Yesterday, my mom called me on the way home from the doctor. She had just taken 10 syringes to the leg in the final step to eradicate the great big varicose vein on her calf.
Ever since I could remember, my mom has had a big ugly vein on her leg. Her dad has one too, and so does her aunt, her grandma, and several of her siblings. As a kid, I figured that a big ugly vein would eventually become part of my own future.
When I got pregnant for the first time, I checked my legs religiously to see if there were any looming varicosities. When the stretch marks finally appeared on my belly, during my 38th week, I figured the veins would pop out too. When they didn't, I felt like I had gotten away with something I didn't deserve.
Three more pregnancies, and, by some kind of miracle, the veins on my legs stayed nice and unbulgy.
Then, last night, as I sat in the twilight of my playroom floor, tossing toys in bins, I looked down at my calf, and it was covered in a big, dark, ugly vein. It seemed a cruel twist of fate that I couldn't even blame the varicosity on one of my children ("you did this to me!"). I spent the rest of the evening pondering getting old, and realizing that despite my best efforts, my body was going to eventually crap out on me.
As I was getting ready for bed, I noticed that the vein had spots descending from it. Those spots looked like they were dripping down my leg. I reached down and rubbed them, and they came off. After we left the gym yesterday morning, I stepped in a puddle. I thought it hadn't gotten me, but apparently the mud splashed up my leg, and left a big ugly stain, which I interpreted in the half-light to be a varicose vein.
I'm glad it's not. I must have had veins on the brain yesterday.
6 comments:
That is so funny. Reminds me of the quote about not borrowing trouble from tomorrow...
ROFL Shelah. I am glad it was mud. And not a big vein.
Man! I sure wish mine was just a mud stain. Hmph.
My mom has varicose veins (plural) and she blames them on all four that she bore;-} They're not bad enough to require surgery but do mar her lily white skin as she tells us often enough!
But at near 80 she is often mistaken for a woman in her 40ies. Her secret: soap and water and Oil of Olay and, my guess, an active, busy, full life.
So don't let any once-and-future veins worry you. I suspect you'll be like that; with your marathons and active cerebral life, quite ageless.
Ciao
Sarah's mom's secret of soap and water definitely helps with this type of vein! I think there's an opportunity for a vein/vain pun here somewhere, Shelah, but I'm just not up to it tonight!
It was fun to catch up on your past blog entries and see your pic running at the top! You look great! Love a happy runner :)
Now my big ugly vein is famous, but at least yours washed off. You may not be clean, but you're not old yet...by the way I'm not old either...just older than you and soon to be free of that big ugly vein!
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