Marathon News/Mom News

AAACCCCKKKK!!!! Less than 12 hours until my first marathon happens...I am
a huge bundle of nerves. I went to pick up my race packet today, which
includes my race number and other goodies. Also took a tour of the marathon
route--can I just say: might be kind of hard, from the looks of mile 9 through
mile 13. Through those 4 miles there are some hills, and pretty tough ones at that.

So, we'll see tomorrow. My time to go for is 3 hours and 40 minutes. I have
to finish in that time to qualify for the Boston Marathon. I will do it, or in my
mind, I won't have done my best. I am a stickler that way, "anal" for those
of you out there who know what that is like. ..

I'll come back here and let you know what happens, of course. The race starts
at 7:00 am tomorrow morning, and I should be finished by 10:40, if all goes
as planned. If you remember, I tried to run a marathon in Dallas back on
April 1st, 2007. It didn't happen because there were traffic problems and
I missed the start of the race. This time IT WILL HAPPEN dammit.

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In other news, I talked to my mom today. As of this morning, she is being put
on Lasix, a diauretic that is used to decrease swelling. When I talked to her, she
told me that the swelling is no longer just in her calves and feet, but has gone
all the way up to her hips. She has to take the Lasix to help relieve the fluid
so that she can walk around and move comfortably. The only problem is the
Lasix is a diauretic, meaning she will be using the bathroom quite a bit. Because
of this, the in-home hospice nurses were also going to be instilling a permanent
catheter.

I left only 4 days ago, and things have already progressed this much. I don't
know how to deal with it at this point, and from here in Omaha. I just want
to be there with her, I want to help both her and my dad. I just want to relieve
some of the pressure from my dad, and ease his pain. I know he has to be dying
a little inside every time something new happens. I know I am.

My only positive thought at this point is that I am doing this marathon for
my mom, which she knows. Before I left Amarillo I told her that I was going
to do this for her--I started running the first time she found out she had
cancer, and I'm still running for her.

This one is for her.