather the disappointments & vagaries of our advancing years.