You Knew This Was Coming

While it would have been nice, the notion that I would escape the far reaches of Covid was a fanciful one.  

And as is so often the case with me, it is never a straightforward path from illness to recovery. 

Friday morning I woke up feeling poorly just as Bruce was finishing his full week of being mostly couch- ridden, per his choice. Me, I stay in bed but he just loves the couch! At any rate, my memory is sketchy but what I do remember is on Saturday I asked Bruce to plug in the bedroom television, something we have not even thought to use until now. Nancy suggested I watch a sweet movie, Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris. Bruce had prepared something to eat and before he had a chance to clean anything up, he began to help me get settled. One moment I was completely fine and the next I was telling him I had to get to the bathroom, not easy when you are already feeling weak. Things began going downhill fast, with a cascade of events that probably should remain unwritten. Meanwhile my dear husband is holding onto me as I tell him I am passing out. Somehow he got me to the bathroom floor, hollering at me, all the while trying to make me come to. According to him, I was out for 30 seconds which of course sent him into a panic. 

Next he dragged me into the shower and hosed me off while I was still in a cold sweat. He's hollering that he wants to call 911 and I am saying no, let's wait. Meanwhile, he's guided me back to bed on lots of towels where I tried getting ahold of myself to no avail. Well, you already have guessed who won the argument, especially after he called Fallon for advice, meaning Bill, David and even Nancy were urging him to not listen to me! 

Before long the EMTs arrived and the three of them were ever so kind, treating me with the utmost respect. Turns out my blood pressure was only 80/50 on the first reading and even lower yet so it was off to the hospital I went in the back of the ambulance. Their diagnosis of dehydration proved to be the ticket and an IV was started. Now if you have been reading for a while, when I had pneumonia, finding my veins was a very big deal and although the first fellow didn't find it, the second one did and the IV was placed in the top of my hand.

Not knowing what to expect, Bruce gathered things, like clothes for instance, and other supplies, following the path of the ambulance to Murphy Medical Center, I think about ten miles away. Honestly my nurse Yvette was as nice as she could be although she, not surprisingly, could not get my vein as the blood only trickled out on her first try, leaving me with a pretty big bruise on my arm, I am imagining from taking the Eliquis, but I don't know that for sure. She did a good job on her second attempt, the doctor was good, the second nurse was good and all I have to say is, our experience with a small emergency room was a good one.

The two bags of fluid improved my blood pressure greatly and we made our way home on that cold, dark night. I did not understand it but the doctor did say they could keep me for observation but would have to transfer me to another facility which did not sound good so our decision was an easy one. 

Upon our return we were aghast at the condition we'd left our sweet cottage. It was as if a bomb went off with stuff everywhere, the counters, the floors, the bed, oh my! The bathroom, holy cow!

Come to think of it, a bomb did go off! 

I've got to be honest with you, until this happened I had largely put Covid out of my mind, going about our daily business with no thought of becoming sick. Apparently one of the folks who we were in close proximity to during the little birthday party at the wine shop tested positive, so perhaps that's where it came from. Fortunately, John and Laura had their boosters and remain Covid-free.

I've not sat at my computer or looked at my cameras for days now so I am just seeing this photo in particular. John has his hand on his new knee and Laura is listening intently to either Harry or Julie. Or maybe even Julie's sister who presumably we got it from. It feels so weird to think that I might have gotten a photo of the very moment when Covid found us. Hmmm.....

In some ways we have been living in this little bubble of good things happening so these 12 days have been a bit of a wake up call. I am well enough to type this much and Bruce has made his first trip to the gym where I hope he will spend only a very limited time until his strength returns. 

Did I mention it is cold? Yup, very much so, yet still there has been no snow. There have been high winds and plenty of rain too. Not to worry though because the house is well insulated and the fire is warm so that's been super positive. John and Laura have done all manner of kind things for us including a big pot of stew. So we have not faced this alone.  

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

your friend,

Gail