Monday 10/1/07

Back to work today and except for a brief period of fatigue in the afternoon, it was business as usual. My friends and my patients were glad to see me, and I felt the same way about seeing them. Glad to be feeling back to normal. Going for labwork in the morning to make sure everything has cleared up with the infection. I certainly feel like it has, finally.

So, the title of today's blog refers to the date 3 weeks ago today. That Monday was the first day that I realized I did in fact have a uti and that i needed to get some medical treatment for it. I called in late to work so I could wait to hear from my doctor and go pick up my prescription to start it before I went to work.

While I was waiting to hear from her, I went online to read the paper at Nola.com, which I do everyday to try to stay informed about happenings at home. The 'headline' of the online newspaper stated that Jefferson parish sheriff Harry Lee had been hospitalized over night and was in serious condition. Harry Lee had been fighting an aggressive leukemia. This news saddened me. Harry Lee is a local political legend/icon. When I lived in Metairie, La., I used to joke that I lived in Harry Lee Land. When I returned home after work I came online to check email and the newspaper again. As I was sitting down I wondered if I would find news of Harry Lee's death when I opened the online newspaper. And there it was, the headline "Jefferson Parish Sheriff Harry Lee Dies". This is one of many articles about Sheriff Lee if you are interested in reading about his life and political career. I actually read a good biography of Sheriff Lee: Wild about Harry: A Biography of Harry Lee by Deno Seder. You can still find a couple of copies over at Amazon.com, including one signed by the author that someone is trying to sell for $99 as a collectible!

Later Monday evening after I had eaten supper and was relaxing watching some tv, my dad called. He told me that a good friend of ours had died over the weekend, Sherry Nunez. Sherry and her family had been friends with my family for as long as I can remember and even before that. She had been ill recently. When I visited home in July I heard about it from my dad and from another of her relatives, Joan Nunez, an old neighbor of mine whom I visited while doing my Katrina sightseeing. Sherry and her husband Ronnie were die hard Saints fans, and therefore were there with me week after week for the torture we call New Orleans professional football. Our families had also vacationed together, and I taught her daughter Melissa back when I was a chemistry teacher. I know that her illness had been difficult on her family, and I know that her death has been even more difficult.

I realized when I started this post that it has only been 3 weeks since her death. I can remember vividly what the world was like for me 3 weeks after my mother died. I was still in a state of shock, walking around pretending everything was ok, trying to figure out how to make it ok. It is my firm belief that weather death is preceded by a short, long or no period of illness, it is still devastating and you are never prepared for it. So despite the fact that she had been ill, I know her family is still dealing with their feelings on a daily, and possibly even still hourly basis. The same goes for Sheriff Lee's family. Here and now 3 weeks later, they are still dealing with their feelings, and will be for a long time to come. I am keeping both of these families in my prayers.

I will try to post again soon. Til next time . . .