DIA - Its not what you're thinking

Bet you thought I am posting from the Denver airport, but instead I've had a great afternoon at the Detroit Institute of Art. A very diverse collection including the Diego Rivera murals in the Great Hall. One of the nicest amenities are the many padded benches with seat backs in many of the galleries. Those and engaging commentary invite one to be in front of a work long enough to see the subtleties of composition, color, light and often enough comedy. Well done DIA!

Received my Crown

Dr. Resnick, aka "Super Res", my childhood dentist dubbed me "Queen Jenéne." It gave me great delight that he deemed my sister Shelly a mere Princess. 8 weeks ago I made a trip to see Dr. Chang, for what was the first of a 4-visit root canal, and which I suspect was the trigger for the shingles. Today she crowned me with a new porcelain molar on a gold post. One more visit next week for final adjustments and a general cleaning and at least the dental phase of my unanticpated journey this summer will be over.

The shingles look to be a longer haul. I've been back at work, but balancing pain management with my ability to focus on the tasks at hand has been a challenge. In general the nerve pain has lessened, but is not gone. I know it won't last forever, but boy, for those of you eligible, get that vaccine!

This coming weekend I'm looking forward to a visit from Cincinnati friends Joan & Don. We have booked a lovely Gold Coast hotel and have plans for fine dining, a concert and sightseeing. A most welcome diversion. I'll be back on the road in earnest beginning August 15th with orientation visits to a few of the ministries I will be supporting in Detroit and Cleveland. After a very quick turn around in Chicago, I head for a weekend in Vail with my mom and dad, enroute to a national meeting of retreat house and spirituality program directors at Sacred Heart Jesuit Retreat House in Sedalia, southwest of Denver. A new smartphone is in the works and I hope to get back into a groove of posts from the road.

Can you say "shingles"?

Shingles (herpes zoster) is a viral infection of the nerve roots.

"The NERVE of that guy!" "Of all the NERVE!" "That really touched a NERVE" An outbreak of shingles has given me a new depth of meaning to those old saws.

It seems hard to believe that it has been over 3 months since my last posting. In brief, I started a new, and as it turned out evolving, role with the Chicago Province Jesuits. In addition to the responsibilities for the Piazza Project, effective July 1 I was named the "Provincial's Assistant for Pastoral Ministries." Translated from Jesuit-jargon, I am the Provincial/CEO's liaison and delegate, a Vice-President if you will, for the retreat houses, spirituality programs, parishes and the men in these and other pastoral ministries in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and Ohio. As you can imagine, I will be on the road a lot starting in earnest in August. So, if there was any good time for shingles to strike, this was it.

"On a scale of zero to ten, with zero being no pain at all, and ten being the worst pain you've ever experienced, how would you rate the pain you are experiencing right now?" My primary care doctor had recommended I head to the ER after not being able to keep the pain medication, or anything at all, down that day. I don't know whether it was the poet in me, or the engineer, but that question was like being asked to compare apples and oranges.

Was this the WORST pain I've ever experienced? Was this worse that the most recent trauma which I suspect of activating herpes zostar? Three excruciating attempts to complete a root canal during the first three weeks of Juneended finally with a referral from my dentist to an endodontist with the mildly offensive comment that I "have a really low pain threshold". Really, as a former chemical engineer, better living through chemistry is my motto and the endodontist did a fine job.

Was this worse that the time I severely burned my hand on a skillet, forgetting my frittata had recently been under the broiler? Or was it worse that the virtual knife stabbed in my heart many years ago when the man I had marriend declared he didn't love me and wasn't sure he ever had? Or the headache signalling meningitis that landed me in the hospital for a month after the divorce was final? No, these shingles were not the worst pain I've ever experienced in my life, but the scale is not linear.

This outbreak of shingles appeared around my midriff on the right side. As a colleagues said, the pain is insidious, pinching and burning on the inside, itchy on the outside, but shift instantly to fiery if actually scratched. All I wanted was for the pain to stop. I'd had an adverse drug reaction to a vicodan based drug leaving me dehydrated, nauseous and in the Top-5 of painful experiences which was the best I could do to answer the rating question. I just wanted the pain to stop. After a liter of fluid, anti-nausea and pain medication, as the nurse commented, I looked and felt a lot more human.

I went home with a prescription for a medication specifically for nerve pain which has helped tremdously, and keeping me sleepy and quiet this week. Some, but not all of the welts have crusted over, a sign that the virus is running its course, but taking its time working its way through my system. But they are, and like others in my Top-5, this too shall pass. I hope/plan on being back to work on Monday.

Back in Chicago and back to work

After about 1400 miles, give or take, Wil and I arrived safely in Chicago the evening of March 26. Somehow my mobile posts from our road trip didn't show up in the blog. Anyone know where in the ether they might be floating? Anyway, we had a nice day Friday sightseeing and shopping on Michigan Ave and State Street, had a good belly-laugh at "Don't Dress for Dinner," a comedy at the Royal George Theater, on Saturday and then put him back on a plane Sunday for Colorado. Monday I met with Rick to iron out a few details and Tuesday, March 31, started my new job with the Chicago Province of the Jesuits.

There are still many details to define with this new gig. We haven't settled on a job-title yet, and the scope of the project will continue to be refined over the coming months. While it is about a month or two sooner than I anticipated, I feel ready and excited to get started. As I described a couple of months ago, this feels like what wants to happen next. In many ways, this new role will be a bit like my days in product development at Procter and Gamble, researching and networking with the many ministries in the Chicago area, Cincinnati and elsewhere, to explore synergies and opportunities for collaboration between organizations. The prospect of new construction in both Chicago and Cincinnati is acting as a catalyst for the project and being a part of the building committees with be one very tangible and practical aspect of the role.

I will also be able to bring and build on my young adult ministry experience. One of the key questions for the Jesuits, and the Church, is how to do spiritual formation in a way that not only enriches the lives of men and women of young adults, helping them become generous individuals, "men and women for others", but doing the formation in a way that keeps them connected to the community of faith, as practicing members of the Catholic Church. Developing options and working with and through the existing ministries, and experimenting with new responses will also be a part of the job.

So while I am home again, I am also beginning another journey. Jodie has graciously extended her hospitality for a couple more months until I will move back into my condo with Cathy staying on as my roommate. This means my commute is 1 city block for the next 8 weeks which cerainlly helps to ease my transitition back to a work routine. I also made it back up to St. Nick's this Sunday for the start of Holy Week and am looking forward to renewing my participation with the community there. I hope to continue to blog, even though I'm feeling miles closer to home.