It was a weekend extravaganza….!!!!!!!!

…. and, fortunately, Irene’s nausea remained at a low roar ….

We attended Matt Dias’ (my brother, Greg’s son) Modesto High School graduation party with friends and family …. it was a beautiful day in the neighborhood ….

Irene, with “the graduate” Matt, and his sister, Megan.  Matt has been accepted at the prestigious University of Chicago.

Sporting their “shades” are Kathy, Greg, Joel, Colleen and Irene.  Greg and Colleen are the proud parents of Matt.

Irene with my dad and mom, Joe & Myrna

Irene with Colleen’s parents, Peggy & John McCaffery

Dave with Godmother, Ruth Perrine

Megan, Dan, Kathy, Greg, Joel, Colleen, Irene, Matt and me

After the grad party Irene and I “headed for the hills” …. the gold country, that is, and were treated for dinner by long time friends and classmates, Ron & Debbie (Johnson) Richards.  Ron was the best man in our wedding and I was best man in theirs. After dinner we made a surprise visit to see our other long time friends Bill and Martha Silva.  However, as Paul Harvey would say, here is “the rest of the story ….”

In my previous law enforcement career Bill Silva and I became close friends as did our families.  Bill was a deputy sheriff at the same time that I was a city police officer.  We collaborated on many crime fighting efforts.  When Bill and Martha’s son, Troy, was getting ready to marry his fiancé Becky Richards, our DIAS name showed up on both wedding guest lists.  It was then that the realization of the common DIAS relationship was discovered.  Both the Richards and Silva’s live in Sonora, CA.

Irene with Ron & Debbie Richards and Bill & Martha Silva

Irene and I stayed at a local B&B, the Barretta Gardens Inn in Sonora, CA.  It was a quaint and delightful experience.

And, of course, Irene HAD to stop at Liz Claiborne in Gilroy on the way home …. I took a nap in the car while she shopped …. she wore ME out from the

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According to Wikipedia ….

A monster is any of a large number of legendary creatures which usually appear in mythology, legend, and horror fiction. The word originates from the ancient Latin monstrum, meaning “omen”, from the root of monere (“to warn”) and also meaning “prodigy” or “miracle”.

Saint George versus the Dragon, by Gustave Moreau (1880)

The term “monster” refers to a being that is a gross exception to the norms of some ecosystem. Usually characterized by an ability to destroy human life or humanity, more than an example of “survival of the fittest”, natural law, or innate evil. A person referred to as a monster is taken as exceptionally evil, grotesque, unreasonably strict and uncaring, sociopathic, and/or sadistic. The word monster connotes something wrong/evil; e.g.: a monstrous being is: very morally objectionable, physically or psychologically hideous, or a biological sport (a distinct sense of the word), i.e a freak of nature.

Early this evening Irene declared that “There’s a monster in my stomach that needs to be fed.”  She was referring to the EXTREME and intense nausea that haunts her 24/7 and has to be managed by eating more frequent and smaller meals.  Today was particularly debilitating.  At dialysis this morning her blood pressure dropped significantly again;  she took an extended nap after returning home.

We believe that the term amyloid nausea “monster” accurately reflects the “gross reflection of the norm”.  It is definitely a freak of nature.  I am not aware of too many people, similar to Irene, who have been challenged with chronic nausea for over one year, 24/7, and have responded with such grace.

Only Irene’s faith allows her to overcome the monster.

Caminando con Fé

Dave

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