Happy Birthday to me, 23 years of continuous sobriety! On the surface, it doesn't seem like much .... but to someone with this disease, it really is! Re my mother: She is now able to stay alone in her home, is doing better, and could continue to improve if she will do her exercises. Also, I set up a Med Alert account for her, which will work if she doesn't take it off for some reason. Re Locums: I have been contacted by several companies. In considering the options, I have decided that I want to serve my country, so will accept positions at military bases. One such opportunity is at Tripler, where my sons were born. At the top of my list: Alaska in the summer.

Things are looking up. Mom sees her surgeon Thursday. She will have completed the Vancomycin by Sat AM. She is doing well in PT. The only possible glitches will come from the Xray, and the lab results. If both look good, she is good to go. I phoned my friend Sun. She was loaded on pain meds, but shopping with her sister. I am relieved that both are doing well. Watched the Super Bowl with friends. The last quarter was awesome. Hope Phoenix gets the Bowl again in 1012. It probably won't happen, but could be a boon for our city if it did.

I am still enjoying retirement. Everyday, the first thing I think of upon awakening is "Yea, I don't have to go to work today!" However, it has been a busy month, with my mother who is STILL in rehab. Last Sat, we made another trip to the hospital, where she rec'd a PICC line, and was started on Vancomycin. She goes back to the surgeon Thurs, accompanied by me. I have some serious questions for that doc! The OTs in the Rehab Ctr have said that whether or not Mom gets D/ced home will depend upon their recommendation and not the surgeon's. She is doing fairly well, but still has to strengthen her leg muscles. Guess this is the result of many years of a no exercise lifestyle. My friend had a Radical on Thursday. All the ducts were taken on one side, as the CA had spread. A CAT scan revealed no CA in other parts of her body. She said she would be home by Sunday to enjoy a Super Bowl party. Lets hope she makes it! Rec'd a letter from a soldier in N Iraq, based at a support hospital. He writes: "Every Iraqui I have met to date has been entirely gracious and grateful..... Detainees...are bewildered to discover that people wearing the same uniform as the people they were conspiring to kill just hours before are going to treat them better than their own health care system has ever treated them." There are more stories, but you get the point!