February 2010

Since I got such a clean bill of health at my last doctor's appointment in January, Ray and I were able to get away for our annual trek to the Florida Keys. We left Baltimore on Jan. 15th - two days later than we planned because I had not fully recovered from my last bout of brochitis and just didn't have time to get everything done. Our first stop was Belhaven, NC to stay with friends. From there we stayed near Savannah, GA one night and then Clearwater, Fl for 2 nights. The weather was hideous, but I heard it was much better than what Baltimore had to offer.

After we left Clearwater we went to Tampa to visit Brad and his wife for a few days. We enjoyed our visit very much and I was oh, so glad to see my brother again. From Tampa we went to Punta Gordo to see some long-time friends for three days. In an effort to find warmer weather we took off for the keys and stayed at a cute little resort for 3 days in Islamarado. On Jan. 29th we were able to move into our rental in Little Torch Key and are here until March 1st. The weather has not cooperated well, but we've had some company and some fun times.

It is wonderful to be here and not feel sick like I did last year. I had a melt down of sorts before leaving Baltimore, but with the insight of my daughter, Lisa, I realized that I was just plain scared to be away from my doctors and the excellent care that I know is available at JHH. Once I acknowledged my fear I was able to leave home and trust that I would be okay. So far so good. I guess I really am on the road to recovery! YES!

Thanksgiving & Christmas-The Condensed Version

Thanksgiving was a very special time for me. As I reminisce even now I vividly remember how grateful I felt to be there, surrounded by my family sharing a delicious meal. I could definitely feel "the love" in the room.

On Dec. 12th I started with a cold. By Dec. 13th it turned into a nasty virus - surely my body would not fail me, but it did. Two solid weeks and two rounds of heavy antibiotics got me through. How I managed to survive that, the blizzard, and a pretty serious plumbing problem, plus pull off Christmas to boot is truly a miracle.

We had a great New Year's celebration with friends, but by weekend's end I started with a scratchy throat. This time it turned into a bronchial infection. Two more weeks of yet another potent antibiotic (Avelox - $210.00) kept me from folding completely, but I was a mighty sick puppy. The result - a fully decorated Christmas tree that is still standing in my living room!