On Friday, I was diagnosed with bronchitis by a doctor at the urgent care facility near our home. On Saturday, the nurse from my insurance company came to do a medical profile, and as she talked with me about past and current health issues, she recognized that I was struggling. She listened to my lungs... Continue Reading →
We Forgot About Colds When Removing The Masks
When the CDC informed fully vaccinated people that they could ditch their masks in most places, Douglas and I were ecstatic. We stopped wearing the masks at the gym, on hikes, and in restaurants. We had visits by two of my grandchildren and a great-granddaughter for Mother's Day, and we went to Charleston SC for... Continue Reading →
False Alarm, Thankfully!
I went to bed Friday with a fever and woke up with a higher fever. I freaked out, admittedly. I was so scared, not so much of dying from the virus, but of suffering in a hospital for weeks, due to my compromised immune system. Ever since I survived colon cancer, any time something feels... Continue Reading →
Pay More Attention to Friends
Douglas and I drove to my hometown today to visit my best friend in the hospital. I had not seen her for months, when I got a call from her on Wednesday that she had been in intensive care. I felt so bad that I had not called her in nearly three weeks, especially as... Continue Reading →
Life Changes in the Blink of an Eye
I have a heart condition that has not affected my life very much. I am on no medication, but my heart is enlarged. Yet, I can go on eight-mile hikes with Douglas and not feel any effects of the heart disease. But, I am slowing down these days and so fatigued that some days I... Continue Reading →
My Blue Zone Journey
My life had fallen apart. No longer was I a missionary, but I was no longer married either. I also had lost my house and my career in chemistry and was rebuilding. Now, I was teaching science in a High School. I was working 12 hours a day, trying to catch up and never making... Continue Reading →
Getting Infected
When my first wife and I lived in Africa, we started out worrying a lot about tropical diseases, especially malaria. Malaria is a tiny parasite that mosquitoes carry. You can sleep under mosquito nets, wear mosquito repellent, especially at night, avoid being out and wear long sleeves if you do, and finally take medicine to... Continue Reading →
