Wheel in the sky keeps on turnin’, don’t know where I’ll be tomorrow, wheel in the sky keeps on turnin’…..(Love you, Journey!)
The wheel in the sky, the wheel of fortune, the never ending roller coaster, has been pretty relentless the last few weeks. 2015 has been relentless, now that I think about it. And yes, both Randy and I have learned from it, and I don’t want to tempt fate, but thankfully we may be headed into sunnier times.
I know spring came, but I missed it. 2015 has been one thing after another. Randy (who had a double lung transplant 9/13) was in the hospital for 2-3 weeks in January and February with a terrible virus called CMV. We had plans to go to Cozumel, (he couldn’t go, I flew home when he was hospitalized) and we also had plans to go to Shamrockin’ for a Cure for Cystic Fibrosis in Atlanta in early March. Then we were headed to Savannah (because we like it there) and Charleston’s Isle of Palms to vacay with family. We had an Engagement Dinner for our daughter and her fiance (it was fabulous!).
We had a great time in Altanta, and at the party. However, we learned an important lesson: when the transplant doctors say do not be around people who are symptomatic, they mean DO NOT BE AROUND PEOPLE WHO ARE SYMPTOMATIC. Now, this one sounds a lot easier than it is. Our friends were symptomatic, coughing, etc. They had been to their doctors and been told they weren’t contagious…so we stayed. Remember this lesson: do not be around people who are symptomatic. Regardless. Period. End of story. No matter how much you love them, and no matter what their doctor says.
Randy’s immune system was trashed by CMV, it was so low they thought the reading on the blood test might be off. Knowing that Randy was especially susceptible to infection, we should have stayed in Dallas until his readings were better. Let me say that again, because we have another important lesson: we should have waited to travel until Randy’s immune system was stronger.
I came down with it first. Sick in Savannah, I stayed in a separate bed next to an open door, hoping to not spread it. I immediately went on antibiotics. They did not work. We go to Charleston, and I cannot stop coughing. I go to a Medical Clinic, they diagnose Acute Bronchitis, give me a breathing treatment, and different antibiotics. I start feeling somewhat better (but not really). Of course, a couple of days before we are supposed to drive home from Charleston, Randy gets sick. This time, I don’t mess around, I put him on a plane to Dallas because I want him near his transplant team. I drove home (it took 3 days) and we had a couple of nice days together until the clinic called: Randy now has RSV virus, and must be hospitalized for 5 days to undergo intense breathing treatments. Here we go again.
I started to get even worse. My doctor’s PA says, hey, its viral, stay in bed, you are dehydrated so drink a lot of fluids, run a vaporizer, and sleep as much as you can. I moved upstairs so when Randy came home he wouldn’t be around me. Now it is Sunday, and I finally, finally feel human. It has been 3 weeks. At least I am feeling better now. I hadn’t been this sick in a very long time.
Our son is getting married on May 3 in Austin, Texas, so we have a great celebration coming up. But here’s the issue: the weekend before his wedding, one of our closest friends is getting married in Florida. Should we go? Or not go? Randy has to be well for his son’s wedding, no question about that. I guess we will leave it up to the doctor, and check Randy’s immunity before we think about it. My brain is too fuzzy to even contemplate traveling again soon. I may change some airline reservations.
So this is where we are. “Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.” Yes, John. Exactly.