I am alive and well and living in the land of Oz.

I am alive and well and living in the land of Oz.

If any of you are diehard fans of the Gatlin Brothers, from days gone by, you might recognize that line. It sums up my existence at this point in time. Now, if I could click the heels of my crocs together and return to the beginning of the summer and run through it again without any of the physical problems, I would be in heaven.

Unfortunately, I can’t turn back time and so this summer is labeled “The Summer from Hell.” I know I have been absent for at least a month, but during that time I didn’t feel like doing much of anything. I have been testing out different combinations of medications with the help of the kidney specialist. I have been in and out of the hospital and on the verge of the kidneys shutting down for several weeks. I was taken off of NSAIDS and Gabapentin completely, those very NSAIDS and nerve medication that kept me functioning daily. I was left with Tylenol. As the medications cleared my system, my pain levels increased.

Finally, this week after a month of experimentation with the kidney specialist, we have landed on a combination that keeps the excess fluid at bay and gives me enough of needed supplements to keep my blood tests in normal range. In the process of finding this balance I have dumped 25 lbs of excess fluid in one weekend. It’s no wonder I was having trouble breathing. I was drowning with the fluids in my lungs. The regimen he switched me to last week is working, (knock wood), and we hope it wasn’t a fluke. I will be doing the same combination the next two weeks followed by more blood tests. I hope I have finally found a mixture that works.

I have one lone blister left from shingles. So hopefully I am done with that, but it left me with permanent scars, a constantly painful nerve from the right ear to the jawline, down to the chin and into the mouth. The right side of my mouth is still numb and I don’t know if that will ever heal. It has also left me with bizarre taste sensations. Foods I have loved for years now taste awful. All foods leave a weird aftertaste and sensation. My mouth burns on the right side. I would compare it with the sensation of burning your tongue on pizza and then everything bothers it.

I started physical therapy for lower back about 6-7 weeks ago. Slowly but surely I have regained mobility and strength. I consider it a true accomplishment if I can walk normally across the back yard without my back seizing up and me dropping to the ground on my hands and knees to move. Yes, I had that happen. I went out to feed the chickens and on my way back to the house, my back seized up and I couldn’t walk. I had to get down on my hands and knees and try to crawl. Eventually, in tears, I sat on the lawn until my back finally released enough that I could stand up and make my way to the house in small increments. We live on the end of a road that borders a corn field, usually only the neighbors use it. An angel descended that day. A woman looking for another address pulled into our driveway and saw me on the ground. She got out of her car and walked over to help me get into the house. I couldn’t thank her enough.

Finally, this week things are getting back to normal. I’m finding new ways to handle pain, the kidneys are improving, but damaged, I am breathing normally and my face is almost healed. I actually have the desire to do something even though I have to do activities in small stages and rest between each stage.

So, as I said in the beginning…….I am alive and well and living in the land of Oz.

Liz