**Sorry if the next few posts are a little off chronologically. We haven’t had wifi in the new apartment until just now, but I’ve still been writing, so these are being posted a few days after they actually happened. Holler if something needs clarification.
Apparently I wasn’t very clear about why I was in the hospital or what’s been going on health-wise because I got a number of really sweet emails and WhatsApp messages asking if I was okay. Thank you! The short of it is that I managed to get some kind of drug-resistant bacteria that wreaked havoc on my GI system. I got super dehydrated and went to the ER twice for fluids and meds. When that didn’t work, I was admitted to the hospital for five days while they ran a number of unpleasant tests and pumped me full of saline to the point where I gained about 10 pounds of water weight. Blew up like a balloon. Most bizarre thing I’ve ever experienced. Eric has enjoyed pressing his thumb into my cankles to make dents in them…in the most loving way possible, of course.
We got home from the hospital last Sunday afternoon, February 15, and we were scheduled to be kicked out of that apartment the following day. Eric packed up the whole place by himself, made countless trips back and forth to the new place – all on foot, mind you – moving all of our stuff including 4 huge suitcases, 2 carry-ons, all of our food, and a million random things that we had accumulated over the past 5.5 weeks. It was all I could do to roll over on the couch to try to get comfortable.
The following morning, he ushered me to the new place in 90 degree heat. I used all of my energy just walking those few blocks rolling a carry on bag. In short, I have no idea what I would do without him. I can’t begin to count the number of trips he’s taken to the pharmacy, the grocery store, back and forth between the hospital and the new house, to the bank to try to open an account without knowing enough Spanish to really do so, to the power company to try to finagle a way to get power in the new place before Carnival started on the 14th and everything shut down. Not only that, but he slept in my hospital room every night on an uncomfortable cot, calmed me when my anxiety took over, and did a million other things like handing me water so I could take my pills and getting gatorade from the pharmacy because the smell of Panama water was making me nauseous.
Luckily, I’ve had a doctor who has made himself available nearly 24-7 via cell phone and text (WhatsApp). A huge comfort. And since we moved into our new place, I’ve been recovering well. I still have a ways to go before I can eat everything that I want to or take a long walk, but I’m MUCH more comfortable, I feel at home in our new place, and I am well on the road to feeling better.
Again, thank you for your thoughts and prayers.
