What A Day!

Over the past week, a familiar fight began when the chronic infections began to flare up since I am not on gamma globulin treatments right now. Which means that my lungs began to shut down. I am blessed with a family Dr who is a personal friend. He keeps a very close eye on me and in facts sees me in his yoga classes about 8 times a week, besides the very frequent Dr appointments with him.

Over the past week he has been having me text him updates through the day. This morning I texted him the unwelcome news that I was much worse. Wheezing, very short of breath, horrible sinus pain and so on. He texted back to come and meet him at the office.  I texted back that I had a 10 am funeral to do. So he told me to "Come now! I am  leaving the house for the office."

So after listening to my lungs and poking all the things that needed poking, he concurred that the sinus infection had flared up and the macrolide treatment I had been on for over three weeks was not getting this bacteria. He put me n a new antibiotic, increased the neb treatments and waved me off to go do my funeral, with renewed instructions to keep him updated.

The funeral was beautiful. A couple of hundred people to celebrate his life. The service began with a drum flag raising ceremony. The tribe provided the drummers and singers and the Fire Department provided the aerial ladder truck and raised the flags. It was very moving and it made me glad for the ethnic diversity of our community.

The rest of the service went well though I was pretty hoarse and became increasingly short of breath as the service went on. By the end of the service I was pretty miserable and gasped out to the Chief that I was going home. He took one look at me and called the paramedics over to do an emergency breathing treatment. When I protested he said, "Don't make me tell you to shut up and sit down." Knowing better than to argue when he used that tone I sat down. After treatment, the Chief and the crew checked me out and decided since the blue in my lips had gotten better they would not transport me to the hospital. Sticking my tongue out at the Chief (because I am so incredibly mature) I put in my opinion.

I have spent the rest of the day dozing, taking all of my meds, including the dreaded (and avoided cough medicine) sending regular updates to my Dr and the Fire Chief (who was now insisting on it). And being thankful for my neighbor man who ran to the hardware store and got pellets for my pellet stove so I would actually have heat in the house.

I have to admit that being home and not going too long between treatments does make a difference. And I have to admit that it makes a difference having friends who care enough to lean on me to update them.

And grateful for friends that make sure I have everything I need at the house.

A Day to Celebrate

When you live alone and away from your family, things like holidays and birthdays can be  .l.. Well lonely. I have learned to cope with the holidays by either volunteering somewhere or spending it with the crew at the Fire Station. But birthdays ... Well there is just no good way to get around it. You just have to get through it.

I woke up yesterday knowing that it was my birthday and sighing. But I got up, got ready for the day and opened the door. There on my porch was a package that said, "Happy Birthday!" I was so surprised. Though there was no name on it, I was pretty sure it was from my neighbor man. I was surprised and blessed as I opened an instant hot kettle and a bag of soups and noodles.

Leaving the house in a much better frame of mind I headed to the Chamber of commerce meeting. I was stunned when they opened the meeting by singing Happy Birthday to me. How did everyone know about my birthday? Facebook of course blabbed. From the Chamber meting I headed to the Fire Station with the Chief at his request. I was doing walk arounds and chatting with everyone when one of the paramedics came to me and said, "We need you upstairs right away." Expecting a major crisis I headed up to the crew living room. There I was greeted with a crowd singing Happy Birthday. On the table was a beautiful cake. Well ... A beautiful cake with an appropriately snarky message. "Yes you are old!" I spent a wonderful time with them eating cake and laughing. The police even showed up! We are blessed with some wonderful deputies in town and they came and joined us for the party. So I can honestly say that my birthday party had the police called.

From there I went to a series of meetings and finally to my Dr's appointment. There I was greeted by my Dr singing Happy Birthday to me. As I gave him a big hug, I thought how blessed I am for the incredible friends I have made in Willamina.

After the Dr's appointment I grabbed dinner from th deli and headed home and got ready for my 8pm  yoga class. There I was also greeted with Happy Birthday's and cake.

I came home amazed at how many people around the community were part of makng my birthday such a wonderful day. And then I opened up Facebook, where I had several hundred birthday greetings to answer from around the world and was amazed all over again.

I am thankful for a day that reminded me that I am loved and not forgotten. Not a day to be sad, but a day to celebrate friendships.

That is certainly a day to celebrate ...

Just Connie

Eagle Creek

I watched with anticipation each morning as my lung function kept coming up. I was also watching the dates on the calendar. Because I wanted to be ready for the hiking trip to Eagle Creek. I had not been there for about 8 years and I was looking forward to seeing it once again.

The day of the hike dawned bright and clear with a projected high of over 70 degrees. at 7:30am I grabbed my hiking stuff, loaded Hope Puppy in the car with her pack and headed to McMinnville to pick up my hiking partner and friend. And before I knew it we were on our way to the Columbia Gorge.

Arriving at the trailhead, I looked with dismay at the mass of people and cars. Finding no place to part, I finally found a place on the shoulder about  a mile away from the trailhead. Locking the car and swinging my pack onto my shoulder, I heard a sound that no hiker wants to hear. The sound of one of the plastic clips that secure the shoulder strap breaking. I looked with dismay at my pack which was now laying on the ground. Running my hands along the strap, it became very clear to me that there was no way to secure the shoulder strap for hiking. As I was frantically trying to think of something, anything that I could use, I suddenly remembered the length of rope I keep in my Wildland Duffle bag to practice trying knots with. Digging through the bag I was beginning to be afraid that it was not there, when my hand felt it in the bottom of my bag. So taking the bright red rope I tied the shoulder strap to the pack and headed to the trailhead to meet my friend who had been waiting for me while I parked the car.

We finally headed up the trail and yes it was crowded, but it was beautiful. It felt so good to be out in such gorgeous country. Well it felt good until I began the 6 miles downhill on the way back. Then my knees began to spasm and complain. By the time we made it to the car, I was all done in. I did not feel so bad when I realized that my hiking partner was also hobbling around.

It was a great day. I am thankful that we could go, that my body cooperated for the most part and that we have such incredible places of beauty nearby. I can hardly wait until our next hike!

Hopefully by then some of this soreness will have worked itself out!

Just Connie

Chagrined, But Blessed

I looked with chagrin at the text from my Dr. "Go to the fire station, have them evaluate you and run a bag of normal saline" and then text me your stats.  With a mixture of hope that I might feel better and disappointment that it had come to this I drove to the fire station. For the next several hours I laughed, moaned and enjoyed being with the crews as they ran not one, but two IV's at the request of our District Doctor. Finally about 11:30 he declared that I was ready to go home as long as I presented myself at his office early the next morning.

I drove home feeling much better than I had on my trip to the Station. I was also filled with gratitude for the skills of my fellow crew members and the care and support they give. I was also filled with gratitude for the care and support of my Dr.

 I am blessed, By the friendship of my Dr and the crews, and blessed by the incredible support network I have. Also by knowing I have a host of people praying for me as I continue this journey. How can I not flourish, with all of these people helping me?

And I am thinking that blessed is a very good thing to be ...

Just Connie