Ana and I have had to make some recent trips Standford for medical updates. We know the way by heart. Since my cancer treatment in 2023, and since Ana’s treatment at both Stanford and UCSF (since 2015) we are fully vetted in Bay Area medical commutes. But in recent months medical related travel is getting more complicated.
We Lynches have seven siblings in the family. That’s right. Five girls and two boys. I am 77 years old and I am the sixth youngest.
Our parents have passed, but we seven are all here.
We need to recognize that modern medicine has kept all of us around much longer than our grandparents and parents’ generations. And how much we enjoy that extra time is a function of working together to make it as smooth as possible.
Here are our ever-expanding family medical events, challenges, checkups and procedures that we need to stay on top off and coordinate. There is no way we can handle this without pulling together.
Mike and Ana – Ana had breast cancer and lymphedema, complicated with surgery for a broken elbow that had to be repeated. Ana was also a general practitioner while in Spain and as a result has actual medical training. I was treated for throat cancer, had a urology issue in 2015, and still have the cancer checks and the voice therapy to recover from the radiation. We live in Turlock. I choose not to drive at night because of vision worries.
Sister Pat, our eldest, is smart, brilliant, a savvy exceptional writer and a person whose laughter lights up a room. And it’s the best kind of laughter, malice free and conveying joy. Pat’s issues are vision, knees and balance. She had a hip replacement and also has arthritis. Pat lives in Sacramento and no longer drives.
Sister-in-law Ellen—Pat’s partner. Smart, former teacher and U.S. Dept of State officer. Ellen is a rock; makes things happen. Checks the mail. Also, good writer. Runs the operations and is partner with Eileen (youngest sister) taking care of the older Sacramento Lynches. We had to have a family huddle when Ellen broke her foot last week, and now she cannot put any pressure on it for 6 to 8 weeks.
Sister Kathleen- second oldest, first of the four redheads in the family. Smart, beautiful and an exceptional poetess. Kathleen has suffered from serious blood and knee issues and has been confined to her home in Sacramento almost continually.
Brother-in-law Eddie—Kathleen’s partner. Smart, successful, an avid biker and ornithologist. He also worked for a pharmaceutical company for years and is expert in medical procedures and medications. He is the person who makes Kathleen status tolerable. So, in keeping with mother nature’s tendency to pile on…he just was diagnosed with an extremely difficult case of shingles. Fortunately, Kathleen ‘s two children, Angela and Daniel, and their extended families are all Sacramento based and in close proximity.
Sister Moira. Moira is another redhead. She has the best voice in the family and leads us in singing the family birthday song. Moira is in Sacramento also. She lives within a few blocks of the others. Moira is the epitome of the ancient saying about Irish women “I am an IRISH WOMAN. I was born with my heart on my sleeve, a fire in my soul and a mouth I can’t control!” Moira who has had one knee replaced, had breast cancer before and now has endometrial cancer. She also is having surgery this week.
Sister Sheila is blonde. (Yes, we did DNA check, our parents didn’t cheat). Sheila lives in San Jose where she and her husband Stan raised their two children. Stan passed away years ago and the kids are out of state. But Sheila still drives and is a good asset for our other San Jose Lynch, our brother Danny. She’s had cancer and knee issues. Sheila is also well situated for those of us who need Bay Area medical treatment. Ana and I stayed with her during much of my cancer procedures. In fact, Sheila often drove us to the daily radiation treatments. We learned that Sheila has very entertaining and imaginative descriptions of bad drivers.
Brother Danny. He also is a red head. We grew up together. In school he was that kid who all the other kids liked. The jocks liked Danny, as did the nerdy kids, the cool kids, the quiet kids and the smart kids. And the girls absolutely loved him. Adults liked him too. Danny served in Vietnam and then spent 12 years teaching kids in Thailand to speak English. He is friendly, fun and bold. He is fiercely loyal but does not suffer pretension well. Like sister Pat, discussions with him always involve gales of laughter. Even after so many years together I am still amazed at his ability to make others laugh. But the health thing strikes all of us. Danny had prostate cancer and the radiations treatment left him with ongoing urinary issues. Danny still is master of the day. At one of his appointments Danny complemented the doctor on his muscle tone. The doctor said, thanks. And Danny said bet you can’t drop and give me 50 pushups right now. The doctor looked at him, took off his jacket and did 50 then and there. Danny’s next operation is Dec 23. Merry Christmas!
Sister Eileen. Our youngest sibling is now 72 years old and also has red hair. She anchors our east Sacramento contingent. She has inherited management of a group of family members who aren’t really used to being managed. Eileen’s daughter Mary, son-in-law Ben and granddaughter Rory live in Germany. Currently the most favorite Lynch family conspiracy is to persuade Rory, who is four, to throw fits to the point her parents must move to California to find peace. So far, we haven’t succeeded in this. Eileen is always on call. She is the 43rd Street problem solver and the Sacramento Lynches thank the higher powers daily for her counsel and guidance. Her next assignment is to make sure Moira takes her meds and gets to the operation on time. When released, Moira will stay with Eillen through recovery.
So clearly, we Lynches have a lot more medical travelling to do. And extensive family consults. It very good to have Ana and Eddie present since they bring meaning to much of the medical information. And the family discussion will ramp up with more medical gathering and of course, the holidays. Lynch parties in the old days sometimes got a reputation for being rowdy. We are guilty of much laughter at these events, but that has its own benefits. They say laughing helps people stay young. If true, we Lynches may be around for a very long time.
We can expect rapid changes in itineraries and schedules. So, if I have to make last minute changes, I want you to know it’s not personal…but it really isn’t something we can blame on Biden, or even Trump.
