Feelin' Alright...

Hello Again: Wow! We’re approaching 3-months since I last put my butt-in-chair (the BIC method of writing) to think about my evolving health issues and status. I suspect that my reflections are received on a varying scale from “so what” to “OMG, still?” Let me see, what happened i

MARCH: We still miss Lucy and her comical Bull Terrier ways. I was able to take the annual wildland fire refresher (RT-130) - prepping for the upcoming fire season (which erupted early in the Southwest, especially here in New Mexico). I continued to participate, as I could, with the bi-weekly national safety calls, and passed the annual Field Test. So, I was “Ready” to go – or so I thought (see next month).

In the latter part of March, Meme and I flew to Phoenix for Emily’s (our goddaughter and nephew Evan Erickson’s daughter) nuptials with Colton Lowery. It was great to be around family we hadn’t seen since pre-pandemic. It also gave us an opportunity to travel out to Tonto National Monument, and visit the cliff dwellings, where we exchanged vows in April 1978. From Phoenix we jetted on to San Diego for our first visit to the Pacific since plague covered the earth: the visit was super! Though a favorite place or two had shut down, the waves kept rolling in depositing a little more sand and seaweed. We made reservations to return in early November. Maybe the smoke hereabouts will be gone by then (thinking by July).

APRIL: 6-month visit with dermatologist: they keep whittling away at me as I protest - how can I have skin cancer? After all, I only worked the family kennels in Burbank & Malibu, went to the beach a lot, played baseball, joined the Navy & went to the Pacific, had a career as a Ranger with the National Park Service – including many fire assignments, played & officiated tennis, went on dive trips and beach vacations, etc. Tell me, where was the exposure? I bet it was hereditary: D-a-d?? The next day we resurrected the monthly breakfast of Ex-FBI & Friends here in Santa Fe: great seeing some longtime law enforcement colleagues.

Uh oh, I also developed an umbilical hernia on the inferior end of my Whipple surgery incision. It hurt, so it was repaired on the 8th. Over the Passover/Easter weekend we enjoyed visits from Carolyn and Larry Eppler (from Payson, AZ); followed by Pat Medici and her hubby Hal Marcus (from El Paso). On the 20th I was called by dispatch at Santa Fe NF asking if I was available to help on Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon fires as a Safety Officer. I told them I needed to check with my medical team at appointments the following day. When I broached the subject with my oncologist & surgeon, they basically said “No Way!” In fact, there were enough medical issue “flags” brewing at the oncologist’s periodic appointment that he ordered some tests and another appointment in 3-weeks (vice 3-months). Dealing with high B/P too; which brings us to:

MAY (I be excused now): It has been a challenge, starting with an encompassing MRCP (think MRI). On the 10th & 11th I was able to co-teach an Archaeological Damage Assessment course (per Archaeological Resources Protection Act) with Dr. Jeff Hanson through the Jornada Research Institute: good course, good organization - they’re coordinating the Tularosa Basin Conference (TBC) next month. The following day I had follow-up with Dr. Snyder (oncologist). Based on the MRCP and blood work from that morning he instructed me to “go directly to the ER for admission to the hospital. They know you are coming.” It was my 5th admission to a hospital since being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer: 3 prior, including birth. I had biliary duct area infection, obstructing proper bile drainage (you may recall I had a drain in for 9-months and that was removed in January). An ER doc told me I could expect to be in the hospital “somewhere between a few days and the rest of your life.” I didn’t like the latter part of that prognosis and aimed for the few days. My bilirubin count was spiking and I’d had severe shakes and pain + high blood pressure. Over 5-days I had IV antibiotics (followed by oral for 3-days after I got home). They also placed a stent at the blockage area. I completed the oral antibiotic regimen, with persisting pain in right abdominal area (front and back). A very good Hospitalist (aka “Attending”) told me that is to be expected as my “liver is hurt” – I described the pain to her as “if I’d been shot by an arrow from front through to the back; it’d been removed and I’m now healing.” She said it was an apt description.

COMIN’ UP: I want to praise ALL the positivity coming my way from high school & college chums, Navy shipmates, NPS & SHPO colleagues, law enforcement and fire service folks, etc. You’ve really helped: Gracias a todos. In June I’m registered to attend the TBC in Ruidoso: I’m looking forward to in-person presentations and seeing Ruidoso again. There is something special about Lincoln County to me. I also have some follow-up medical appointments and the annual recertification and range qualifications per the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2004 (P.L. 108-277). More interestingly are our planned trips: Meme will be traveling up to Utah (Manti-La Sal NF - Maple Canyon) for a climbing trip while I’m out in Burbank for a BHS Class of ’65 75th birthday bash: complete with taco wagon, la musica de las 60’s, and I’m sure lots of Hawai’ian shirts. Hey Jimmy Buffett, even though you were a ’64 high school grad you’re 75 now, so c’mon over. If only we knew then what we know now, right? Naw, we’d probably do it the same again…