Cape Cod—An Elixir for MDS

Is playing golf in the rain advisable for an MDS patient?

(Is it advisable for anyone, for that matter?)

After all, the MDS gurus warn against contracting the flu and other infectious diseases. Surely catching cold is frowned upon. And didn't your mother join the cliche chorale, threatening "you'll catch your death" if you played in the rain?

She did.

But, here's what Mom didn't understand. Getting out of the house, being physically active, and socializing with old friends and meeting new ones are more than vitally psychological important.

They're necessary.

A little precipitation shouldn't be permitted to dampen that effect. It merely adds a dimension to the mix.

A steady drizzle engulfed the Falmouth Country Club on Wednesday when my ski-writing colleague Sean and I teed off. We were among only a handful of fools who thought that a light rain was—given the torrents that had fallen in recent days—tantamount to clear skies.

I played my usual game: some excellent shots, many horrible ones; some holes scored well, many holes a joke.

No matter. By the third hole the drizzle dissipated, the rain jackets came off and conditions improved. No, the sun didn't appear, and the excessively wet ground took away a key part of my game—hard-hit ground balls that roll long distances. (Yeah, sure, I know, you're supposed to hit the ball in the air; uh-huh.)

But, wet ground was a minor obstacle. For me, the diversion was the thing.

Indeed, the entire voyage to Cape Cod provided an elixir, affording an energizing psychological break from the in the shut-in life I seem to be leading lately, broken mostly by doctor's office visits. That Sean and wife Verna are wonderful people and great hosts added to the boon. And, that Penny doesn't mind if I disappear for four or five hours to chase a little white ball also helped.

Still, there was more to it than wet golf.

Wandering Provincetown's shops and galleries while dodging rain squalls, exploring the Cape Cod National Seashore in 50-mph wind gusts, and gobbling great quantities of locally made ice cream while moaning about how we can't eat another bite all helped to put MDS on a back burner for a while. So far back that, mentally, it became a non-factor for a few days.

And isn't that what vacations are supposed to be all about?

Now I'm ready to face Vidaza Shots—Round 3 beginning on Monday. Bring it on.