Thursday, November 14, 2013

Not the best of times.

Boy, whene it rains, it pours. Not that the desert here has seen [more than 10 minutes of] rain in many, many months, but you know the figure of speech.

1. Ya'akov (13 years old) has cellulitis.
Yes, that bad, bad infection that I have had three times since NF. The one where, if left untreated, can turn into NF. It is under control now, before you read any further, just know that. Thank Gd.
He got it around his ankle. He has a wart on the bottom of his foot, and it was inflamed for a while. Then he got lots of mosquito bites on his ankles. We don't know how the bacteria got in there, or which bacteria it is, but, without telling us (!), for three days, he was taking off his sock because his foot was hot and itchy and painful. Huh? Why didn't he tell us! Of all the minutia that they always complain about... Anyway, I was anyway taking him to a dermatologist for the inflamed wart. I knew nothing of the swollen, red, painful ankle. Until Ya'akov showed the dermatologist his wart, and we saw the ankle, I was shocked! I said- it looks like cellulitis! Yes, that's what it was. Scared the ---- outta me, as you can imagine. That infection put me in the hospital three times. The  last time being less than a year ago, when the oral antibiotics didn't work. I need strong IV antibiotics for infections. Thankfully, he is young and healthy, and the antibiotics started working by the third dose. Before it started to work, though, we had quite a scare because the redness, which I drew a black line around in order to see if it is spreading (a trick I learned from lots of experience), it spread out of the line. But, thankfully, the antibiotics fought back and the swelling is down and the pain is less (but not gone). Ten days of three x/day of antibiotics. Whew!! What a scare for me (and Robert, who also knows too well about cellulitis).

2. Azriel has had fevers for a few days now. They go down with children's Tylenol, but having two kids sick at the same time is hard.

3. We had a busted water pipe. It's fixed. No more to say, except an evening and morning with no running water makes one **really** appreciate have plumbing!!! Did you know that 1/3 of the world has no plumbing? 1/3rd! That is atrocious. People are dying of their own waste in the streets. Look at this: World Toilet Day. If you notice, it is coming up in a few days.
Yes, it is appropriate to thank Hashem for plumbing.

4. I am really not well. I mean *really* not well.
The no appetite issue continues, but starting last night I had some severe stomach cramping, and today was worse. I mean weak, trying to eat a banana and some wheat crackers, needing to be in bed. Abdominal cramping all day. Didn't get in to the new doctor today, and I have to see if I can see him tomorrow. Since he isn't my appointed doctor (yet?), it has to be approved (by him, thankfully) each time I go see him. I know that the two last test results have come in. They are the ones he said were very important before he had any diagnosis or suggestions. I tell ya, though, it isn't so easy to get myself together to get out of the house. I do need to find out what is going on, though. This has been going on too long. Two months of no appetite, and uncontrolled weight loss problems, now this today- abdominal pain and incredible weakness. It is always hard to know with me if I have a virus like many humans get, or some weird Sarah thing which we know happens since I had NF.

5. I dropped my cell phone and the screen smashed into little itty bitty pieces. Good thing I took out the insurance (it's only been like 5 months I think, so, good for us, bad insurance statistic. Actually, on that topic, rambling thoughts about statistics and insurance: we took out content insurance for the house about eight months or so before we cashed in on it in a big way with a house fire about 10 years ago. Also, we bought special health insurance, way beyond what is included in the national health insurance, just nine months before I got NF. We have used it so much, we are a really bad statistic for insurance! Actually, my own personal statistics for getting weird health stuff kinda goes along with this principle. Hmmmm...)
And of course, if you read this far, we realize how *insignificant* this is compared to the things I wrote above. Health and indoor plumbing. Cell phones are next on the list, though. <dark humor grin here>

We are planning a trip to New York in 10 days! All of us, the six of us. We are going to see my parents. They haven't seen the kids in two years. I have been there twice, although the last time was over a year ago already, but the kids and Robert have not visited with my parents in a bit more than two years. My mother got sick at that point, and visits have been put on hold. We decided to take the children's Chanukah vacation, and about a week more from school, to go on this trip. We had wanted to go in the summer, but the tickets are SO expensive, and winter is extraordinarily cheaper. And we are "times six", so it made a huge difference.

I hope to take my ballerina, Shifra, to The Nutcracker in The New York Ballet in Lincoln Center. That is going to be awesome!! And maybe the "Big Apple Circus" for everyone. This could be great, please Gd.

I just hope that my abdominal issue is diagnosed and on the mend at that point. Let's pray for that, OK?

Sarah Rachel Bat Tova
(and my mother, Tova bat Sheindl)

7 comments :

  1. I hope so! I hope you get to the bottom of your stomach issues (is that a pun?)

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  2. "Please send my best regards to your folks and other people I might know in the Glen-Cove/Head area. Good luck with your phone and may it be used only to hear good news"

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  3. Wow, Sarah, I can't believe what you've been going through. The phone and the plumbing are par for the course (we just had a root removed from our bathroom sink that was clogging everything up and we had to break the floor of the cupboard to get to it), but Y's cellulitis and your continuing discomfort are upsetting. I hope Dr. M can help you figure it out and move you towards a path of greater health, and that Shabbat brings you some relief and peace. All my love, Miriam

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  4. I hope you get to see your new doctor soon. Enough is more than enough. And you are right - the best is yet to come! Remember that.

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  5. you sure deserve the vacation so hope it all works out in time.

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  6. The best is yet to come.Shavua tov, refuah shleima and b'sorot tovot all wrapped up in a big HUGE hug

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  7. may you and your family have only good health, and energy , on your big trip. shavua tov, rochel.

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