Dahlia spiked a nasty fever last night and started hacking up parts of her lungs this morning. Maybe it was her spleen, I only took a semester or so of A&P so I'm not really sure. Out of the blue she came down with this. When I was sick a month back neither of the girls caught it at all. They have pretty decent immune systems. Buddha Butt too. If you even *think* of the word, "bronchitis" I will catch it.
I have a very wimpy respiratory system. Back when I was in fifth grade I caught pneumonia on a WindJammer cruise to the Bahamas. I had a minor cold when we left for the cruise and by the time we came back I sounded like Typhoid Mary. I remember my mom trying to make me suppress my coughing because she was worried they would quarantine me and not let me back into the States.
I had pneumonia for 9 months. My left lung was almost entirely fluid filled. I distinctly remember walking down the one stair between our dining room and the Florida room and having to sit down and rest for around 10 minutes because I was wiped out from the exertion. The pediatricians gave my mom the option to either put me in the hospital or take me to the doctors' office twice a week. She chose the office option. For 9 months. I recall finally becoming so deadened to having my blood drawn that I watched this ancient nurse rip open my vein from her shaking hand and I didn't even blink an eye as I watched the blood pool under my skin. Good times.
Since I didn't have the stamina to go trick or treating, the kids on my street pooled their Halloween candy and gave me this monster bag of goodies. I still clearly remember the feeling of shock and elation I felt when I answered the door and these goofy, grinning faces handed me my treat bag. And they would come to visit me through the window on my front porch and let me know what was going on in school - every little detail of boring assignments and juicy gossip. I wish I lived in a neighborhood like that now. I wish I could wave goodbye to my girls in the morning and know that they would come home for lunch and dinner and not have a clue where they were in between, but know that they were happy and safe - just like I had been.
So anyway, I have a very weak left lung now. I'm not holding my breath (or maybe I should and reject the tainted air) that I'm going to retain my tenuous hold of good health for much longer.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
5 comments:
How can we help you? A meal? Errands? Playdate for the nonafflicted?
A always love your entries. So interesting and well written. And with only one working lung? How do you do it all?
Hope everybody feels better soon.
Sending healing vibes, sending healing vibes. Can I bring you some beef broth free food for you and the fam?
That sucks! Love bug has similar issues. She had pneumonia at 5 months but I chose the hospital and she was better in 2 days well enought to go home and then was on meds for 4 months. Then she got croupe and RSV and now she scares me everytime her nose runs, which is now!
Ooh, Red, that hurts. And uh, I don't think she'd do chicken or veal or rabbit broth either. I'm just saying. . . sounds like you were trying to feed the vegetarian some flesh-related products. Scruples, scruples, scruples. :-) That was the name of the game, n'est pas?
Thank-you all for food offerings :) I can still wield my spatula. So far.
Post a Comment