The other day, I began sharing Shirley's saga with a new coworker and referred her to the blog for the full story. In so doing, I realized that my last entry left a cliffhanger, as I never posted a follow-up to Shirley's MRI in late November. The scan showed no tumor or anything else of concern--that and the fact it took several days to get the results are my poor excuse for not following up with another post.
But as we turn the page on 2013, I wanted to take a moment to reflect back on such a life-changing year. One for which I will be eternally grateful but hope to never have to repeat.
As a matter of curiosity, I did some calculating the other day. Of the 365 nights in 2013, Shirley spent 182 in a hospital bed (three different hospitals) and 183 out. The medical bills are still coming in. Thank God for insurance, but at some point, I want to total it all up and see how much these new lungs cost.
Since her last hospital visit in November, Shirley has been doing very well. There are still days when she is very tired, but she does more and has more energy than I have seen since I met her eight-plus years ago. She had the energy to host her annual Christmas party. She did concede to having a potluck to reduce her workload, and bad weather and sickness kept the attendance to under 90, but it was still a task that in other years has totally wiped her out. This year, she bounced right back and was hostess for another party the next week for the exchange program that brought Joy to our family.
Our family wishes you and yours a very Happy New Year. May it be filled with good health and healing for all of us.
