Reprieve

I have this untested theory that my training/exercise is a natural antidepressant. The last two weeks have been filled with more down days than usual, prompting me to actually consider calling the doc for a low-dose anti-anxiety pill. Sometimes I struggle when deciding exactly how much to share in the blog world, I probably just shared too much. The mystery ailments are taking their toll on me, causing other mystery ailments that I'm sure are a result of the anxiety I feel around not knowing what the hell is going on with my body. I might get some reprieve tomorrow when I finally get to see the urologist. As for the painful ear infection thing, still no reprieve. But I did get a bit of reprieve this weekend in the form of mountain therapy.

My friend Leslie, a ski bud of mine since we were 13 years-old, invited me to the mountains to learn how to telemark ski. We spent our childhood skiing FAST, on slick groom trails and in and out of trees in the powder. We saw an older man telemarking while we rode up the lifts one day, and we both jokingly said that when we got old, we would switch over to the more graceful/mature way of going downhill. Well, I guess that day has come, and I cannot tell you how much I love tele skiing. It just felt right. The mystery ailments were still there, but the symptoms seemed to be pushed a bit further toward the background. As I figure this out, I will continue to count my blessings, focus on the good, and try my best to keep calm and carry on.

And I want to share that Michele Baldwin, the stand-up paddler I blogged about with terminal cervical cancer, died peacefully yesterday. I followed her on her Facebook page, and I was so impressed with the dignity and the grace she carried in her final moments. It seemed more peaceful than sad. And her final act? She broke the record for the longest stand-up paddle, paddling 700 miles down a river in India.