I am writing this 12 days before my seventy-fifth birthday. I have reasonable confidence that I will be there for this turn in to my own run at a century. Three weeks ago today I was admitted to “Good Sam” as it is nicknamed by the hospital personnel who work there. To say I got to the emergency room “just in time” might not be an exaggeration. I was fortunate that the ER Doc got me started in the right direction with the right antibiotics. By that evening I found out that I had sepsis originating from my left foot. On Sunday I got the news that my second toe was very sick and I needed to say goodbye to it.
I have been around these kinds of realities since my days as an ambulance driver. It was not lost on me how serious all this was. The care I was getting was very reassuring, if not spectacular. Through the whole ordeal I was surrounded by my kids, grandkids, nephews and a niece, and especially MK. We almost got kicked out of the lounge area for having too much fun. I was not “whistling through the graveyard” but I knew that I was very sick. I had many times gathered as “the pastor” with families who faced uncertainty. This time it was me who was the center of attention. I was never once afraid.
My time in the operating room was surreal. Both the surgeon and the anesthesiologist explained with clarity and confidence what was coming. The scary part was not the toe but the pathology around it. “Hopefully the infection is confined to the first two joints and we will not have to go any further”. I knew then what that meant was I would get to keep my foot or more. I woke up to a very thoughtful nurse saying “We are done”. Heck, I don’t even remember falling asleep. The next six days I got care that I could only call spectacular.
That day I was provided with a very thoughtful gift from my nephew Jed and his kids—toe socks adjusted for my left foot—see photo. I love my family and our ability to bring laughter to each other and the world. I wish I could share the looks on the faces of my great nephew and niece as I opened their gift. I plan on trying them out when I get my okay from orthopedics.
I will be home for two weeks as of tomorrow, and the home health care folk are equally special. I am that guy who needs a walker and looks forward to returning to my cane soon. My Occupational Therapist asked me what my goals were. I said I could only think of two: One—to swim a bit on my 75th birthday and Two—reach a point where I can take two to three week road trips again. “We will get you there, no worries”. I believe him because he is a farm kid from Nebraska with an infectious smile.
I am glad to be writing again. Hell, I am glad for about everything I can think of. For the third time in 14 years I have had a serious, unexpected, acute health event. Each time I have been the beneficiary of remarkable care. Gratitude fills my very being. This is not how I envisioned my “full retirement”. I am really not sure what will unfold. I do have every intention of making days count.
In a previous blog post, I wrote about the Bald Eagle family that lives to the Northeast of us. I can report that all three of the young eagles are now flying. Today we went by to see them and they were all out doing their eagle thing. While circling back to see them again, one of the young ones had come back to the nest. I felt like I was watching my grandkid learn to ski.
I get coming back to the nest, my own bed, my own bathroom, my own power chair. However, this nest is only as helpful as it provides for me a basecamp for this next pivot. Where, what and how are yet to be determined.
Tomorrow I will go see the eagles again… I have more life to live.
Onward and Upward,
Mark
Lyfting Me Up 