March 17, 2017 —
My orchid is sprouting again. I can’t explain this determined little plant. I have no green thumb, yet despite me, it continues to flourish. I’ve grown attached to this little potted piece of Mother Nature. Anyone who has spent any time with me, will tell you that I’m not a girly girl… so an attachment to a flowering plant is really not in my playbook! This little one has been with me for nearly 4 years now. What makes that significant? It was a gift from Frank’s co-workers, after hearing I was diagnosed with cancer, and had undergone my first brain surgery. This little orchid has gone through its own ups and downs, right along side me. When it first dropped its flowers, the stems dried up and turned black, I thought for sure it was curtains for this little plant. Yet here it sits, now in a new and bigger pot, having grown two additional leaves, and sprouting a new stem with buds…… for the third time. With air roots shooting out in all directions, it’s certainly not the prettiest orchid you’ll ever see, but this little one has grit and character. Should I haven given this plant a name by now? Heck, if I’m naming brain lesions, why haven’t I given this little one a proper title?
And while we’re on the subject of brains…
BRAIN: No new tumors. Booyah! My longest gamma free streak yet! The radiology report did note a tidbit in the left occipital region, but we believe that is old news. When you’ve had multitudes of spare meat grow in your head, it’s a challenge to keep perfect track of what is old and what is new. My brain genius and his current minion looked over the imaging again, tracked back over previous scans, and are rather sure this little bit isn’t indeed, anything new… but we’ll 
all be keeping watch over this ‘making news again old news’. My regular “drunk tests” were passed with flying colors. Having never met the current resident doc, I wanted to assure him that my neuro status is quite well intact… sooooo… I opted to add a little grace to the end of the heel to toe line walk, and casually leaned into a sweeping fold of “warrior 3”. HA! It was at this point, that my brain genius called me out as an over-achiever. LOL! With a big grin, he asked if I was up to trying a little more challenging test. What’s the best way to get Niki to do something? Push her competitive button! Challenge accepted! He moved around behind me… 
safety precaution in place… asked me to stand on one leg… then… CLOSE MY EYES. Oh sh**. Close my eyes? Oh maaaaaaaan! I’ve worked on this during “tree pose” in yoga class. It is not an easy thing to do, particularly under performance pressure. Go ahead, give it a shot. Remember to close your eyes! I’ll wait. **insert “Final Jeopardy” music here** How’d you do? It’s tough… huh? Granted, it is slightly easier to do with shoes on, and I managed to hold it for a few seconds, buuuuut still… mine could use a little more work! I’d like to comfortably veg out, eyes closed, perched on a single leg like a flamingo, and stay there until the brain genius and his minion tire of waiting for me to topple. 
Next brain scan is set for early May… This gives me some time to fine tune things. Perhaps at the next visit, I’ll make the docs give it a go! BRING IT doc! You got game? Ha ha ha!
BODY: No real news here. Next CT will be late May, as will another round of surface scanning from my fab derm! Overall, I’m feeling just lovely, and it’s nice to be able to push myself a little more in the fitness realm. I’ve got jeans that I breached out of two years ago, still sitting in the closet. I hate shopping. I love cycling. It’s a win/win motivation blend for shedding this muffin top! Aaaaaand now I’m thinking about muffins. Might be a good time to get 10-15 miles away from the kitchen pantry… it’s time to RIDE!
