Columns

I left the doctor’s office feeling deeply conflicted, wondering whether I had made the right decision. I didn’t even look at the orders for a blood test before stuffing them into the back of my car seat. I had reached the end of my tolerance. I had just said no…

A performance that stands out in my musical career is the Auburn High School versus Opelika High School football game of Nov. 14, 1969. It’s not the marching band’s musical skill that I recall, but that night’s extremely low temperatures. All our instruments were affected. A trombone player…

I parked my car with a feeling of déjà vu. This was my sixth trip to the hospital this year. I wanted to wait to be seen by my medical team, but my fever kept rising, so I decided to go to the emergency room. It was the first time…

My husband, Mike, and I started our stewardship of the family home in 2004. Mom had died earlier that year and Dad wanted to provide a home for his wandering child. The house was stuffed with family treasures. Since Mom had been a hoarder in her latter years, there was…

Sunday is my favorite day of the week. I enjoy getting together with like-minded believers to worship God. The teaching from the Bible, the sermon, is the best part, although standing to sing praises to the triune God brings a sublime joy to my heart. However, cold agglutinin disease…

“Hey, Mary! The last home game is on Wednesday. Wanna go with us?” My Auburn Tigers were playing in the third game of the recent National Invitation Tournament. Yes, I would love to go. I looked at the time the game started. “No,” I shook my head sadly. Tip-off was…

Note: This column describes the author’s own experiences with rituximab. Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy. The first house I remember living in was rather small — small enough that Dad could sit in the hallway and read…

Attending elementary school from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, was just the basis of my education. At age 5, I began doing needlepoint and other forms of needlework. Among these was lace-making in the form of tatting. I was not very good at it, nor at…

Thursday was a good day for watching TV in the mid-1960s. I would rush through my homework and piano practice, and settle in from 7 to 9 p.m. to enjoy wonderful sitcoms. But little did I realize that on another network, on Sept. 8, 1966, a science fiction show called…

Early Sunday morning on Jan. 18, I called 911 for my first-ever ambulance ride as a patient. I was in extreme pain in what seemed to be every joint in my body. On the way, I was diagnosed with a slight fever. And that was just the beginning. I was…