Exploring the Jungle - a Column by Mary Lott

To garden or not to garden: Pondering the imponderables

It was a rare Saturday morning with nothing on the schedule, so my husband, Mike, and I could sleep in. Except that I’ve forgotten — temporarily, I hope — how to sleep late. I awoke close to the usual time. Since it wasn’t raining, I thought I’d get some light…

Those of us with CAD have our own ‘Run for the Roses’

Grabbing the best spot in front of the TV, I make myself comfortable on pillows. It’s time for the Kentucky Derby. The first Saturday in May is reserved for me to enter a world of majestic horses, excitement, and mint juleps. In the week leading up to the derby, I…

Sleuthing the source of my various aches and pains

Last summer, my right knee hurt. As far as I know there was no injury; it just hurt. The pain grew to the point where I hobbled around the house. I used food delivery services and generally babied my knee. Eventually, I went to my doctor. At the doctor’s office,…

The Bard was wrong: Why names are important for ‘CADdies’

In March, a prayer request was passed through our expatriate community here in Indonesia. Someone was suffering the lingering effects of a bout with dengue fever. A follow-up message soon arrived detailing what was happening. This person had low hemoglobin levels, was weaker than expected, and was a little yellowish.

The times, they are a-changin’ in the world of CAD

I blinked several times in the bright sunlight as I started down the stairs that had been rolled up to the airplane. The airport seemed strangely built, with two large buildings topped by tall, cone-shaped roofs. A man was at the bottom of the stairs, and we instantly recognized that…

The challenges of giving directions as a CAD patient

“Easy, easy,” I said in my most reassuring voice. “It’s very easy to get to my house. There are only two turns.” Despite that, the courier from the shipping company was telling me that I lived too far out in the jungle for him to possibly find my house and…

‘PACE’ yourself: How a CAD patient reclaims rest and repose

Inhaling deeply, I took in the clearness of the June morning. The zoysia grass in our front yard was thick and green and luscious, like a deep-pile carpet. Off in the distance, I could hear a hawk squawking at its mate. Some magnolia blossoms were on low-hanging branches nearby, and…

How napping benefits this knackered CAD patient

Looking out my window as I start to write this column, I see what appears to be a sunny day. But there’s a cloud covering the top part of the mountain, so it may not be sunny for long. My pets, Pokey and Ginger, are sound asleep. Should I get…