It's been a month since my last post, and I have so much stuff rambling around in my head, I don't even know where to start. Not to mention all of the pictures that I have taken for various posts, but that will have to wait.
Ok, how about this---I love roller coasters. I love the thrill, the adrenaline rush, the feeling of fear when you go on one that you've never been on before. You kind of know what it's going to be like, but if you're like me, you like the element of surprise. That is my kind of fun. But recently, I've been on another kind of roller coaster ride. And the name of this one is Life. It has left me dizzy, light-headed and sometimes feeling like I want to hurl. And unfortunately, there's no stopping in mid-ride. But once it's over, you stumble off, feeling stronger for the experience and ready to move on....and maybe even do it again.
In a nutshell, when I came back from my solo vacation in California, I brought home a nasty little virus. I'm pretty sure it snuck right into my suitcase next to the collection of 3-ounce bottles holding my favorite lotions and potions. My first doctor visit revealed no sign of really anything amiss, despite the fact that I felt like I had been hit by a truck. So I was sent home to rest and drink lots of fluids. Fortunately for me, I was really good at this, as I got an unbelievable amount of rest---something like 57 hours in the 3 days days leading up to when I could finally haul my butt out of bed to visit the doctor. So I did a lot more of the same. I'll spare you the details, but it was absolutely no fun. Every inch of my body ached from spending so much time in bed. A chest x-ray several days later revealed the pneumonia, so at least this crappy thing I had had a name. Never had it before, never want it again.
I failed to mention that pneumonia is the gift that keeps on giving. When my dear friend Susanne, her 3 daughters and I went out for lunch in Los Gatos during my CA vacation, one of the twins was out of sorts. Very unusual for her. The day I left, she was diagnosed with pneumonia. That explained everything. Within days Susanne had it, and the same day that I was diagnosed, her husband Tony and 2 other daughters were also diagnosed with pneumonia. It's a good thing that they are such good friends, as I loved every moment I spent with them. If you're going to get a nasty virus, it's better when it's from friends, right?
So I'm a couple of weeks into my recovery (I had no idea that I was going to sleep the month away!), and we're at a friend's 40th surprise birthday party. I got a call from my mom's neighbor, indicating that something was very wrong, and I needed to get up there. So we head back home where I throw together a few things in a suitcase and start the drive to Two Rivers. To keep myself distracted, I sang the entire way. Loud and most likely off-key. Usher, Rihanna & Eminem, b.o.b, you name it & I sang it. It was a good thing that I was alone, as no one needs to be subjected to that kind of torture without just cause. The next morning we went from the clinic, to the ER, to the hospital to be admitted. After every test imaginable, they determined that she had a stroke. Thankfully it was mild, and she has regained most of her strength in her arm and hand. So once she was settled back home, I came back to Madison. And relapsed. Don't think my body was ready to go without sleep and proper nourishment. Turns out an apple and 8 cups of coffee per day doesn't keep the doctor away. Who knew? So back to bed for me. What a ridiculous waste of time.
I've gradually gotten back to a reasonably healthy state, with another recent trip to take my mom to Green Bay for a surgical consult. I'm not sure if it's the 3-hour drive or the time spent in hospitals that totally wears me out. Or perhaps it's the weird role-reversal, with me looking after my mom. I'll make another trip in two weeks when she goes in for surgery. Looking forward to both of us coming home healthy.
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