Thursday, July 27, 2017

You Can Never Go Home

My Nemesis
In this case, I can't go back to Montana this summer. My medical stability is apparently in the crapper and it isn't wise to either fly (potentially more blood clots flying around my body, and untreated high blood pressure that could lead to stroke or heart attack) or be off in Polson with limited access to medical care should my infection not clear up or become worse now that I've pulled my stent out. Yup. I was a pioneer woman and I did what I had to do. Enough said. Except maybe, OUCH!!! So my flight is cancelled again--this time permanently. And now the fun begins...

My husband, father of my child, love of my life, and provider extraordinaire has demanded to do something so far out of his wheelhouse that it's not even in the same dimension. And he's attacking it with gusto, bold bravado, and a confident swagger. Tomorrow--with help from my uncle and aunt--he is going to pack up all my stuff, Jessie's stuff, his stuff, our joint stuff (unloading and reloading the trailer with wood and equipment); put away the mini cooper; and shut the house up till we come back for the Great Wedding in September. Then Saturday morning at the earliest crack of dawn he is going to take to the open roads pulling a trailer with a minivan whose passengers are three dogs, two cats, 10 lbs of huckleberries, and (I hope) 20 lbs of cherries. He will brave the gas stations, rest stops, fast food joints, and La Quinta with nothing but his quick wits and his wallet to succor him.

I am reminded of the words he wrote for our wedding invitation 22 years ago: "The dangers fearsome, the odds incalculable, the rewards overwhelming, our love unbounded, we hope for your company as our adventure begins." The adventure this time begins Saturday, and it'll be all his. I have mapped his route, made his hotel reservation, lined up packing assistance, and made lists of things to pack. That's all I can do.

Now I take a breath and mourn the last, lost half of my summer in Montana. Last year we didn't get to go at all, and this year felt short at only two months (we got spoiled with up to four months there when we were homeschooling). That two months just turned into one, and if it weren't for Ed (my uncle) and Susan's wedding in September there, it would have broken my heart not to go back now.

But I am going to do my damnedest to have my health issues wrangled and under control so there is no question about me going to the wedding. First step: find a primary care physician tomorrow, get in, get a physical, and get on BP meds. Second step: lose the weight. I am at high risk for Type 2 diabetes and not doing my joints any favors by making them work so hard. Finally (oh Cynthia, isn't this fun?!?) I need to have a sleep study done to see if my snoring and occasional apnea are contributing to the rest of my issues. I may end up eating my words of this morning and having to wear one of those sleep thingies too.

It's been a mad ride since we got back to Austin, and now (for me at least) it has stilled. I'll spread my mother's ashes in Montana in September. I'll clean and winterize the house there, ship back anything that might be missed in tomorrow's packing then too. Until then, it's time to dig back in at Stone's Throw and resume life and projects here.

6 comments:

Dave Griffith said...

As far as adventure goes, you can't say you weren't warned.

Brenda Griffith said...

It's not MY reaction to our life's adventure that I'm worried about! But it's too late to change your mind now.

ellen abbott said...

yeah, isn't getting older fun...not. I've spent more time in doctor's offices this year than the previous 10 years put together. since I'm not on Medicare I decided to see if there was a reason my throat would spaz out now and then (apparently not, just one of those ill-defined swallowing disorders) and then after two weeks of episodes of AFib in June I went to a cardiologist who declared everything fine after a bunch of tests.

Bill said...

Huh. My post at the time I first read this, doesn't seem to have ended up here. Too bad...

Brenda Griffith said...

BIll I have switched to unmoderated comments, but I didn't remove any... what was your first comment? Inquiring minds want to know!

Brenda Griffith said...

Yeah, Ellen, I am all set to go to the doctor on Tuesday for my physical and for her to say everything is fine, don't know what all the fuss is about, and for my appointment with the urologist to end up with him going, huh, I have no idea where those clots came from. Oh well!