By Ed McKenna*

From Summer 2013 Forum

5/5/90 – THAT’S WHEN THE CFIDS MARCH BEGAN – 2– 5– 8–11

FEBRUARY – MAY – AUGUST – NOVEMBER – THE MARCH GOES ON

COULD BARELY STAND UP THAT MAY – MUST BE THE FLU WE SAID

2/4/6 WEEKS IN BED AND IT’S GONE

SHOWER DRESS ROUNDING THE CORNER BY THE COFFEE SHOP

SHAKING MY HEAD. – BOY AM I GLAD THAT’S GONE

LITTLE DID I KNOW 2-5-8-11 THE CFIDS MARCH HAD BEGUN

DECADE AFTER DECADE AND CFIDS MARCHES ON

SOMETIMES SKIPPING DOWNSWINGS

BUT THAT LITTLE BUGGER’S ALWAYS THERE GRINNING, PULLING

PULLING AT MY PANTS LEG, PULLING AT MY SHIRT TAIL.

A SLIGHT HEADACHE INSTEAD OF THE MIGRAINE

A SLIGHT JOINT PAIN OR A SLEEPY DAY

BUGGER’S STILL PULLING AT MY PANTS LEG, GRINNING, “DON’T FORGET ABOUT ME.”

THREE WHOLE MONTHS OK OUT OF BED

ALMOST THINK I’M CURED AND DO TOO MUCH

THEN ONE EARLY 2-5-8-11 DAY GET UP SEE SANDY ON HER WAY

STAND GRASPING KITCHEN SINK LEGS BUCKLING CAN’T KEEP EYELIDS UP

LITTLE BUGGER’S PULLING MY SHIRT TAIL, GRINNING, “I’M BACK”

SO GO RIGHT TO BED SLEEP SIX WEEKS STRAIGHT AGAIN

ONE DAY WAKE WITH ANKLE PAIN LIKE IT WAS TWISTED IN THE NIGHT

OR EVERY MUSCLE HURTING LIKE I LOADED TRUCKS 12 HOURS THE NIGHT BEFORE

LITTLE DID I NOW ONE MID 2-6-9-11 DAY, I’D SEE SANDY ON HER WAY

GO RIGHT BACK TO BED AS USUAL. AND I CAN’T SLEEP. IT’S GONE.

FIRST FEW TIMES I SWORE I WAS CURED, BUT THE LITTLE BUGGER’S ALWAYS THERE

ALWAYS GRINNING AND PULLING AT MY PANTS LEG, PULLING AT SHIRT TAIL

“HEY, DON’T FORGET ABOUT ME.”

JULY 2009 GET CHEST AND NECK PAIN EVERY STEP I TAKE

STRESS CARDIOGRAM SAYS ONE MAYBE TWO CLOGGED ARTERIES

ANGIOGRAM SAYS ONE AT 50%, ONE AT 100% PLUS A THIRD

DOCTOR SAYS NO STENT FOR YOU, ONLY A BYPASS. “WHAT YOU WANT TO DO?”

66 YEARS OLD AND I GET A TRIPLE BYPASS

THEN OCTOBER 2009 SANDY HAS CANCER AND PASSES QUICKLY

START EATING RIGHT, LOSE 75 POUNDS

LATE 2011 DISCOVER GARY NULL’S POWER FOODS

LITTLE BY LITTLE, DAY BY DAY, MONTH BY MONTH

GETTING BETTER – STRONGER – 2 & 5 GET SICK – BUT NOT MUCH IN 8 AND 11

12/2-/12 TAKE OLD WOODEN BED APART & KEEP WORKING EVERY DAY

NEW BED UP CLEAN SORT BOOKS NEW SHELF UP WORKING AND WALKING EVERY DAY

BACK PAIN GONE MISSTEP GONE NO 8 NO 11 DOWNSWING

FOR MAYBE THIRD TIME IN 20 ODD YEARS I FELT I’M CURED

MAYBE THIS TIME FOR REAL, MAYBE MAYBE MAYBE

BUT LAST WEEK IN JANUARY 2013 THE LITTLE BUGGERS BACK

BACK PULLING ON MY PANTS LEG, PULLING AND GRINNING

“HEY, DON’T FORGET ABOUT ME. I’M BACK, AND WAIT, THERE’S MORE”

“REMEMBER, DO MUCH TOO MUCH AND I’LL BE BACK BIG TIME”

“YOU MIGHT EVEN SKIP THE UPSWING AGAIN”

SO I’LL FOLLOW THE RULES. IF MY BODY SAYS NO, THEN IT’S NO

MAKE A DATE TO GO. AND IF IT’S A DO NOTHING DAY, YOU MUST CANCEL

MAYBE TOMORROW, OR NEXT WEEK, BUT NOT TODAY

YOU NEVER WERE A 60 MINUTE MAN

AND AT 69 YOU SURE CAN’T DO 60 ANYMORE

*Ed dedicated this “For Sandra my love, fighting the good fight till we die”