January 27 2015

January 27 2015 Greetings My Friend I’ve done what I can around the house and now I need to stop. I’ll start up again in a little while. I understand how to move through bouts of illness these days. I realize that I am getting sick more often than I did as a younger person. A trip to the ER revealed I had a stomach virus. Today is day # 3 and I am still queasy, heavy foods seem to make me sick thinking about them so another day of a soft diet. Lately I go through the illness, vegetating then moving into small amounts of activities as I can. Working has worn me out so I work my mind instead and when I feel my strength return back to doing physical jobs. As I think on this I see once more that our lives are settled and routine again. We have moments where we upset the routines like a date day, a trip to MI or such but the minute we get back we know our routines and fall into them quietly and contently. I have never gone to the ER as much as I have since moving to VA. The visits aren’t for little things either. I’ve blacked out and rolled down a hill breaking a vertebrae. I’ve had my appendix removed those required overnight to several days in the hospital. Since being diagnosed with COPD I’ve had bronchitis bad enough that I needed extra help so the ER is very familiar to me these days. We have a routine when I need a trip to the ER as well. Junior gets me into the hospital set up and then he goes and does some errands while I wait to be taken care of. He comes back about the time I finish up and we go home. He gets my prescriptions and then leaves me alone. With me making meals ahead I am able to dish up something and heat it in the microwave. Once in a while Junior will cook something if needed. In all of this I am finding comfort. I am feeling cared for and wanted too. Since I seem to be sick more frequently I also feel God’s comfort a lot. I sense He has been teaching me to be proactive which means I stay healthier longer. I am learning those triggers for bronchitis like allergies and such. The inhalers also makes my lungs function better too. I am also learning that being proactive can only help me so much and I will get sick regardless of all the precautions I take. This has been a harder lesson to learn for me. I felt that if I did what I could then I should not get sick at all, WRONG. It does mean I won’t get as sick as often and I will recover quicker by taking care of my health. Knowing that my efforts are paying off helps me a lot even if it isn’t in the way I thought they’d payoff. I also sense Junior is starting to understand that I am not seeking attention with these illness’. His former wife was sick and he felt she wanted attention more than she was sick. The last bout of bronchitis made me realize that I am sometimes so weak that walking is a struggle. I didn’t notice it at home but from the car door to the entryway door was a huge struggle so now Junior gets me a wheelchair, takes me to the receptionist desk before leaving. I appreciate that. I thought this type of struggle was years away and it has happened a lot sooner than I expected. At first I was upset then I tried to “be good” and today I am at peace with this is life now. The steadfast love of God, the patience from Junior and I accept my health issues. May God bless you and keep you make His face shine on you. Love Janet