If The Devil Went Down To California

So I've mentioned in passing in another post that I am now free of allergies here in SoCal.  I have absolutely NOT done that subject justice.  Allow me to explain a bit more...

I have literally suffered 'seasonal' allergies since I was 6 years old, when I started my own fine tradition of always being 'sick with a bad cold' for picture day at school.  Eventually, my mother figured out that I wasn't actually experiencing a bad cold that lasted for weeks.  No- instead, just when I had managed to get over most of my lengthy list of food allergies (eggs, dairy, wheat, oranges, tomatoes, and even rice- yes, if I had been born in a 3rd world country they would have just thrown me back!) I managed to start in with the seasonal allergies.  And those allergies grew in intensity and length of season until I was hardly ever really normal and healthy at all.  In time and with tests, I was informed that my two main allergy categories were trees and mold.

Let me just let that sink in for a minute.  I was born and lived in the Northwest for 40 years and I am severely allergic to trees and mold.

Yeah, you can stop laughing anytime now...

Sudaphed and antihistamines have been my savior for years and years.  And yet as anyone with major allergies will tell you, any medication for the condition always has its trade-off choices- things like feeling completely sleepy in the daytime or being able to breathe at night or fun stuff like getting real relief for a few hours or choosing to be just a little bit better than if you had taken nothing at all.  I've even tried some natural spices and things and those left me with heartburn and sinus drainage that I choked on all night long.

Sooooo.....

When I began to realize that on every trip to SoCal I would get this amazing and drug free reprieve from the allergies, you can bet that I was looking forward to finding out if it would last.

I have been here for a month.  I have taken NO Sudaphed.  I repeat- none.  I think the company may be about to experience a big drop in their stocks!  I have a friend who tells me that if I want to be completely allergy free I will have to keep moving every few years so I won't be able to develop new allergies to the place I'm living in.  I've told him that I would move every year if it meant feeling this good!  And honestly, its a really good thing that 'the devil went down to Georgia' and isn't on his way to SoCal, because I tell you if I were asked to sign on the dotted line to be able to continue living allergy free, I just might do it!

Red Devil by bandrat, found at: freedigitalphotos.net

A Healing Surprise

'Seascapes' by 9comeback found at freedigitalphotos.net

After 40 years of living in a place that didn't suit me and holds all kinds of crummy stuff that didn't work for me at all, you'd think I wouldn't be so surprised to find that there is so much more for me here in SoCal than I ever could have imagined.  Whew, that was a mouthfull...

And here comes another one... 

What I'm trying to say is that along with seeing the sun on a real daily basis & no more northwest tree and mold allergies & enjoying painfree joints & spending more time on a bicycle than I have in years & having the luxury of being able to swim or do any other outdoor activity EVERY DAMN DAY if I feel like it & no longer feeling cold all the darn time, I have also discovered that even though I thought that being far away from my seriously screwed up family would be a nice side benefit- it turns out I was wrong.

It is SO FRIGGIN' GREAT to know that there is 1200 miles between me and anyone I really don't want knocking at my door.  Seriously, I am beyond happy to find this unexpected wonderfulness is way more than a mere side benefit.  It is just about the most FREEING thing that I have ever experienced. 

Yeah, just had to let y'all know!

For My Husband, Because He So Deserves It

My husband is about the most selfless person I know.  Seriously.  I'm not just sayin' that.

So the fact that he has finally agreed to and scheduled a consultation with a plastic surgeon to deal with what he was left with after The Thing That Changed Everything is so wonderful!  This is something I have been waiting patiently for, for quite a while now.  But I know my husband is a man who doesn't need to be pushed.  He can too easily be influenced by what I want.  While he would do anything for me, quite literally, I do not ever want to make his life decisions for him.  It just wouldn't be right.

So... there are many decisions that will have to be made regarding different options for my husband and his future well-being and quality of life.  He is much too young to deal with the things he has dealt with for over 2 years now.  And we have been told by numerous doctors that he will have several options for his care when he decides to finally have his revision surgery.  Since his initial life-saving surgery happened as an emergency, things were sort of left in limbo and we were told that he should have a revision at the 18 months to 2 years mark because of unsafe long term weaknesses in his abdomen.  Here we are at 2 years 4 months and finally starting this process.  I can't really overstate how traumatic the first surgery was so I am not surprised that there has been some delay.  Neither one of us has been looking forward to any more surgery for my husband.  But now, it finally feels right to seek out an answer as to what my husband can do to be 'made whole again' as much as possible.  This will be a first step in planning that we hope will lead to a set process that will begin after the new year.

I know I am so grateful to have my husband alive.  I cannot imagine my life without him.  And so I also know that it is not really fair to feel any bitterness about all of this.  So many others have so much more to deal with in their lives.  And yet... I must admit to having a little resentment.  I am only human I suppose and seeing my husband go through pain, body changes, and uncertainty has left me a tiny bit weary I must admit.  Still, I have hope in my heart and want the best possible outcome. 

This is where all of you come in!  We will be in the office of the plastic surgeon at 12 noon tomorrow- Nov. 21st, Pacific time.  She will be planning the overall surgery and then we will work with specialists depending on what all is needed.  Please keep us in your thoughts, send us good vibes, pray for us- whatever it is that you personally do in your life when divine intervention is needed.  I find myself so badly wanting all of this to just go away.  And yet we must venture through it.  There is no other way to restore health and function for my husband.

Specifically, our needs are: help with complicated incisional hernia repair and finding the right specialist, repair and restoration of core muscle function as much as possible, eliminating scar tissue that could contribute to further intestinal blockage in the future, and avoiding secondary infection and fluid build-up that my husband experienced with the first surgery that contributed to complications and poor healing after that original surgery. And of course, for emotional healing and well being as we go through this process.  That's not asking for too much is it?!

 Photo credit: agirlandaboy.com

I know this is an important first step and can only be a good thing.  I hate to admit it, but I have grown tired of always worrying about what is going on inside my husbands abdomen, what the pains mean, why his stomach is so lumpy and uneven.  It's almost as if we've had a third party in our relationship for the past two years and I am so ready to let it go.  And yet, I am scared.  I can't imagine any more complications.  I wish we could just magically make my husband totally healthy again without having to go through anything more.  But I also know that is not reality.  And so we begin this chapter of our lives...  Help us make a wish come true!

photo credit:  lindamyshrall.hubpages.com