If you've been watching the news anywhere in the whole wide world for the last 8-9 days, then you have heard about my little hamlet, Longmont, Colorado, being tied together with the phrases "storm of Biblical proportions" ... "the 1000 year flood" ... "not since Hurricane Katrina..." ... and "FEMA." And this little RSDer kept her cool long enough to: direct her mother and brother through flooded streets and torrential downpours so that they could get home; helped a few other stranded motorist/facebookers find their way around the nasty, roaring mess; agreed to be the one who kept all family and friends apprised of the situation "back home" via FB; delivered food to 1st Responders, Boulder County cops, and both branches of the National Guard that came running in when we needed bailing out; baked cookies and loaves of bread for the people who were allowed back in to Lyons, CO to begin rebuilding their homes and businesses; aaaaand then I crumbled. The insane weather changes for over a week, the stress of knowing people who were caught out in the storm, and the abuse that I put my body through so that I could continue relaying info and messages have sent me screaming for my biannual Ketamine treatment a month early. When I called my doc on Monday I had to have him paged. Since he lives in this town too, he was affected as well and had taken time off. When I asked him if he was aware that we had gotten a little bit of weather, he busted out laughing and said, "How about Friday at 3?"
It is now 1:30 on Friday and my stomach is in my throat!! My anxieties always go up on treatment days due my utter disdain for massive doses of Ketamine. It does wonderful things for my nerves and my pain, but it causes my stomach and my head to join together in an uprising ... literally. I lose all control over my limbs and have to be carried everywhere ... including to the bathroom. My ass is always numb from the epidurals and I always ... always manage to fall of the toilet and conk my head on either the wall of the sink. I can only hope and pray that this treatment will be just like the one I had this last April. I was walking on my own and able to take care of myself again after only 2 days. Unfortunately, I never have the same response twice ... but I can still hope and pray!!
I have assembled my Dream Team of Caregivers and they take the field in a few hours as well. If you pray, they'll need all the extra help that they can get!! I am usually a Day Surgery resident for about 4 hours total, but that's just an average. After 22 years you'd think we'd have it nailed down better than that, but treatments continue to change, as does my reaction to them, so each time is just like my first time ... minus the prep work. I could almost start my own IV after all of the hours I've put in at that place.
I have faith that life will go on around me for next week or so. As my city continues to dig out, clean up, and rebuild, I will take my backseat position and take care of myself now that the brunt of it is over. I'll pick up my volunteer status again after I've given myself the time I need to get back on track. I really want be out there doing something to help!!! But the best way I can help right now is to take care of myself so that I can pitch in where I'm needed later. WE ARE ... ColoradoStrong!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment