We have had a very bad summer around here — my dad is one week out from open heart surgery and a valve replacement. I am relieved that he’s made it this far because I don’t believe he had many days left otherwise. In the run-up to the surgery, I was keenly aware of the pit of depression trying to suck me in. In some of the posts I wrote here on my second pregnancy I talked about my strategy of “staying out of the pit.” I expect you know exactly what I mean if you have suffered from depression. Once you get sucked it, it is very difficult to get out. Staying out is far easier than getting out once you have been sucked in.

In the spirit of “staying out,” I have a new strategy to report that has been surprisingly effective: cold water soaking.