Day +71, Wednesday

This post will be different from my normal post-transplant updates.

Today, armed supporters of President Trump, in effort to overthrow the lawful US election and in an act of domestic terrorism, stormed the US Capitol Building. Incited by the president’s disinformation and lies, emboldened by members of the Republican Party and media who unfailingly backed the president’s words, and stirred into a frenzy earlier in the day by Trump’s own directive at the “Stop The Steal” rally, the Capitol was breached, members of congress fled.

This is not right. This is insurrection, and anarchy. Moreover, the tension has been building up for years, ratcheting in intensity since the election, but the divisiveness, outright lies, discord and hate have been continuously stoked throughout this presidency. This is not okay.

While I want to hold onto hope that our country can recover and move forward after President-Elect Biden’s inauguration in 14 days, I am afraid. The US has prided itself on a peaceful transition of power; today, that changed. I am also incredibly angry about deeper societal issues: the levels of unfairness (BLM protesters in DC over the summer vs today’s mob), white privilege, anti-Semitism, anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim, anti-LGBTQIA, the wage gap, access to healthcare, food insecurity, male chauvanism and open support of white supremacy. And there is so much more. This. Needs. To. Stop.

Obviously, what happened in DC is still evolving and a very fluid situation and things will change.

Mom and I were walking at Great Falls Park – we had such a nice time yesterday that we decided to return today. I ran 22 minutes first, then Mom and I spent more time wandering along the C&O Canal towpath, enjoying the river, watching the birdwatchers, and stopping to snap photos. It wasn’t until a lady with binoculars stopped us, and asked if we had heard anything about the violence at the Capitol, that we found out something was terribly wrong. Dad called us 10 minutes later to check in.

After returning to the car, I decided to take the back roads home. WAMU, the local NPR station indicated a 6 pm DC curfew, and I thought it best that we just head back to the apartment. Bethesda is about 12 miles away from the US Capital; we are just fine. After returning home, Mom had salad, I took a shower to warm up and then slathered creams over my rash, and later I polished off another bowl of buttered pasta while Zooming with Dad, Andy and Lucy. My skin is doing better with the increased frequency and higher potency of creams, and mostly everything else is OK.

Tomorrow I’m back at the NIH, labs first thing and then I’m up on the 12th floor.

Stay safe everyone.