It’s been a long time since I’ve written a blog. I’m still working on getting my sites back up from being hacked. I lost all my writings except what I can manage to pull off the way back machine. It was years of writing, years of loss, and entirely my fault for not being backed up. BAck up your blogs, your writing, don’t let it happen to you. I never thought I’d lose it all. Do it right now. I’ll wait….

.….

…..there, feel better? I do if you did it. If not, go on, go do it. Take the time.

On another note, update your bookmarks. I’m now MichelleDevon.com instead of the L middle initial. I like it better. I’ll bring Dying to Live back eventually, but I’m working on making a book out of it, so I have to keep it down for right now. That’s right: Dying to Live is becoming a book about my journey and about the true cost of healthcare–hint: It’s a lot more than just money. Sometimes it’s a life–it was almost my life.

WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN, MICHY?

Well, good question. A year ago, or so, I had a heart valve transplant. I now have a biosynthetic porcine heart valve. I’m part bionic woman and part pig! Seriously! The surgery didn’t go as planned and I ended up with a leaky valve (so it makes me tired all the time) and I had three strokes on the table, one of the cerebellum (balance and the right side of my body is weaker than the left), one of the occiptal (vision is blurred and I need glasses–for a while, everything was double or quadruple vision, like a kaleidoscope) and one of the parietal, which I have no idea what it affected I couldn’t move my right hand at all for a long time, and then I still have trouble with my fingers. I can’t type like I used to and it’s difficult to do what I’m typing right now.

But it is getting better with occupational therapy. It IS improving, slowly…

WHAT HAPPENED THEN?

I fell. And it was likely because of the stroke affecting my balance. But when I fell, with osteoporosis, I fractured my ankle, broke my femur bone, fractured my tibia, and broke the moeller tabs around my ankle. My foot shattered. I had to have reconstructive surgery. I had an external fixator that looked like a steam punk prosthetic. It was cool looking but I was also non-weight bearing, on my back, for 12 weeks, until the fixator started crumbling my foot and I got an infection–emergency surgery to fix that and another weeks flat on my back. I was bored.

Once the fixator was removed and I’d healed enough I spent time at Methodist (46 days) due to fluid volume overload, which is ultimately what killed my friend Cat…, Once recovered, I went to in patient rehab and did physical therapy and occupational therapy three hours per day 6 days per week. I LOVE physical therapy. It’s the one thing that makes me feel better. Truly, I’ve gained back all I have because of what those folks at ENCOMPASS REHAB have done for me. Thanks to all of those guys! They are amazing!

AGAIN? REALLY?

So then I fell again. Yes, again. I was in rehab, hand slipped off the bed and I fell again. cracked my foot and sprained the ankle. Lots of swelling. BUT I was still in rehab, right? They could help… except, the next morning, I woke with a horrible fever. 103.7. Lynn knew something was wrong when I wouldn’t eat bacon or drink my coffee. Me? Not eat bacon? And I love my coffee when I’m in the hospital. They have fantastic hospital coffee.

I ended up over in the ER at Memorial Hermann, across the street. I took a 600 dollar ambulance ride across the street. Literally, like not a block, but the balconies almost touched each other across the street. When I arrived, I was unresponsive, unable to talk, unable to be aware of anything. It was scary. Blood pressure was 50/30… I almost died. If Lynn hadn’t told the ER doc that I was adrenal insufficient, I would have died.

As it was, I spent almost a week in ICU and then a few days in step down while they tried to get me off the norepinephrine to keep my blood pressure up and insulin pump to keep my blood sugar down from the steroids being so high. Once they got me off the IVs, they put a PICC line in and sent me home on antibiotics. Methodist never does that, but UTMB and Memorial Hermann both did. Two weeks of home antibiotics.

They took the PICC out a few days ago. I went to the foot surgeon and got cleared yesterday to stand and walk, with no restrictions. And no pain pills…it’s going to be excruciating.

I’M READY TO FIGHT

I’m ready to rock and roll. Ready to be me again. Ready to stand up and put one foot in front of the other until things get back to something I recognize as me.

And now that you’re caught up, I’m inviting you to take the journey with me.

here we go…..

I love and need you all.

Love and stuff,

Michy