Here's the 2005 Christmas Missive:
So here we are, my friends…another year disappeared and, in many ways, that’s not a bad thing. It has been a year of trials, to be sure. In January I was bitten by a brown recluse spider, near my eye on the side of my nose. Talk about “while you were sleeping”! This led to a myriad of cascading problems including egg sized edemas on my forehead and face, holes being eaten into the side of my nose on the bite site, infections and hospital visits. 6 weeks of Prednisone had me hallucinating and packing on weight like a sumo wrestler. I was unemployed for three months as I went from doctor to doctor, turning into a walking pharmacy, sedentary, sometimes bedridden, and forlorn. The three remaining scars on my nose remind me on a daily basis that life can turn on a dime…or as swiftly as a spider in the night.
My beloved Jessica was diagnosed with aggressive cancer in March. They predicted 2 months, and we opted for lots of love, painkillers, and anything she wanted, from ice cream to steak and everything in between. We took walks in the park as a family until close to the end, then Ron took Tillie and Jessie and I slowly brought up the rear, at her pace. She died on May 30th, with all of us beside her, as she lay in her favorite place on the couch.
I thought I’d take a good long time before bringing another dog into the family. After all, Jessie had been my best friend for 11 years. But Tillie and Louie mourned so dreadfully that I knew something had to be done. I went to Petfinder and read a heartbreaking story about a little Pom. She’d been thrown from a car on the freeway and some people following behind saw it, and picked her up. They took her to animal control, and since she was hurt, they were going to kill her. But a wonderful woman with a small animal rescue had taken her in. I believe that Jessie’s spirit guided me to her, because she and Tillie and Louie bonded immediately, and they became a family so quickly that it was amazing. She’s just had surgery on her hip and knee and the doctors believe that she’ll regain full use of the leg. So with Jessica’s spirit still in the house, we have a little family of five again.
I was lucky enough to see Jimmy and Danielle this summer, in DC…what a great trip. A bonus was catching up with my incredible friend, Lee, and I stayed at his home in DC throughout the visit. Jimmy and Danielle are wonderful, pursuing their interests and leading VERY full and busy lives. Then it was on to Wisconsin, to see my family, where we caught up and had a lot of laughter and love. Dad is 82, Mom will be 80 this February, and they are still vibrant, active and I thank God every day for their presence in my life.
So here I am in Denver, thanking God for Ron, who helps me get around and has been eternally patient and kind through all this awful stuff. And I do mean helping me get around. Chronic pain (I believe brought on by that stinking spider) has caused my hips to enflame, and Docs aren’t coming up with much in the way of help so far. I keep hoping. It’s awful to look at the prospect of being sedentary at the age of 53. If ANY of you know anything about chronic hip bursitis (we’ve tried all the conventional stuff, short of surgery,) email me or call me. I’m desperate for something that works. No physical therapy, because my insurance only covers 20 sessions and I’ve used them up.
So what do I tell you this year? What do I tell myself? Do you remember the line “Greed is Good,” from the movie “Wallstreet”? Well, I have to say that I agree. Not the greed of the current administration, the wealthy pigs at the trough that only want more. I mean greed for the important things. Be greedy for your health…if you can get around, then GET AROUND. You have no idea the frustration of not being able to take a nice long walk. Be greedy for your friends…my friends, many of you, sat through midnight phone calls brought about by Prednisone panic attacks…without you, I would truly be poor. Be greedy for time…time to think, time to play, time to pray. Be greedy for the very air you breathe, and the blue sky. Be greedy for laughter, and nonsense, and everything this life has to offer. It can all be taken away so swiftly. Develop your greed for honesty and integrity, and suck up faith and hope like the truly fine wines they are.
And since we celebrate the birth of Jesus, take his words to heart. Not just that beautiful, dark skinned, dark haired baby who slept in that Middle Eastern barn so many years ago. Listen to His words. Follow his teachings, be greedy for knowledge and discernment and truly follow Him, and you will not only have a happy life, but you will be saving the world for everyone. I’ve included just a few of the many instructions given to us by the one we claim as Savior. Think on these things, as will I.
And always remember that I love you. Pray for me, I really, really need it. And I will do the same for you.
Happy, Happy Christmas! Let’s hope for a joyous new beginning in the coming year!
Love,
Patti, Ron, Tillie, Roxy and Louie the Great
***By the way, if anybody knows anything more about bursitis, I'm still open to ideas.
More to come.
My Dearest Patti,
ReplyDeleteWow, reading this did bring back memories of how life has changed. I remember thinking of how carefree life was in 2005. Andy still had his job, no cares in the world, and you were battling with so much. Now to look back at life in 5 short years and to see how so many things have changed, good and challenging (do not want to say bad because we can learn from these experiences). Hip bursitis, by the way, is very painful. I have it in my hips and feet. I do not know a whole lot about it except that it is annoying and painful and no one should ever have to endure the pain. I also have fibromyalgia so I have learned to cope with that pain through exercise which helps with a lot of other things. I will continue to look for your Christmas letters, especially the older ones, from when I was not yet a part of the family. It will be fun to read them and see how things have changed.
As always, I love to see your posts!
I love you forever and miss you always!
Jen