Who Needs A Winter Break? We Do

We've found what works for us

Doctors, Nurses, pills, blood tests, X-rays, injections, poking, and prodding take up a lot of my life. I know that's necessary, but every winter we pack up Bertha (the big red truck) and escape for a couple of months to the remote desert of southern Arizona. We're so far out that it's more than 20 miles to the nearest Starbucks (OK, we actually bring along our own espresso machine).

There are more coyotes and javelinas than people in our neighborhood...just the way we want it. Now don't think we suffer too much--our trailer has electricity, water, sewer, and WiFi (the bare necessities of life). The sun shines almost every day and we consider 70 degrees on the cool side. Bubba (our faithful old Jeep) loves to crawl through the cacti, up mountains, down washes, and over, under, and around all manner of rocks. We hike, I run (slowly), we feed the birds and bunnies, and enjoy calm, quiet, and amazing scenery.
I almost forgot to mention our time sitting in the sun, reading, and sipping a cool glass of wine, or two, or... Hey, it's OK, nobody has to drive home.

If you think I'm trying to make you envious, you're only a little right. Come on down for a visit. We'll share.

The real bottom line for us is the mental and physical lift we get. Each year we feel rejuvenated and look forward to the NEXT winter. Home on the farm is great but being away from home (and in the sun) has special beneficial qualities. And at our age we need every little boost we can get!

axman

2014. So Far--So Good

New and better treatments abound--can cures be far behind?

There seems to be a new med that helps manage prostate cancer introduced every few months. Well, maybe not that often, but there have been a few. That is certainly good news for all of us with incurable prostate cancer. I'm taking one of the newer meds and my PSA has gone down to practically nothing (0.4 actually). That doesn't mean the nasty cancer cells have gone away, but they are growing slower--I may die of extreme old age, yet. There are many who may consider me extremely old, already.

I haven't heard that any of the new 'miracle' treatments are likely to lead to a cure, but the longer we all live (thanks to the new meds), the better the chances that somebody in a dank and gloomy laboratory somewhere in Lower Ebonia will have that 'eureka' breakthrough moment and cancer, like polio, can be wiped off the face of the earth. More or less.

Maybe I'm hopelessly optimistic but I expect a cancer cure in my lifetime. But then I also expected to have thick curly hair, a thin and athletic body, and 20-20 vision throughout my lifetime.

axman