Thanksgiving 2011

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and I'd like to wish everyone a wonderful holiday. I'd also like to share the things I have to be thankful for this year.

First of all, I'd like to thank all of my doctors and the staff of North Mountain. My journey started with the doctors at County Hospital who operated on me, saving my life. They put me in a coma for two months as I struggled to save my life. Since then I have been through many doctors and hospital staff and numerous health issues. I've lost track of all the times I have come back from the brink. I've been at North Mountain since 2007 after cycling through several other facilities. This is a wonderful place!! I'm getting excellent care here. My doctors have really been there for me, and I love the staff. They all are inspirations to me, and are full of God's love and light.

Next I'd like to thank my family. My Mom and brothers take such good care of me, and make sure that I lack for nothing. They do all of my laundry each week, and no matter how busy they are they make sure to come see me several times each week - whether I'm at the facility or in the hospital. This isn't any easy task for them, as my mother (who's in her 70s) still works two jobs. They always go out of the way to make me still feel like a vital member of the family. I love Mom and my three brothers very much.

I'd also like to give thanks to all of my family of friends who regularly visit me. They radiate love to me every time I see them. I couldn't have a better circle of friends.

Lastly, I'd like to thank my life partner, Steve. We met way back in college - thirty years ago, and he's had my back ever since. We live apart, which is very hard on both of us - but I'm crazy about him. He flew out from Illinois in September and we had a commitment ceremony. It was beautiful, and I felt totally surrounded with love. We keep in contact as much as we can, which is difficult because of the trach I have now. The trach bypasses my vocal chords, making it impossible for me to speak much of the time. So on those times I'm able to speak the first chance I get I call Steve on my cell phone. Our relationship isn't easy, and I can't tell you how much I love that he's stuck it out with me.

As you can see, I have much to be thankful for. It may seem odd to some that a person with all of my challenges has so much to be grateful for, but I feel very lucky to still be alive. Anything after that is gravy.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I wish all of you the best life has to offer. Enjoy your day, and be sure to check in with me next week.

Love always, Darci

Family Dinner NIght

Last night was family dinner night here at North Mountain. My Mom, Paul and Bruce came and joined me in the dining room. It was decorated up with a Western theme. They had straw cowboy hats and bandanas for everyone. One of the RTs here put one of the straw hats on top of my own cowboy hat with a red bandana on it. So I wore it like that all night long. There was a man playing a guitar and singing songs from the 30's to the 60's - kind of cowboy western songs. He did a couple of Mills Brothers songs; he did "Lazy River". Everything was in the Western theme, they even had bandanas for us to use as napkins and plastic glasses in the shape of a boot. We had barbecued chicken or beef and corn on the cob and a very good salad, cornbread and cowboy beans. I had the chicken and everyone else at my table had the beef. Dessert was cobbler and ice cream. I could have used a bigger piece of cobbler!!! They do these dinners every few months and the residents can invite family or friends to come. They always have a theme and they always have 'freebies' for us to keep. They always have some form of entertainment. The last song he sang at the end of the evening was "Happy Trails". I had to be pushed to and from the dining room because for some reason my chair didn't charge up in spite of being plugged in all day. It wouldn't budge and they had to push me into the dining room and back.

I have my voice back, after not having full ability to speak for a couple of months. My Stephen Minister says it is really nice to hear me. I am feeling better. I had a fever a couple of days ago, but I have felt pretty good since then.

My brother Roger & Mim have sold all five golden retriever puppies and they will be in their homes by Thanksgiving.

That's all for now. Happy Trails....

Love always, Darci and Skippy

I'm back in the saddle again!!

Two weeks ago I went in the hospital and I woke up in the emergency room. I found out I had been in the emergency room because I had a temperature of 105. I was pretty out of it; when I woke up they put me in ICU for a couple of days and ran tests. All those darn tests!!! Always!! Always!! They found I had pneumonia and infection in the intestines called C-Dif. I also had a urinary tract infection. I was put on a midline so I could get the antibiotic shot into the midline. Also I had to take a liquid antibiotic, which tastes terrible. They had to give it to me as a liquid rather than a shot. Tasted really nasty; it went down easier with yogurt than applesauce. I was in the hospital for five days; after two days I was transferred to a regular room. After five days I was able to come back to North Mountain. My family and my Stephen Ministers had to come find me at the hospital. I would have had to stay longer at the hospital, but they advised me to come back to North Mountain because they have everything I need here. As soon as I got back from being in the hospital, I got really sick here at North Mountain. To the touch I was ice cold, but I was very sweaty. I called the doctor and he authorized medicine to fix me up. The next day after returning from the hospital, I started feeling better and then a couple of days after that I started feeling bad again. I had a very gassy tummy. I had nothing but air in my colostomy bag; then I had a lot of water coming into my bag!!! Don't have an much water in my bag this afternoon, so it must be clearing and they are giving me medicine for that. I hope I can eat pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving - I love pumpkin. What I really miss is my Grandma Spears chocolate pie with whipped cream on top. Not sure what our plans for Thanksgiving are, but they always bring me left-overs and I always get turkey. Hope I don't get anything weird for Thanksgiving like the year we got spaghetti for Easter. There was no meat just noodles and red sauce. I was hoping for ham.





I want to relate a cute story. My former roommate's father got married for the third time at age 84. The lady he married he had dated in high school but did not have a serious relationship. So he thought.... They got married the day before the new bride's 80th birthday. It was his third marriage, and it was her first!!! She waited for him for 65 years!!





Pray I continue to get better. And I will talk to you again next week.





Love Always, Darci and Skippy