[Marxism] THINGS AND THINKING

["Hunter Gray" <hunterbadbear@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

NOTE BY HUNTER BEAR: 9 / 29 / 07

It's snowing outside -- creating a kind of mood that exemplifies the fact that 
it has been a full year since our Great Cloudy -- our devoted one-half Bobcat 
-- made her transition. We continue to await her return in whatever furry 
feline form Whatever designates. In the meantime, her good little rival [and 
her close friend], a small Housecat, Wooly, has assumed many of Cloudy's 
crucial ministerial functions.

Sprinkled hither-and-yon, many in very reachable Cyberspace, are friends and 
acquaintances who have been curious about my admittedly problematic medical 
condition. [A number of these have recently inquired off-list.] This is a short 
update on that, with a few related things tossed in for good measure.

In a nut-shell, I'm really not doing badly. Under the circumstances, rather 
well.

It's been over four years since I was struck very hard and pervasively with 
Systemic Lupus [SLE], a fairly rare and basically genetic auto-immune disease 
which features one's immune system attacking one's body -- often, as in my 
case, striking a number of vital organs. It is frequently lethal, has no cure. 
During the onslaught of this, I very nearly died several times, was duly 
hospitalized on a number of occasions, received Last Rites from the Catholic 
Church. While the first major western medicine given me, Prednisone [a 
steroid], did assist me in fighting back, Pred also induced diabetes and 80 
pounds of excess weight. I declined various potent chemo drugs which carry 
their own serious problems -- including immunity memory loss. Eventually, 
phasing out the Prednisone, I shifted to a full dosage of the much less 
problematic Plaquenil; the diabetes and the 80 pounds disappeared over several 
months; and I have been doing a strenuous walk faithfully every single early 
morning, in my huge Lowa Mountain Boots, for the past six and one-half months. 
I will keep that up, motivated, in addition to basic survival interests and 
various commitments, by my Sycamore Wilderness Goal. It's become clear that I 
had at least one earlier [40 years or so ago] less severe bout with SLE [and 
maybe another well after that one] but I went to no doctors, just kept 
going,and the Lupus receded. If I could put It 'way down then, I may well be 
able to do so now. Anyway, here's the short-range Goal: 
http://hunterbear.org/sycamore_trek.htm

Although the SLE has been quite pervasive, it has not affected my Mind [which 
can often happen in these severe cases.] Avoiding a retreat into self-pitying 
solitude, I've continued to read and write [letting, as I always have, my fine 
spouse, Eldri, do the family arithmetic.] I avoid medics as much as possible, 
even those with whom I have considerably rapport -- and I sure as hell avoid 
hospitals. Family members and friends and our Furry Little Buddies have all 
been extremely supportive and helpful.

And we have tremendous faith and reliance in our Bear Medicine.

I make myself as useful as possible on social justice fronts -- including, 
among others, the endless struggle to get Federal funding for substantial 
research into Lupus and related diseases. No new, basic medicines have appeared 
for SLE in forty-five years. Lupus, especially, is extremely discriminatory. It 
has a predatory preference for a number of "minority" groups -- Native 
American, Black, Chicano, some Asian -- and it strikes all of these in 
comparatively high numbers. It hits women generally, regardless of race or 
ethnicity. [If you are a Caucasian male, you can rest pretty easy as far as 
Lupus is concerned -- but, of course, there are lots of other things ] 

Anyway, I see the Lupus situation as very much a Civil Rights Issue.

As far as I know, I was born without fear -- or at least have never felt that 
consciously despite the not-infrequently encountered grave danger situations 
that have characterized a good part of my life. Thus I have never claimed 
courage. And since early childhood, it's been clear that I have an unusually 
high pain threshold.

I never surrender.

Josie [our youngest] took a quite good digital photo of me a couple of days ago 
-- just before she and Cameron embarked on yet another elk hunt in the 
mountains near Soda Springs, Idaho, right close to the Wyoming border. The 
photo is on the front page of our website: www.hunterbear.org

Always fighting, Hunter [Hunter Bear]

HUNTER GRAY [HUNTER BEAR/JOHN R SALTER JR] Mi'kmaq /St. Francis 
Abenaki/St. Regis Mohawk 
Protected by Na´shdo´i´ba´i´ 
and Ohkwari' 

Check out our Hunterbear social justice website: www.hunterbear.org
 
[The site is dedicated to our one-half Bobcat, Cloudy Gray: 
http://hunterbear.org/cloudy_gray.htm
 
Our grassroots organizing mini-course:
http://hunterbear.org/my_combined_community_organizing.htm
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