Long Time Coming...

Today I ran a little over 20 miles. I started out the day running with Emma. We did about 7 miles and then I was meeting Cat below the dam for more miles, and we did about 11. Then I came home and took Iris for a couple of miles. Three of my favorite girls to run with, what an easy and fun way to get 20 miles in.

It was a busy day, I had some work to do, and the Cancer Center ribbon cutting was this evening. It's always an interesting experience going back... I saw several of my former patients, and a few others I know from other cancer-related groups in the community. It was so great to see them. Especially the ones who are still going and living the best they can, despite some pretty rough odds. It is a beautiful facility. And it was truly built by the community because there was so much contribution from so many people.

It will serve it's purpose better than what was there before. And walking through the upstairs infusion center I remember writing on the beam "bless the nurses" and that is underneath on the south wall. It's going to be so nice for both the patients and the staff to be there instead of in a dingy little cramped windowless cave like the one I worked in at the hospital. Patients can look out the window at the mountains and they can even go out on the deck and sit outside as they get their infusions.

I do hope that the brighter environment will contribute to better overall patient care and outcomes, and I really believe that it will. When I think of all those days that I was working and feeling so bad for the patients having to sit in those little spaces with ugly old curtains for hours on end, with no privacy, no view except for a roomful of other sick people under fluorescent lighting, and I know how I felt just having to spend 12 hours a day in there and I wasn't even sick!

Since I know so many people where I used to work, it's always nice to catch up with people socially, and I did have fun. Of course there were the long-winded speeches from administrators and others, including the mayor, because it was a huge public community event. When I listen to those speeches I know that despite the good intentions of many people, there's the reality of today's health care systems that will mandate as little staffing and budgeting as possible, so it will be interesting to see if the lofty ambitions that everyone started with can be met.

I am skeptical, of course, because of what I've seen. It's very hard for people in health care, who went in because of good intentions and wanting to make people's lives better, but then having to juggle the profit motive that trumps everything else.

It's always interesting to hear the comments from people who don't realize I left the place, and so often I get the comment that it takes a lot of guts and they ask me if it's scary to be on my own. Well of course it is but for me, I'd rather not be stuck in a box because I'm too afraid to peek outside of it.

Even though I am not directly involved in the Cancer Center anymore I am glad it was completed and there is that small spark of pride in seeing what all of our efforts built. Some of my blog readers contributed too, and I want to thank you for that.

Tomorrow I have a photo shoot for a magazine I'm being interviewed in, thanks to Wheaties Boy. I am really happy about the opportunity, more about that later. The only drawback is that I really don't like putting makeup on for the studio photography but I'll come home and decontaminate myself afterwards!

After 45 miles in the last 3 days, my legs are a bit sore and tired. I might even take tomorrow off, definitely won't do more than 5 miles. Between Friday and Sunday I have some intense workouts planned.

I'm looking forward to some sleep!