Now I remember ...

why I don't like to come to Indiana for the holidays. As you know, I'm here because my sister is facing a health challenge. The news is not good.

Her daughter and I were at the hospital (in Indianapolis) today, but needed to leave at 3 PM, so that we could get her back to Anderson for work.

It was hard saying goodnight, so we didn't actually leave the hospital until 3:30 PM ... just as an ice storm was starting. It took more than an hour just to get through the city to the interstate, and once on I-69 we spent the next four and a half hours in bumper to bumper traffic. I never got my car out of first gear!

We were still 10 miles from Anderson when I made the executive decision to exit the interstate, and take back roads the rest of the way. We literally just got back in time to get my niece to work. Unfortunately the only sleep she got today was about five hours in the car, and now she has to work all night. It's a good thing she's young ... but even so, I still feel for her.

She has been going through more than her share of crisis lately. Her father just died two weeks ago, and now her mother is in the hospital. Life can be so unfair.

My sister has major blockage around her heart. She needs a triple bypass, but her heart is not strong enough for her to survive surgery. At least six doctors have all weighed in, and none of them think she should risk it.

My sister's comment to me privately was "surgeons like to cut more than have sex, so if they don't want to do it I think I should listen."

It's her body, so she gets the final decision and right now all she wants to do is go home. I'm not convinced she is strong enough to leave the hospital, but if they are not going to do surgery they seem to want to rush her out the door. I have such a bad feeling about this, and so few options.

I love my sister, but we've had our challenges. I've not always been happy with some of the decisions she's made, but she's my older sister and has always been determined to live life on her terms. Now some of those decisions are coming back to haunt her. I think she understands it now, but unfortunately it's a bit late.

I have offered to let her come live with me, but I don't think she is going to do that. As bad as her current situation is, it's familiar. So here we are ... Merry Christmas.