Rest Day
Walked outside this morning to the sweet smell of wet earth. It’s been a long time, my love. But there it was and with it came all the promise that rain brings. Green grass, fresh flowers, even a bud or two. Granted, we’ve only had half an inch here at the house but even a drop on a parched throat can feel like a flood. This feels good and I’m grateful.
I’m also grateful for the friends and family who stepped up the last few days to help bring me surgical peace. Had a great consult with a physician yesterday in San Antonio, a top-flight guy, well known in his profession. Everything that needs doing can apparently be done without cutting me from stem to stern. He reviewed my scans and looked over the data. He said nothing indicated my aneurysm was in imminent danger of bursting. I still have one consult with a Houston physician tomorrow, but at this point, I think I would be safe in the hands close to home.
So, today is a day of rest after three days of frantic work and worry. I think I’ll do laundry. Go shopping. Read a book. I have a new one. Igneous Geology of Trans-Pecos Texas. Its big and heavy and it’s dense, but in the end, I may better know the secrets of the earth from the Davis Mountains to Big Bend. Seems a worthwhile endeavor for an old man. Although more than one of two friends are wondering why I care. I don’t know. I just do. I guess for the same reason I want to know exactly how my aneurysm is going to be repaired, and why. I’m hungry for knowledge, and the hunger needs feeding, and it’s not open for discussion.
John W. Wilson is the author of The Long Goodbye: A Caregiver's Tale