The last few weeks around here Mother Nature has provided a few diversions. Excessive heat dome. Wildfires. Smoky air. Even a minor earthquake.

My latest lab tests weren’t the most encouraging, but my oncologist thinks that overall things are relatively stable. Not exactly stomping down the cancer, but at least not a big progression. I would have said that nothing else is going on with me medically, but… I’ve developed a bone spicule. There’s a new word for you. A spicule is a bone fragment in your mouth that works its way of the gum tissue. It feels like a rough sharp piece of potato chip coming out of my inner gum. I had one of these back in 2014 that had to be removed surgically by an oral surgeon. That was all before my cancer started. This time, however, there’s a complication. Besides biweekly infusions of an monoclonal antibody, I’m also getting infusions of Zometa which can help prevent further bone loss from the multiple myeloma. Zometa is also often given to people who have osteoporosis. Not too long ago I was surprised to discover that I've lost over 2 inches in height since all this began. From 6' to a little under 5' 10". Sheesh. To think I used to be one of the shortest kids in school until I shot up in college. In order to safely remove the spicule, I’d have to stop the Zometa for 2-3 months to get it out of my system. Then, wait another 2-3 months while the surgical wound heals before re-starting Zometa. Otherwise, there’s a probability that serious complications might develop such as jawbone necrosis (bone dissolution and death) which, as you can imagine, is pretty awful. After being checked out by the oral surgeon (same one as in 2014), he thinks that this spicule will work its way out on its own without surgery. Given the choice, he thinks that staying on Zometa is far more beneficial to me as far as preventing further bone fractures and lesions. So, now I wait.

I’ve managed to break up the summer by seeing a some local friends that I haven’t been able to see in-person for months or even years – a reminder that the pandemic has been going on that long. All the while dodging COVID as best as I can. Unfortunately, more and more of my friends and their friends have come down with it. Just reminding me that it’s still around and I have to assess my risk tolerance. I managed to get a high-dose flu shot a few days ago and am scheduled for the latest COVID booster this weekend. I’m now wrestling with balancing out my risks and wanting to get on with my life, notably traveling. Flying is my next big hurdle, so I’m weighing whether or not I can finally go to Santa Fe in late October/early November. Haven’t been there since the pandemic began. Plane ticket is in hand, but I’m waiting until the last minute to decide.

For this blog, I decided to include a few plant photos that reminded me of...perseverance. Tim and I spent a lot of time, energy and planning to seek out certain plants that were challenging.

The first photo shows the flower of a Caper Bush (Capparis sandwichiana) found along the coastal lava fields in western Maui. The problem with this plant is that it typically blooms late at night and the flowers wither before early morning light. When we saw the flowers during the day, they were, well, withered. The next day Tim and I got up in the darkness and drove off to a rocky lava coast with flashlights long before sunrise. Success!

Another plant we wanted to find was Sky Pilot (Polemonium eximium). This grows mostly at very high elevations in the Sierra. We set out to climb Mount Dana in Yosemite, over 13,000 feet. It’s incredible how slowly climbing can go because there’s little oxygen at that altitude. Several hours later we were almost to the top. No plant in sight. We were exhausted, gave up and made our way down the mountain. Nearing the bottom, we ran into a ranger that we asked about the plant. “If you had only gone another hundred feet, you would have seen it.” We were definitely not ready to go back up. The following year, we set out once again. This time we did make it to the top where we saw many plants in full bloom. Finally!

One of our target plants in Western Australia was seeing the Wreath Plant (Lechenaultia macrantha). We had to drive two days north of Perth and ask locals who directed us to an obscure sandy road. After worrying we might get lost in the Australian desert, we kept going and finally saw them spread out along the side of the road. What a treat!

Over the years, there have been several other plants that provided us with challenging botanizing adventures. Now, without Tim, I try to persevere on my own – and not just hunting down plants. But, certainly with lots of love and support from friends and family.