Getting back on my feet
From September 2019 to March 2020, I was confined to my bed. My world shrank to a view of a wooden fence through a patio door and a large tray of medications that dominated my daily routine. Having recently moved to an elevation of 4,000 feet from sea level just before falling ill, the constant threat of pneumonia loomed over me.
In this dire situation, a close friend became my lifeline. She put her own life on hold for months, dedicating herself to my care. She managed the mounting bills, coordinated my medical needs, and eventually found a nurse to take over my daily care. Her selfless act of friendship quite literally saved my life. The depth of my gratitude for her unwavering support is immeasurable.
This period of intense vulnerability and dependence underscored the profound impact of compassion and friendship in the face of life-threatening illness. Despite the physical confinement, her presence expanded my world, providing a crucial lifeline to recovery.
The first time I was able to lie flat again was a moment I will never forget!
The days and nights were long, lonely and scary. Although I was in constant pain, I had to wean myself off morphine to have any chance of survival and fulfilling my Purpose. Detox lasted almost a month and was hell. The increased pain, onset of neuropathy in my spine and the weakness in my arms made it hard to push forward. It had been nine months since I’d been able to play my guitar, or hike. I couldn’t lift my camera, nor could I lie flat on my bed. The lack of human contact was crushing.
Eventually I connected with other MM sufferers online to find friends, get mental health, rehab and supplementation tips, and slowly began shuffling around the house. Two months later I had enough strength to open my car door. I put on Frank Sinatra’s “The Summer Wind”, opened the sunroof, and cautiously cruised to the canyons and mountains that drew me to Sedona 35 ago. I felt like I was coming back to life.