Friday

Mood: meh
Hair: falling down French braid
Eyes: itchy and red
Listening to: the Golf network and Sparky eating carrots

It occurred to me today that for the majority of my life, I have been very tuned into medical 'stuff.' I can't remember for sure the first time I was in a hospital. I remember a couple of specific times when Ellen was ill, just faint impressions--I was somewhere between 2 and 4 or 5. My dad had a heart attack when I was 3. My eldest niece was born about 10 weeks after my 6th birthday and we visited her mom, Marie, in the hospital.

So hospitals don't particularly scare me or freak me out. They are, I think, the equivalent to my feelings about going to a department store or train station. In fact, I find medical procedures and schedules endlessly interesting.

One of the things I learned early on was how bruises work--and NO not (just) because I fell down a lot! The first indication Ellen that she was very sick was when she nicked her leg shaving and it wouldn't stop bleeding...for hours. I don't remember that at all, but I've known the story since before I was old enough to shave my legs. Anyway, for as long as I knew Ellen, she bruised really easily. Like, bumping her leg the way I do almost weekly on a corner of my desk would mean a 3" bruise. One time while at a miniature golf course, she got hit with a golf ball on her shin and you would have thought she'd broken her ankle the way she went down. People ran for ice (unavailable--cold can of pop was the best we could do) and it took her 10 minutes to get up on her feet again. The resulting bruise was enormous, stuck out about 1/2", and stayed black about a week. This was 15 years after she was pronounced 'healed' by the way.

So, I have watched my ugly leg closely this week for a couple of reasons. Early on, I was making sure I hadn't damaged any blood vessels so badly that they wouldn't be able to stop bleeding, which would show up as continuing darkening areas. I'm also just enjoying the color show. Yesterday was Yellow Banana Day. Really, not an attractive look. Today is Banana Bread Batter Day: much lighter but with clumps of darker stripes where the bruise is a little deeper.

Doesn't hurt as much either, except when I bump it (fairly gently) with something. Ow, but Weird Ow.

My white blood cells are getting a workout this week, my body is good at healing itself. That's pretty cool. Also, pretty damn amazing when you consider all the things that have to go right in the process!

Speaking of hospitals, I currently have three friends/family members in hospitals. Another friend was released yesterday. Kinda sux. Please, the rest of my friends, stay healthy and don't break any bones!!