Momentum

No more feeding tube. For now. I hope never again. And nothing permanent installed either. But if it becomes necessary, I'll happily put it back in. My pride is not that great. It's simply wonderful to have a break from the ongoing noise of the pump and the constant toilet trips. Now I am sleepy. I'm catching up on REM sleep. Oh! but my eye doesn't look like this from lack of sleep!

After we removed the feeding tube from my nose, it was time to go up stairs to East 8 for PEG Asparaginase #5. During the long trek down the hospital corridor I had a bit of a trip and a fall. Flat on my face. So, in place of a feeding tube taped to my face, I had a big, black eye. Will there ever be time where there isn't something for people to stare at when they see me? Although during the worst of the black eye healing they were staring at Randin, too. People assume so much! Even Dr. Peterson teased Randin, to which I replied, "Hey, this happened on your watch."

How did this occur? How did I fall? A combination of birkenstocks, shuffling while walking, trying to keep up with the nurse (because I simply couldn't have asked her to slow down a bit), appearing perhaps a little stronger than I actually am, and momentum.

Before I go into momentum, I have to say that the aftermath of the fall itself was very exciting being in a hospital and near the emergency room. There were alarms, and lots of people rushing about, code this, code that. I didn't black out, I just kept repeating "I tripped on my shoe." You'll all be glad to know that after this incident I got new shoes that strap to my feet. Securely.

Momentum

Momentum is slow when you are in it,

but happens quickly when you look back at it.

In that moment of falling I had time to decide.

And to think.

I thought, now if I had just taken martial arts

I would know how to roll out of this fall.

As it is now—I'm going to hit the floor with my face.

And bear it.

And say, I tripped on my shoe.

Because I did

But it really happened because I was too proud

to ask the nurse to slow down.

Is there ever a moment when we aren't in the midst of momentum though? Moving like a wave in acceleration, and then slowness. Every moment, stillness bleeding into the next? What changes our trajectory? There where many moments along that fall that could have prevented the injury. First being, "Please slow down, I'm unable to walk that fast." All the way to regret " If I had just studied Martial Arts." And finally the floor. Funny that. Why don't I remember all the time that from moment to moment I guide my experience. What comes before me is a gift how I open it is entirely up to me. Momentum never stops it moves in waves however miniscule. I push it in the direction I want to go. This is my first black eye, now, isn't that an adventure? And now I've a story to tell!

Listening

Paying attention

Brandi, keep listening and paying attention.

There are fun places to feel momentum though. Where you can't miss it. Like in a count down or a count up. 3-2-1 PEG Asparaginase to go! I'm halfway through Cycle 7. That means 8-9-10 more Consolidation Cycles to go! I really feel so much better without the Doxorubicin. I wonder, will I feel better without PEG? With less Dexamethasone?