Getting On With Life

My stomach must still be in recovery because many mornings I awaken still to nausea. This morning, I must confess, the nausea was worse than usual. I tried drinking hot tea, but it didn't get better. Of course, I prayed about it. But still no relief. I decided to distract myself by watching television; I wrapped a blanket around my feet. Thankfully, I found a program where a morning newscaster was visiting Bhutan, a mostly Buddhist country in the Himalayas. I've always wanted to visit Bhutan, so it was a good distraction. Despite this, my stomach kept on really bothering me. I remembered what pill my doctors at MD Anderson recommended for me to take, so I took one of those. It's no good being nauseated when throwing up will just dehydrate you, so I felt taking the pill was a good decision. Since I hadn't taken this pill in over a month, the affect was instant; I found myself falling asleep on the couch.

When I awoke 2 hours later (!) my stomach was much better, and I thought to myself how I needed to get on with my life. Whether I had a nauseated stomach, no hair, whatever...I needed to get on with my life.

I had some rearranging to do with regards to our lodging at MD Anderson for May 6th-8th, so I did that first, knowing also that at 1PM I'd be getting together with friends for lunch. Something I hadn't done in a long time. I still had time before the lunch date, so I called one my favorite professors at UTD, Fred Turner. He was delighted to hear from me. Soon we started talking about an Independent Study on Milton's Paradise Lost that I'd been thinking of doing with him. He had the time and we set it up for the Spring. I'm supposed to avoid crowds for three months after the 2nd transplant, so the independent study would be perfect. I wouldn't even have to come in that much and we could do most of our correspondence by phone or e-mail. I'd been wanting to study Paradise Lost for years, so it thrilled me that this would be possible.

I went to lunch next door and even wore my wig. The short one from mom's friend (who so kindly is allowing me to borrow it.) This too seemed like a way to get back to my life.

I've also got a paper to write that is due at the end of the summer. It's on Aurora Leigh by Elizabeth Barret Browning. I got UTD to extend until the end of the summer the 13 books I have kept from their library. A wonderful and kind-hearted woman I've learned to depend on at UTD named Linda Snow made it possible to make the extension.

I'm getting housework done, too. Not letting it bother me that I'm so behind and there is so much. Two weekends out of town can put you behind in the area of housework.

I'm getting back to my life, and, when I'm in Houston I'll take my life with me. The paper that's to be written, the books to read for the Fall, and the desire to get on with life.