Winter Break

The first time I saw Brendan since July, I gave him the biggest hug - grinning ear to ear. He had a head of shaggy hair (as evident in the picture to the left), a full beard, and an exquisitely creepy mustache that was long enough on the sides to be curled up. He shaved all of that off the next day. He says his facial hair can still be a bit erratic in it's growth, resulting in an occasional patchy beard. The one I was witness to was full and lovely.
We talked and compared experiences, marveled at the similarities and differences. We caught up and laughed and joked and I rediscovered all over again that there is no one else I enjoy being around as much as my brother.
Brendan dropped in to see Dr. Rose on his first day in town. He had been worried about a swollen something under his mandible - and although there were a handful of reasons not to be worried about it, there was one big reason to be worried. Doctor Rose examined the swelling three times to be certain, but maintained confidence that it was just a swollen submandibular gland and not a lymph node.
My woven bracelet has stood the test of time - sort of. Life on the island lead to it beginning to fray and tear, so I invested in super glue and just glued it together with enough slack that I could slip it off my wrist when I had to be elbow deep in cadavers. The gluing was surprisingly effective, until the glue started to give way. I ended up taking it off just to save myself from it falling off somewhere where it would truly be lost. I still have it though, and it hangs above my desk right where I can see it for inspiration. I'm planning a simple and discreet tattoo to replace it on my wrist.
So everything is still just fine. We both desperately love what we are doing, despite the life-changing amount of hard work that goes in to it. Everyone is healthy, everyone is happy, and things are going well.