Celebrate My Birthday

My birthday is March 17. People party on my birthday. I’ve been in Chicago’s Loop when dye dumped into the Chicago River turned the water bright green. I’ve lunched in a bar in Philadelphia when the bartender and all the patrons burst into Irish songs. I’ve stood on the sidewalk in New York watching 10,000 policemen march past in the biggest of all St. Patrick’s Day parades.

In New Mexico I lunched every day with a group of American Indians. On St. Pat’s day all the Indians showed up wearing green. A big burly Indian, in a suit with green shirt and tie, joined hands with Navajos and Pueblos in a circle singing “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling.”

Then there was the time I was staying at a Hilton in Ishmir, Turkey. The hotel gave me a birthday cake. Never did I imagine getting a birthday cake from Conrad Hilton, above all being in Ishmir, Turkey.

Not this year. I go to dialysis this afternoon. That wipes me out beyond caring for anything except getting home, hitting the button in my electric recliner, and putting up my feet while I watch dumb television programs (“Dog the Bounty Hunter” anyone?) until ten o’clock when I can go to bed.

I should be in a good mood. For nine months I’ve been enmeshed with problems in my arm. In June my “access” clotted. The surgeon put a “temporary” catheter in my chest. I continued to go to dialysis. On other days I’ve had doctors’ appointments, gone to the hospital for tests and three times for surgery. What a bore! Not a great deal of pain, but time consuming. I had little time to escape into happier days by writing about my travels on my blog.

I never thought I’d say, “I hope they stick needles in me.” For the last ten days I happily had dialysis through needles in my arm. Yesterday I lost another day in the hospital. But the surgeon took out the catheter. Glory Hallelujah! Dr. Cook says Friday evening I can take a shower!

If I learned anything in 82 years, I know to be grateful for small blessings. Standing in that shower and letting hot water pore down the back of my neck for the first time in nine months – that will be a celebration!