War zone?

Sunday, Jan. 17, was the first time in a long time that I didn't have to go in to work. Vicki Atkinson came back to work Friday. It was so nice to have her back.

So, I stayed at Mother's longer than I usually would. Don-Mike came home earlier than usual. He pulled out his M*A*S*H collection & stuck a DVD into watch. He received the whole collection for C-mas 2008. He was really surprised. I would love that collection, but it's a little pricey.

M*A*S*H was the only TV show I watched for years. When I was pregnant with the boys, I watched it at least once a day. I was put in the hospital about 4 weeks before my due date for 3-4 days with each boy. I had to have the door to the hall closed & I couldn't watch TV. I did, however, watch M*A*S*H. I couldn't read either because my eyes were so blurry from the toxemia. After the boys were born & they were brought in to my room to feed, M*A*S*H came on. Both boys turned to the TV set when the theme song came on.

Anyway, this particular episode was episode 7 from season 3, "Checkup." It aired Oct. 22, 1974, so I obviously didn't see it the first time around, because in October 1974 I was in Bloomington, Minn., on my mission. I caught it several times in reruns, but I have never related to it like I did that night.

Everyone had to have a checkup. Trapper John refused to have a checkup. He confided to Hawkeye that he had diagnosed himself with a  "duodenal ulcer." Supposedly an ulcer was a ticket home. The ulcer was confirmed. A farewell party is set up. Just as the party is starting, Radar breaks the news to Trapper that there is a new Army regulation. He is not going home, but going to Tokyo General for treatment, then will be reassigned.

Trapper is understandably upset & rants to Radar, "This place GAVE me the ulcer!" To which Radar softly confides, "It gave me the runs."

I laughed, but here's the sad thing. They are in a war zone, in a mobile Army surgical hospital, sometimes behind enemy lines, patching broken bodies, under enemy fire & sometimes friendly fire. Stress gave them an ulcer & the runs.

So, what is my excuse? I could rant right along with Trapper about my own home & family, "This place GAVE me the ulcer!" And I can confide right along with Radar, "It gave me the runs." Is my home a war zone? Sometimes I feel like it is. Sometimes I wonder if my problem is simply post traumatic stress disorder or PTSD.

However, I've developed a new coping mechanism to go along with the runs & the ulcer. My old nemesis, the migraine headache, is back. I'm hoping it's just the low pressure from the inversions we've been having this winter that is bringing on the headaches again.

I snagged this picture from cachevalleydaily.com I'm sure it was a red burn day, but it gives new meaning to "yellow" burn days.

Getting lost in a book helps me to zone out. I need to get through these non-fiction books though, so I can enjoy being transported to another place & time.