Peggy’s Prompt—as simple as it is—032012

Peggy’s Prompt—as simple as it is—032012




As simple as it is----it’s still awfully complicated.

How can she not understand it, as simple as it is?

Simple is the operative word here.

What is simple, really?

Is anything ever really simple?

Simple, as opposed to complex...

It’s as simple as moving from point A to point B.

Simple is as simple does (could have been said by Forrest Gump)

This is not leading me into anything longer at the moment:I wonder why that is? I think it is because I lean much more toward complexity in my view of things. Nothing much seems simple to me. Even so-called simple things like taking the shell off a boiled egg (which I did at breakfast this morning). Today the shelling was easy, the cracked shell slid off without difficulty, but some days it’s just the opposite, you have to pick each little piece off with your fingernail, usually taking a chuck of the “white” with it. But I digress. Maybe for me the prompt would lead into, As simple as it is, it’s still filled with complexity. Or better yet, as simple as it is, it’s also complex. My mind wanders.

I was awakened this morning at 4:00am by Earth Kitty gently coughing next to my ear. She’s done this a time or two before, but never in my ear. Suddenly it occurred to me that perhaps she has a medical problem, especially as her right eye has been leaking a bit for the past few weeks—not much, but enough to wet down her fur under her eye. Maybe she has heartworms (based on the cough). Oh, my. I can’t remember whether she was tested for heartworms during the very few visits I made with her to the vet almost 10 years ago when she first took up with me. Since then she’s been an inside cat, and we’ve studiously avoided the vet. (Not true with one of the other cats—Sid—but that’s another story.) Anyhow, I stewed on Eartha’s cough for awhile, and by that time it was 4:30. So now my mind changed the subject and I contemplated dropping my internet subscription to Health-Space.net for women with breast cancer which sends several email notices a day, each time someone adds a comment to their virtual discussion board. It’s another long story, but I’ve never gotten much out of the discussions, especially compared to the Inspire site for metastatic breast cancer patients. That took me up to nearly 5:00, and I spent the next few minutes contemplating whether or not it would be a good idea to just get up or to spend even more time lying awake waiting for 6:30. Finally at 5:00 I got up. Given that another reason I probably woke early is the steroid “pre-meds” I got yesterday as part of my chemo treatment, that means I’ll have less pain in my muscles today and more energy. So I figured why not take advantage of that. So up I got, and actually managed to follow my doctor’s suggestion that I not eat and read at the same time, (this comes from my reaction to being weighed in, which was to impulsively yell out “oh, no, god damn”, a no-no in this very Seventh Day Adventist facility), because the scale read 1XX—the X is because even though I write about my cancer and my finances, danged if I’m going to admit to my real weight. So, following doc’s suggestion, every time I ate part of my breakfast, I put down the morning paper and surveyed my surroundings. . Anyhow, I felt all righteous by the end of breakfast, which I had modified from my usual bagel with peanut butter and a small cup of probiotic yogurt. This time I had ½ bagel with pb, a boiled egg (gotta love that protein), and a tangerine. Gad, am I noble or what? Got my bed made up, my morning ablutions done, my back exercises done with INTENTION (per instructions from my physical therapist, he’s very high on INTENTION). Now it’s 7:00 and my usual morning stuff is half out of the way. Whoa, Nelly. Slow down. So I sat down at my computer and unsubscribed from the website I had mentally chewed over while lying in bed. Had the “Eureka” insight that Eartha is probably getting ready to cough up a hairball, hence the hacking in my ear. Not heartworms or any other dreadful, expensive medical condition. Read a bunch of contributions to the INSITE website, especially the one from a woman who is contemplating refusing chemotherapy, and the 70 plus responses, mostly long and insightful/emotional/inspirational/cautionary. After that heavy load of mental activity, I cast about for something lighter. Peggy’s prompt was next on the email list. I should do that, I’ve done so few lately, always citing not enough time. Well, I have time today, in spades. So that’s how I got to this ramble, since the original prompt didn’t lead me down its path.

Well, it’s 7:41. Think I’ll get dressed and take a walk, capitalizing on my greatly reduced back and leg pain. Thank you steroids. Two more days of energy and less pain until they wear off. Got to fill every moment. Dang, it feels good to feel good.