How Things Are Going
Boy, has 2026 been a year. I was sick WAY too long. It hasn’t all been bad, though. Woven in between fighting viruses and bacteria have been some genuinely wonderful moments, like when friends and family check in. Those four words—“How are you doing?”—mean more than people realize. It’s a small gesture with real power, and one I plan to use more often.
So how am I doing? Better. Not normal, but definitely improved. The virus is gone, and I’m halfway through antibiotic number three for the bacterial portion, and boy, is it a lot of medicine.
In other good news, I’m off one of the steroids that turned me into a raging lunatic. It’s hard to even describe what that was like. Imagine the angriest you’ve ever been about anything—then multiply that by a million. My brain and my emotions were no longer controlled by me, and nasty word vomit spilled out pretty much every time I spoke, followed immediately by crying. I was sick and overmedicated, and thankfully, that phase was temporary but embarrassing.
My energy is also returning, and so is my voice. Losing my voice for so long was one of the hardest parts. When it started to come back, it was weak and barely audible. Even on the days I felt well enough to go out, it was exhausting to function without the ability to communicate. I had thoughts and opinions! And no way to share them! Man, I got tired of feeling so invisible,
In hindsight, I didn’t realize how sick I was, and HOLY SHIT! I was sick! It’s kind of funny to think I’ve spent so much of my life being a hypochondriac and worrying about being sick - every ache and pain was something deadly - that when I actually was sick and came this close (holds up two fingers almost touching) to ending up in the hospital (and really only wasn’t there becaused I stupidly fussed) I was clueless. Or in denial? Or too sick to understand?
Anyway, I went to trivia the other night, and last night Bill and I had a little picnic on the beach. Tonight, I plan to go line dancing with a bunch of friends, as long as my energy holds up. Whoo Hoo! Hello World! I’m back, and I mean it this time!
PS - I promise to stop driveling about being ill like it’s a full-time job. Let’s get back to the funny stuff!