The body is a brilliant creature.  Every system, each organ, the totality of its container and all it contains is designed for survival.  It fights.  It flees.  It heals itself with near miraculous efficiency.  It grins and grimaces through it all, but nevertheless, the body moves through each day breathing and beating.  Rivers of fluids [...]

The night before brain surgery is supposed to be a fitful tracing along the corridor of one’s past; an examination of a life before its intersection with an event that will forever change the examiner.  For me?  I slept.  I was all out of prayers and last chance thoughtfulness on my own behalf.  I’d made [...]

With a big squirt of Valium sluicing its way through my body, it seemed there was no end to the “wheee” on that surgery table ride.  Surrounded by a staff of hand-patters and atta-girlers, the process of finding a blood source to my brain tumor was nearly delightful.  But then again, that depends on whether [...]

July 4, 1994:
The day before I was to enter the hospital, the dear folks in my apartment complex got together and threw me a surprise “It Was Nice To Know You” party.  Hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill with all the fixings.  Tubs of beer (I wasn’t allowed) and sodas (make mine a Coke, [...]

Diagnosis night I took my MRI films to show off to my neighbor and friend, Toni.  We drank tea and made up the lamest brain jokes we could devise.
Knock knock.
Who’s there?
Brain.
Brain who?
Hahaha.  Fooled ya!  Lights are on but nobody’s home.
We were a couple of adolescents making up ridiculous jokes and spitting tea through our noses [...]

A herd of deer congregate each morning and evening on the golf course outside our hotel room.  We stand on our second floor patio, holding a glass of wine, and marveling at their tender habits.

I wished to take it all back — the MRIs, the too-kind receptionist, the serious dark eyes of the neurologist as [...]

My shoes.
With nothing evil or sticky on the bottom of my shoes that would indicate the reason for my new loopy walking stride, the doctor followed the standard protocol that every California HMO has on the first page of their play book — he ordered up a course of physical therapy.  No tests.  No X-Rays.  [...]

I believe we each entertain the notion that we’re immortal.  Being a card-carrying member of the Donna Summer, I’m-Gonna-Live-Forever crowd is part of our American meme and I lived that distinction with grand gusto — until one day fifteen years ago when I started walking funny.  Not ha-ha funny, but rather, kind of odd-funny.  As [...]

I’ve never been to San Antonio.  In fact, I’ve never been anywhere in the Longhorn state of Texas.  Nor have I traveled through the Land of Enchantment.
We’re excited!  Really.
It’s a Dan and Auburn road trip away from the dry heat of Phoenix and into the steam cooker of San Antonio.  It doesn’t get much better [...]

Whether you’re a mother of children, or of doggies or kitties … or just mothers in your hearts, may you each find this day filled with fun, peace and — maybe breakfast in bed and later, a nice bubble bath.
Happy mothers day to all who mother, not just to mothers.