On the heart ward across the hall from One Flew Over the Coockoo's Nest

Well, hello everyone! If you've been keeping up with my non-posts then you know all about the medical adventures I've been on these last two months.
I have so much area to cover that I've put off posting because I just couldn't get my thoughts in order to post something that I thought would make sense. My sister told me that my thoughts haven't been in order since menopause and I should just do it, so here goes:

• Thanks Keesha for being such a good friend. Your post (which I just read) as my administrator was right on and I so appreciate you helping me out when I needed it the most.
• And, thanks to Keesha for my fabulous Christmas present which I haven't photographed yet but plan on photographing and posting soon, very soon (one thing at a time:). It's an amazing necklace and I've worn it many times to make my trips to the doctor's like a party:)....you know, get all dressed up.....
• I also want to thank the many, many friends that I have in the art world for the cards, notes, emails and comments of encourgement posted to Keesha's post. I didn' know I had so many friends and it blessed me every time one of you dear people took the time to let me know that you were thinking of me.
• Some of my dear art friends sent me gifts during all of this mess and I must thank you individually. . . . .Denise Mares - thank you!! and Linda Findley - oh, my gosh, thank you!!

I'm home from the hospital, have been since Christmas, and am taking it one day at a time - I'm so proud of myself because I'm a very "not patient" person and I'm doing quite well following doctor's orders:)

In all, I had two hospital stays, one ambulance ride, two E.R. visits and got to experience Colitis *which is in remission - Praise God!*, C. Diff. (a special virus of Satan), a five day virus that knocked me on my butt (wasn't a far fall...) from my youngest, Clay (I insisted on a long hug when I got home from the hospital), shortness of breath which turned out to be numerous and large life threatening blood clots in my left leg and both lungs - who knew?? The ambulance guy thought I was just an old crazy woman hyperventilating and taking up his precious time....therefore, it wasn't diagnosed until after my first hospital stay for the C. Diff.............now, don't get me started on the local hospital...............so, the blood clots were discovered by my doc when I went in for a post-hospital check-up from my first hospital stay. I happened to mention that I was having a hard time breathing....she did blood work, chest x-rays and sent me home. I was at home when she called me that afternoon and told me to go immediately to the E.R. and have Frank meet me at the hospital......I'm such an idiot (or it was the drugs) but I didn't think it was any big deal even though when I think back to that phone conversation I know that it was God (or the drugs) keeping me calm because there turned out to be nothing calm at all about the situation. I've learned so much, too much, about blood clots in the last few weeks! LOL But, I give God the glory that not a one of the clots went to my brain or my heart.....all of them went to my lungs - A MIRACLE - Praise God! Did you know those things can kill you? LOL

Oh, and this is where the title of this post comes in......they had me on the heart ward, on oxygen, all hooked up to a heart monitor (I thought they were making a really big deal out of nothing....) and it took me all of about 15 minutes to realize that they had a psych patient with heart problems in the room across the hall. GreeeeaaaaaaaaaT...........what was really funny, though, was that whenever anyone from church came to visit me they thought it was one of our members that was sitting indian style in the middle of the hall loudly requesting a new doctor.....looked just like him and he's kind of a serious guy..............too funny. He was entertaining until he became irritating.

I get through all of that, come home, get up from bed too quickly, get dizzy, and fall down in the bathroom spraining my left ankle and something behind my left knee. If it wasn't so pathetic, I would have laughed!

I'm healing nicely, loving being home and LOVING the feeling of starting to feel like my old self....I was getting so tired of being so sick. And I couldn't help but think that when I die and my boys were asked what they remember the most about me, it woudn't be my cooking, my laugh, my irreverant humor, my hugs, my love....it would be that "she was always sick; she never felt good". That thought brought me to my knees every time I had it.

Again, thank you all for your kindness and your prayers. I am so blessed, Jan

One more wee little thing...........I have prayed and given a lot of thought to my healing and what's best for me, blah, blah, blah (I hate being responsible), so I have dropped out of Artfest, Art n Soul Virginia, the Charmster's Valentine charm exchange, the Paper Whimsey Banner Swap AND have had to bow off of a design team that I was so excited to be a part of - waaaaaaaaaaaah!!

Oh, it killed me to give all of that up but I know I made the right choice. I know it, but I don't like it. So, I've got my sights set on Art n Soul Portand this fall. SURELY, I'll be able to make that! LOL xoxo