Scattered Thoughts . . .

I haven't been writing much about my health or Sheila's health lately as my health recovers from an all-time low over the past two months. I simply haven't had the energy to write much. Actually, we haven't really done much of anything in the past two months because of this significantly poor health. We have, however, been continuing with our medical care and appointments and I'm beginning to feel more like myself in recent days so I figured I should write a little bit about our latest health updates.  A week or two ago, Sheila had a followup appointment with her Radiation Oncologist so we found ourselves up in Burlington at the hospital again. Thankfully, that appointment was uneventful, even pleasant! The large area of Sheila's chest where she had endured radiation treatment has healed nicely over the past 11 months. Needless to say, we left the hospital feeling pretty good about having Radiation Oncology behind us... well... for now, anyway. Sheila t

Sheila is recovering from her hospital visit a few days ago and we're ready to jump into more medical appointments for her. On the positive side, she is slowly recovering and feeling better. We're still waiting to see her Oncologist and her Primary Care doctor early this week to discuss these newest problems but, for now, she is feeling more stable.  My health, however, is taking a serious hit. I went out to mow the lawn after breakfast yesterday morning since it was a first day in a week that we finally had dry grass. It was beginning to get warm so I opted to forego pulling out the weed-whacker and just do a relatively quick mow. I figured I needed to minimize my time out in the sun, heat and humidity so I skipped the weed-whacking. My health does not do well in the heat and Saturday was a bit warm and quite humid. I knew the wisest thing to do would be to just run the mower over the lawn as quickly as possible without overdoing it and then get out of the heat.  About

Far too often, I completely miss the signs preceding Systemic Mastocytosis episodes.  Today was another one of these times of missed clues. I had a few dizzy spells late in the afternoon...  This should have been a huge indicator of failing health. I strayed from my strict diet today by eating leftovers for lunch followed by processed food and condiments which are highly restricted for dinner...   I know better and after straying from my strict diet for two consecutive meals I should have preempted any decline in health with extra medications. I awoke from my three hour afternoon nap in a very warm bedroom...   the temperature in the bedroom was in the upper 70s which alone is more than enough to cause anaphylaxia and a violent reaction.  I should have known this would lead to crashing health. Any one of these things should have caused me to immediately jump on taking extra medications...  powerful medications...  and to collect my emergency medications.  I think I have fallen

As if living with an incurable, life-threatening rare illness is not enough, those of us with Systemic Mastocytosis must also endure a constant barrage of secondary illnesses.  These secondary illnesses alone are enough to scare the daylights out of any healthy person.  Combine these secondary problems with our primary illness and it seems as though we are being bombarded heavily from all sides.  "Duck and cover" does not work here.  We must face this barrage boldly, come to terms with it, accept it, and then, while still struggling with our primary illness compounded by secondary problems, we must quickly and effectively address the problems encountered by the barrage of secondary illnesses. For me, the barrage of secondary problems has always included neurological symptoms likened to those experienced by multiple sclerosis patients.  I suffer from debilitating bone and joint pain as a resultant effect of my primary illness.  I have transient vision issues.  I have transie