The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men Often Go Awry

My intention is always to add something to my blog each day. Writing in my blog has become like reciting a mantra each day. It keeps me going, lets me call on the gods and expel the demons and rejuvenates my spirit for what lies ahead. But sometimes in the dark of night you find that one of the demons has not been expelled or exorcised and you suddenly realize you are too sick to even recite your mantra.

That is my excuse for not adding to my blog for such a long spell. I became quite sick with both pleurisy and a very sick stomach, caused no doubt by my inability to balance strong medications with my puny, much weaker gastrointestinal system. Pleurisy, if you haven't experienced it, hurts. Pleurisy is an inflammation of the lining of the lung and it hurts like pneumonia hurts, with a stabbing, knifelike pain when you move or breathe. I've just learned that cancer patients, as well as Lupus patients, ofen have to deal with pleurisy as part of the price they pay for having such a disease. Hospice quickly called in Cipro...a strong antibiotic that we gave to our military men to fight against anthrax. Exotic. I took another new drug for me, along with Fentenal patches and percoset for breakthrough pain for my back. Morphine! Eeek. I'm now taking drugs that I knew about only when I read about them in the tabloids or front page news.

The past few days have allowed me to enjoy a recovery period. After one spell of not eating for 4 days I was finally able to eat a little soup. Once I was able to hold that down, my stomach seemed to start shrieking with indignation and I ate on and off for the remainder of the day and night. I have to be careful with the balance. Too much food and I feel the threatening rumbles of illness again. Too little food has my stomach eating on itself. It makes you sick either way.

Throughout these days of being under the weather, Bobbi tended to me, as well as my nurse, Teri, from Hospice. And lo and behold, both my sons came to see me, Krisna from New Orleans, and Reese from Las Vegas on his way to Chicago. To my way of thinking it was visits from my children that did more toward spurring me to wellness than any amount of Cipro or morphine could do. It was wonderful to see both of them and it made me feel grateful all over again for the special people in my life who love me. My friend, Tom, called me most days, and my soul-sister, Ana Maria, wrote each day to cheer me. Tom even buys me groceries for those days when nothing else suits my palate except something that pampers, like Snapple or pineapple juice.

Hopefully I'm now back on course, thanks to a regimen of exotic medicine and the love of friends and family.

5 comments:

Gallery Juana said...

Hi again,

I love the music that you have added to your blog. I always gain inspiration and insight when I read your blog.

I hope the sleepless nights and pleurisy keep away longer with the medicine and that the medicine doesn't cause too many problems. I wish medicines didn't have to make you sick to feel better.

How happy you must have been to see your children! I hope to see my Mom in December for Christmas.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Krisna Best said...

Glad to see you blogging again, Mom, and that you're feeling better.

Love you,

Krisna
Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Brooks said...

Juana...wonderful to hear from you and I'm so happy about you possibly getting to see your Mom. Doesn't happen often enough, does it, with you halfway around the world. I know you'll have a wonderful time with her and I hope it comes true. My son (Kris) is responsible for the new look in my blog and I'm responsible for picking the incredible music.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Richard said...

It IS good to see you blogging again, sis.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Brooks said...

Thanks, Little Bro. I'm happy I'm back too. If I only trusted what you'd say about me I might hire you to be my ghost writer when I can't write. But...alas...no, maybe I'd better be like Avis Car Rental and 'try harder'. : )
Wednesday, October 17, 2007

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