My June Calendar
When June and July rolled around this year, it was time to take care of essential appointments that come due periodically regarding the body as well as car care. To get to appointments and for summer visits from family and friends who need to be picked up at the airport (requiring me to drive from Nevada City to the airport in Sacramento), our Barcelona Red 2009 Toyota Rav 4 needed to be ready to go—an oil change, tires rotated, new brake pads, and transmission fluid. Then on to appointments focusing on the body (mine).
A new crown. A much-needed massage. A bi-annual mammogram. And a colonoscopy. When all of these hit the June calendar, my wonderful sister Kim called to say she’d be happy to fly in for a visit while I was dealing with the pre-colonoscopy preparation that is never anyone’s favorite procedure, but essential—especially if there is a history in one’s family of colon cancer as there is in mine. In that case, it is recommended you have a colonoscopy every five years—the period of time it takes for a polyp to develop that needs attention.
Before Kim’s scheduled arrival, I had a heavenly massage that got me ready for all that was soon to follow. The mammogram was followed by a call from the imaging center at Dignity Hospital in Grass Valley that I needed to schedule a follow up set of scans due to dense tissue…just in case. In the meantime, it was time to drive to Sacramento International Airport—one that takes me through Penn Valley, over rolling golden hills lined with rock outcroppings along the northern edges of Beal Air Force Base, through little neighborhoods with streets like Tip Toe Lane, and then turns that eventually lead to California Hwy 70 South, a segue to Hwy 99 to Interstate 5 North to Redding, and finally two exits later to the SAC airport.
Willing to do anything to avoid the I-80 West merge onto I-5 North where my small but mighty little Toyota is immediately surrounded by gigantic 18-wheel trucks during the merge, I now take this much more tranquil and scenic back route, always with my GPS guide telling me when to exit or proceed onward to my destination. Along the way, I pass rice fields, orchards, and very few trucks, arriving as flights are departing and arriving just two miles north of I-5.
It was a comfort to have sister Kim here to cheer me on during my five days of colonoscopy prep, and to have her drive me to the procedure and home. All went well. No polyps and as I am going on 81, no need to ever have another colonoscopy. I now have only one more medical appointment that is for my bi-annual bone density DEXA Scan.
Kim accompanied me on my daily visits with Kit at the Lodge before we headed out in the heat on an adventure in and around Nevada City or Grass Valley. And one evening we share news and a bottle of lovely Spanish wine across the road at the home of our neighbors Carol and Jim. Peekay was a trooper all the while, allowing Kim to take over his favorite chair and settling next to me as we three watched the opening days of the World Cup Soccer games.
Kim is now back in San Antonio where the heat index was 111degrees the day she flew home. Thank you Kimbo. Your visit meant the world to me. I love you and our beautiful sister Kelly so very much. Always have, always will.
On another note, I’ve discovered the books of Helen Simonson—a terrific writer who I recently discovered by chance and will share with you, dear readers, very soon. In the meantime, schedule a colonoscopy soon if it’s time for one and a DEXA Scan as well. It’s important for all of us to keep our bones strong as we strive to carry on.