Wiz in the Woods

This may be long…..

Mom called Wednesday saying Daddy had taken a downturn in health: fluid in his lungs, unable to pick up his spoon at lunch, falling asleep at the lunch table. Mom was distraught, as she well should have been! I asked if she wanted me to come up to Seattle and she said yes.

I then packed, including all running gear, for an unknown period of time. I researched the mileage around Green Lake for Friday’s 20 miler - 7.14 times around.

I arrived at the Norse Home about 10:30 Thursday morning. I had lunch with M&D. Later that afternoon, Richard came by then Thomas. Richard visited for some time then left while Thomas stayed for dinner. As he departed, Robert arrived. He hung around for a bit then it was time to go to Sea-Tac to pick up Connie (from Spokane) and Dot (from Eugene). I drove to the airport with him. We had some time to talk things over concerning M&D. Oh, and when we were all at M&D’s, Daddy really perked up. After getting Dot and Connie, we went back to Norse Home to say hi to Mom.

Friday dawned with a run scheduled for me. I set out and walked to the lake for a warm up then the run. I was doing fine, though getting tired as expected, when I experienced something new. I had done 5 laps (14 miles) and was about 1/4 into the 6th when I started seeing “peripheral stars.” I felt fine but it was like sparklies around my iris, and it was most disconcerting. I made a conservative decision to turn around and head back to the house. (I had ID with me but nothing indicating where I “belonged” in Seattle.) I walked and the sparklies stopped about 10 minutes later. I mentioned it to Dot when I got to the house and she immediately gave me a name of the phenomenon–inner ocular migraine. So, no worries but it seemed prudent at the time to go home.

Obviously I did not do the proscribed miles for this week. Am I concerned? Not really. Had there been support along the rest of my route, I would have continued.

It’s Sunday and I am now home.  I may write about Daddy later, I may not; I don’t know. A brief note here in case I don’t. He really rallied with all of us visiting, coming down and eating meals, but we all know the end is imminent. It may be a day, a week, a month, six months but only God knows. Hospice will come when needed and I believe we have taken care of all eventualities.