It’s Holy Thursday of Holy Week, the day we celebrate and remember the Last Supper: when Jesus established the Eucharist and washed the feet of his disciples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It’s a big deal, and I didn’t get to Mass today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I’m not happy about that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What happened was a scheduling problem and \u2014 more basically \u2014 an exercise of balancing immediacy and priority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A week ago yesterday I noticed a drop of blood on my lower left leg. A few days later it had grown into an open sore. Yesterday my wife and I decided that since it wasn’t healing, I’d better go to the local clinic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Good news, I could get in that afternoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An RN evaluated the sore, took a photo \u2014 while putting two paper rulers near it \u2014 to start a visual record, and had me pick up an antibiotic at a pharmacy. What I’m dealing with is, apparently, in medical-speak, a venous ulcer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The antibiotic was a new one to me, but \u2014 more good news \u2014 I’ve exhibited no allergic reactions to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I was back at the clinic’s ‘Wound Care’ section this morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most of this morning. Getting more data about my sore wasn’t what took time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Something else was going on, so I had an opportunity to relax in one of those tilt-back chairs for maybe an hour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Don’t know what the ‘something else’ was. Or why a Life Link helicopter was revving up its engine as I entered the clinic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Might have had something to do with a massive gathering of law enforcement, medical, and other vehicles a block north of where we live. Then again, maybe not. That sort of thing is unusual around here, and I’m drifting off-topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Anyway, I finally got home, with instructions on how to make it easier for my body to deal with that sore. I’ll be back at the clinic in two weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The working assumption now is that the MRSA infection \u2014 it resurfaced my lower left shin several years back \u2014 flared up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I’m not happy about that, either. But<\/strong> the odds are very good that this infection will get cleared up. Or driven back into hiding, at any rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n More good news: what my wife and I had started doing a couple weeks back, putting an antibiotic on the sore and a bandage over it, was a good idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s what we’ll keep doing, but now with a more effective antibiotic. Two antibiotics, actually. One working on the infection from the outside, one from the inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, on balance, good news.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Getting back to Holy Thursday and what I did today: Mass is important. The Eucharist is very<\/strong> important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But taking care of my health, within reason, is also important. And an open sore that wasn’t healing is a rather immediate concern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I’ve talked about life, health, faith, and using my brain, before. Along with why and how I’ve learned to ask questions and think about medical treatments:<\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s Holy Thursday of Holy Week, the day we celebrate and remember the Last Supper: when Jesus established the Eucharist and washed the feet of his disciples. It’s a big deal, and I didn’t get to Mass today. I’m not … Continue reading \n
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