Pole Vaulter

Running a few laps the other day at Sequoia High School with my phone for music, and boom… look what I found. I didn’t get his name. But he explained that he held the state pole vaulting record in Michigan for ten years. He is 57 years old. Does this to keep fit and for fun. I asked him if he could teach an 81-year-old with a positive attitude how to do that. He advised: Stay with the banjo.

Take away message: always take your phone. No telling who you’ll meet.

Let’s Hear It For Dermatology

When you get to be middle age and older, you may make visits to the dermatologist every now and then. The doctor may use a liquid nitrogen “gun” to burn off suspicious pre-cancerous cells. It stings and leaves a small mark that goes away. I didn’t like some small sores on my nose. I had a Zoom appointment with the dermatologist. Instead of the nitrogen, she recommended a cream, Fouorouracil. You apply it twice a day for three weeks. I’d used it once before, so I knew what I was getting in for. She reminded me that this is a good time for the treatment since we’re all confined to home. 

The first two weeks don’t show much change. The last week all hell breaks loose. Here is what I looked like the final day of the treatment,

The doctor explained that each sore represents a possible precancerous cell.

Gross. The amazing thing is, though, two weeks after I stopped the cream, I was good as new – maybe even better. The medicine neutralized the problem cells. I’m good for another few years.

Meanwhile in the garden

New audio book chapter coming next week: Religion

4 thoughts on “Pole Vaulter

  1. Bill says:

    That picture on the left was scary as hell. The one on the right suggests that in a mere two weeks you lost like a decade in age. At least on your face, LOL!

Leave a Reply to mark Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *