CARMEN LEE--LIFE IS NOT A VACATION, IT IS A JOURNEY

 TERRY

Here we are finally, at the beginning of a new year and all of us are eagerly waiting for good things to happen in 21!  As I write Terry is reading the paper.  She had water therapy yesterday and, in the water, she was on her feet for about 40 minutes.  They are going to insert OT into the WT as well so next week she has appointments Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday!  I think it will be a grand start to the new year and hopefully several steps towards walking again.  We will see but as in the last many months it is one day at a time.

This is supposed to be at the top of my blog but I am having issues with this darn computer and after I deleted December I could not get this to post.  I am hoping it is not a sign of things to come in this new year!!!

Terry and I will celebrate by staying home today.  I do have tennis at 10:30 and it is with some of the better players so I am looking forward to it.

I HAVE to get down to Apple and get this computer figured out.  The only setting I can open it on is "guest" which means I can not access much.  What the heck, I need brother Dave and he just is not able to help me with my problems any more!

I am going to go through the months of 2020 kind of in a short way so here goes:

• January--Terry begin to feel not quite right after we came home from her granddaughter's college graduation.  She started having aches in her legs and often would have spells where she threw up.
• February--Terry continues down the same path but it seems like it is not getting better and perhaps somewhat worse.  I do have my tennis each day and that kind of keeps me going.  At this time we are debating if Terry should see a doctor.
• March--Things seem to be getting worse as now I notice that often as she walks she may use her hand to touch the wall from time to time.  We are beginning to hear of the pandemic and that puts a scare into us in terms of seeing a doctor.
• April--On the first Saturday in April Terry's condition comes to the point that she can not get out of bed and there is a call to 911.  As I say good-bye to her little do we know that there is a long long road ahead of us.
• May--Terry is in the hospital all of April and much of May and the staff can not come to any conclusion as to what is wrong.  For us and maybe more for her than anyone frustration sets in and there is almost a glimmer of despair.  In late May it is very clear that we need to do something more than what is being done.  I contact an air ambulance and after being floored by the cost I decide that we need to do it.  Plans are made and there is a non-stop flight to St. Paul.  The ambulance can NOT take us to the hospital so they drop us off at our home in St. Paul.  So there we are at 2094 Niles and what are we to do???  After an hour of conversation and prayer I, once again, call 911 and get an ambulance to take Terry to the University of Minnesota Hospital.  
• June--After many tests etc they inform us that Terry has GBS.  Infusions occur and only the Lord knows everything that goes on as I can NOT visit.  After several weeks I get to see her for 30 minutes 3 times a week.  As all this is happening there is a garden to plant, raspberries to pick and care for and much much more on Niles Ave.  I do what I can but really when my mind is with Terry things are difficult.
• July--Terry is moved to transitional rehab and then after a couple of weeks again moved to another rehab place.  Finally we decide enough is enough so I make plans to fly us down to Naples and be at home.  U of M staff encourage me to place Terry in a rehab when we arrive but both of us say NO.  so late in the month we climb aboard a Delta flight and sit in First Class as coach would be too difficult for Terry.  A friend picks us up at the airport and we arrive home.
• August-now:  There is OT, PT and maybe some other T's as well as the weeks and months go by with Terry slowly, oh so slowly getting better.  Then in early December, as it seems there may be light at the end of the tunnel, Terry falls using her walker.  There are big bruises, a nasty cut with blood to go with it and of course a big set back.  
• NOW--Terry is kind of back to being on the UP to some degree.  As we welcome 2021 we have hope that the year will be kind to us and Terry will once again be able to walk on her own.  Before the fall my hope was she could walk with a cane by Christmas but now I have moved that to either my birthday or Presidents Dad in February.  Time will tell and it is for sure one day at a time.

SO IF anyone has read what I have written they may ask well how is Carmen doing?  That is a fair question and the answer is kind of short.  He is taking one day at a time and some times it is just putting one foot ahead of the other!  He has a terrible habit of stopping at the fridge and trying to rid himself of thoughts by nibbling on goodies.  So today as he stepped on the scale on day ONE of 2021 the numbers almost shocked him into a melt down!!!  Well he thinks he can alter course and make that number go down in January so now he has a goal.  By his birthday on the 27th he wants to be down 15 pounds.  Is it possible?  Well of course the answer is "yes" but really with that guy one never knows!!!

I could add something that has helped me stay somewhat sane.  After our air ambulance to St. Paul there actually were a few pennies left in the bank account.  So I took some of them and invested them in the stock market.  It has been fun, on a daily bases, to follow what happens and to try and guess what MAY happen tomorrow.  The amount I invested will not break us if we lose it and will not make us rich if it goes up.  It is just something for me, at times, to take my mind off of the important things in life just for a short time.  It actually has confirmed one thing for me.  It is a good thing I was a teacher and not a Wall Street investor!

So here it is already about 8:00 AM on January 1st, 2021.  I KNOW there are some things I need to do today as it seems all I have to do is walk through the house and it is a mess.  As I wandered into the kitchen this morning to put the water on for FP I stared at many dirty dishes and thought to myself where did they come from?  As I waited for the water to get hot I did clean things up a bit and that made me feel better.   So here I am sipping the last half cup of FP and reminding myself that we are in a new year and it will be good!!

I am hoping that all our friends and relatives will stay safe and healthy for the year.