Wow! It’s been over a year and I do owe you an explanation for my absence. Thank you so much for being patient with me as I attempt to get caught back up.

What happened? Well, I needed a little abdominal surgery. No big deal, it was just an overnight stay in the hospital. Unfortunately the no big deal surgery turned into a major abdominal infection where I vaguely remember a swarm of doctors saying “septic” and I remember saying “f__k!”. So it started a journey that included a month in the hospital, some of it in ICU, an emergency surgery, icky IV nutrition bags (given through the IV but for some reason, I could still taste it, ick!), three months of IV antibiotics, horrible anemia (a hemoglobin of 6.9 at its lowest) and a social calendar that only included visits to various doctors. I started to feel sort of like myself just in time to launch myself into the holidays.

While being that sick was not a lot of fun to live through, a part of the journey gave me the most cherished memories that I have of my adult life. The love of my husband and kids, the kindness of my family, friends and even acquaintances touched me in a a way that I will never forget and I will always be grateful that I was given that experience. It was the most amazing gift and changed my outlook on life.

I just want everyone to know that I am alive, well, and back to being my old ornery self. Okay, I’m a bit behind in EVERYTHING, but that is better than the alternative!

Take care!
Susan