Why the dearth of posts lately?

I'm caught up. I've posted all the stories I've been meaning to post. (OK, I still have a few from Australia to finish back in July, but I'm mostly caught up.)

If you're wondering why there have been so few posts lately, it's because life has been eventful, but yet not necessarily in a good way. A lot of health topics discussed. A lot of doctors and hospitals. Not for me, personally, thank God.

It started before Labor Day, when Marriott traveled down to Mississippi to visit her 90-something-year-old great-aunt who was in decline and needed to be hospitalized. Marriott spent a good two weeks with her in the hospital and getting her settled in a rehabilitation facility. She was back to visit last week and things are continuing to look good for her aunt.

Also around Labor Day, JC's husband went into the hospital with what they said was heart failure, but after a few weeks decided were blocked arteries in his heart. After a quadruple bypass, he was eventually released and is recovering.

Dave's sister was heavily pregnant at the time, too. She had her baby in late September (happy, healthy boy), but then had to go back into the hospital with peripartum cardiomyopathy. A rare but very serious complication from pregnancy that her cardiologist is optimistic will clear up within the next year. She's home with the baby now and doing well.

My five-year-old dog, Loki, had her annual checkup in late September. Her new vet decided to aspirate a lump on her belly, and found mast cells in it, which are a form of cancer cell. A week ago, she had the mast cell tumor removed, which involved taking the tumor and at least 3 centimeters of flesh around it. Lab results show it was a grade 2 mast cell tumor, and we'll find out from the vet on Monday what that means for Loki. The vet is very optimistic, and Loki is happy and healthy seeming, so I'm allowing myself to feel optimistic, too.

Meanwhile, Miss Loki still has stitches in her belly and is being forced to wear a T-shirt to keep her from licking the stitches until they are removed on Monday. The T-shirt looks ridiculous, but Loki doesn't mind, especially after having to wear a cone for a few days.

Also, healing thought have been going to my great-aunt Edie in Australia, who is having a slow and painful recovery from back surgery in August. Hopefully, she'll finish her rehabilitation and be back in her own house soon.

I think that's the extent of all the health news that's been consuming my conversations lately. A lot of positive healing thoughts have gone out and will continue to do so.