It snowed today. Just a little snow. Just enough to get Christmas music playing in the house. Now it’s gone. End scene.
Let’s go back in time. We spent Thanksgiving with friends who are basically family, and the Saturday after was a Friendsgiving with much family and new friends. It was, overall, the most sober holiday I’ve had in awhile. One friend can’t drink because of illness. One family member stopped drinking, and I’m so, so proud of them. Me? I can’t drink because, well, cancer.
That’s fine. I really didn’t miss it. I spent time playing some games with adults and children over the holidays. We also watched the game where my Iowa Hawkeyes barely beat Nebraska. Oops. Well, a win is a win. I’ll take it.
The drive to get where we were going was about 4 hours. We took it easy. We did end up drugging Arthur with antiemetics - stuff to keep you from getting nausea/vomiting - because of his past history with car rides. But overall it was a smooth commute. Even if poor Arthur spent the entire ride in one spot and staring at us. It was a little creepy. Not gonna lie.
The way back? Not so smooth. It was about a 4.5 hour drive that took us 8 hours. We stopped for gas in a neighboring state where it’s a little cheaper at around an hour into our drive, and then we hit the traffic. We didn’t move much for the next few hours. I felt bad because I hadn’t let the doggos go for a wee at the last stop, hoping to get home early in the afternoon to attend an event.
What was the slowdown?
Per the traffic report that was sent to me by a family member, it was 58 cars involved in 29 separate collisions along the interstate. Ouch. I am only going to ‘ouch’ this because per the reports no one sustained life-threatening injuries. No one died. I’m glad.
As we rode on the shoulder going past the biggest pileup that included a semi - husband noting, “Someone isn’t going to get their tires,” as we passed the semi - all of the vehicles did what they were supposed to. Most were undriveable, but they had collapsed in all the right places, saving the precious cargo inside. Only 10 people went to the hospital per the report I have. Modern technology is amazing.
So is modern medicine. If was living a hundred years ago, I might not even have made it this far due to childhood illness. If I did make it this far, there were no treatments that could save me. Instead, I’m here. I know that there is something wrong with me, even though it’s not manifesting symptoms that are obvious to anyone yet. I’m on the cutting edge of treatments for cancer related to a gene that was discovered in 1994 by Mary-Claire King, PhD, at the University of Washington. You go, girl.
BRCA2 was discovered in 1995 and named the same thing but having to add a number because these people have better things to do than name stuff. Darn it.
So, I guess this post is an ode to modernity. Modern technology that saved all those people in the wreck. Although, keeping a safe distance and not speeding when it’s foggy and ice is forming on the signs can assist too. And modern medicine, which is helping me through this icky time. And modern mental health practices. The more I go down the rabbit hole of my reconstruction vs. flat option, the more I realize I should probably start talking to someone about this choice. It’s mine to make, and I want to make the right choice for me, but either way I am going to be losing a part of my body.
It’s weird to think about.