10.10.21
Back on the Wagon… again!
As I sit in my easy chair, listening to the kettle tentatively singing away on the cookstove, signaling boiling point is approaching, I feel very grateful. The fire in the old wood cooker is crackling away, I have Darrell’s coffee pot filled and set to turn on and it is pitch black outside. Autumn is here and winter will be upon us before we know it. Yes, I am grateful.
This has been quite the challenging year! Of course, not just for us but for everyone. I will not dwell on the challenges our country has been facing, nor belabour all that has, and is, going on in our own state, instead I try to look ahead for what I hope will be a brighter future. However, it has been a while since I wrote my last Sunday Story, so I do feel the need to bring you, my faithful reader, somewhat up to date.
Over the past few months, health issues with both Darrell and I have had me, not down in the dumps exactly, but let’s say, distracted. My main concern over the past while has been my dearest Darrell. A heart valve that has been dicky for several years, finally made the step up from “moderate stenosis” to “severe”, warranting speedy replacement. Due to the resurgence of the COVID-19 virus, many surgery procedures were put on hold. Thankfully, Darrell was still able to complete all the required tests which would confirm he would be a suitable candidate for the less invasive Tavr valve replacement surgery. This was a huge relief for us, as Darrell, due to previous open-heart surgery and heart stent placements, was not considered a viable candidate for the traditional open heart valve replacement surgery. The Tavr procedure allowed the surgeons to place the new valve in his heart via his femoral arteries. An amazing thing!
Despite a surge of new COVID cases in Deschutes County – the surgery was to be at St. Charles’s Hospital in Bend – Darrell was placed at the top of the list and received his new aortic heart valve. That actually has a been a little over a month ago now. He has healed up well. His energy level is increasing steadily, and he amazed his cardiologist last Wednesday by telling him how he had just completed cutting and splitting our winter wood supply. The doctor was pretty impressed to hear Darrell was hoisting 65-70 pound rounds of wood onto the wood splitter platform a mere six weeks after going through heart valve replacement surgery. Of course, Darrell feels he should be doing more, sometimes forgetting this was no minor procedure he just went through! What a trooper!
For myself, although often frustrated my battle with Bell’s Palsy has not yet been won, I have finally come to terms that a truce will get me father ahead than a continuing war. Those who see me often exclaim how great I look! Other than maybe a slightly crooked smile or occasionally a difference in the eyes. I take those compliments and sip them sweetly, seldom revealing the discomfort of the tightness that assails my face when I get just a wee bit stressed. Or the incredible pains that often strike out of the blue or the fierce cramping that can bring tears to my eyes and nearly bring me to my knees. I always try to find humour in the situation, such as the severe cramping often follows a bout of laughter! My slightly cockeyed smile comes in handy when teaching CPR classes as I can demonstrate quite easily the signs of someone having a stroke! So, you see? There is always a plus side after all.
I also had some challenging heart issues earlier this year, in fact, still have my FLB’s – Funny Little Beats as we in the EMT world call them! I also still have bouts of extremely low blood pressure, low even for me, a person who normally runs around 100/70, although dropping occasionally to 76/45 does sometimes make me a wee bit wobbly! Thankfully that does not happen often. Dropping into the mid-80’s is more common. My cardiologist, the same one as Darrell goes to, ran me through a gamut of tests. The result is I have, in his words, a phenomenally healthy heart! My endocrinologist, other than stating I have low grade Hashimoto’s disease – hypothyroidism treated by taking a tablet a day right now – is unable to explain my low blood pressure episodes either. But since the doctors all agree I am extremely healthy; I can live with the occasional bumpy heart and low B.P.
Our farm continues to flourish. This year I came to realize it is okay to not get all the weeds whacked, the thistles pulled. With the extreme heat we had challenges enough keeping the areas around the farmyard and bunkhouse well watered and green! I did consider getting out of raising pigs all together but then decided I just enjoy porkers too much to give them up right now. So, we have a couple of young girls we are keeping as breeding stock, in fact with luck they should be farrowing early next year. Lass and Heidi, my milking girls, are both nicely bred and still keeping us in delicious milk and cheese. Heidi is dry at the moment, as she is due to calve near the end of the year. Lass, after feeling sure she would not produce a calf this year, gave us a big fellow after Henry, our Hereford bull, bred her when she was turned out in the beef cow field for “retirement”. She is 12 years old and still going strong. Still giving over 5 gallons of milk in the morning, nursing her calf and is nicely bred back and will calve next year. What a cow!
So dear reader, I think I am ready to get back to my Sunday Story writing. Yesterday, I finished reading and doing the initial first edit on what will be my latest book, the sequel to my early life story “The Long and Winding Road.” It has been a while in the making and it was such a good feeling to write the final line. I have sent the manuscript off to my dear pal Pat for her perusal and expert opinion. At this point, I am not sure if we will attempt to go the full publishing route – as in hoping some major book publisher would like to take it on – or if we will publish it ourselves. Either way, it is done. I will of course keep you all posted on its progress!
My first cup of tea is done, the kettle is singing away so another cuppa is in order. At 6 o’clock in the morning it is still dark outside. Milking will not be for another hour today, so I have plenty of time for more tea.
As I get ready to throw another chunk of wood in the old wood cooker, to turn Darrell’s coffee pot on, I truly do feel thankful. Thankful for the life we live, thankful for the warmth of our home, so thankful Darrell’s surgery went well and thankful for all of you out there who encourage me to keep writing. Thank you!
