Today, the Second Day of Light, is the last day of the 69th year of my life. Tomorrow marks my 69th birthday and the first day of the 70th year of my life. 

I'm still recovering from my medical situation of last Friday.  Yesterday was marked by muscle aches and pains. All day, I felt like someone had beaten me with a two-by-four, or like I had done the most intense weight-lifting workout of my entire life.  Coughing would make my side and stomach muscles ache, and I had a tickle in the back of my throat all day.  Getting up from sitting was a painful ordeal.

Today is better but still not without pain. But today is a day of sleep.  I got up at 8:00 am, and almost immediately took a nap.  Then another one later in the morning just before lunch.  I just got up from another nap at 3:00 pm. I don't want to take another nap because that would probably mean I won't be able to sleep tonight, but I can't guarantee how long I'll stay awake and lucid.

I have another appointment with a doctor on Wednesday, a follow-up to make sure my antibiotic regiment is working.

Last Friday, before checking myself into the ER, I really felt like I was going to die. Am I ready to die? Perhaps, but not on that day and not in that particularly painful way.