Mick McKellar Update -- Day +64
Had the walkers tried to walk to the hospital this morning, we might have floated. Heavy rains fell over night and early this morning, and then mist and drizzle for the day so far, so we gave in and took the shuttle to Mayo Clinic this morning for a visit with the allergist who attempted my desensitization to Bactrim. Although, we tried yesterday to cancel this office visit, we just could not connect in time. After our visit with the doctor, however, I felt we did a good thing. He posted his final note about the results of the effort and passed along some critical information.
Although I am taking medication as an alternative to Bactrim, the sulfa drug remains the primary means of treating this particular type of pneumonia, and should I contract the disease, Bactrim may come charging back into my life. His notes in the system about our efforts will offer a one-day desensitization ramp up and treatment option. Good to know such things.
Limitations
I spent part of today learning more about my own physical limitations. It appears the slow leak in one of my tires has continued and we noticed a very low tire on the Focus. Marian uses the car to go shopping once in a while, but mostly it has been sitting in the parking lot since January 29. She could not really drive the car with the tire that low, so in a fit of hubris, I asked to borrow a tire pump and went out to pump it up a bit. I was more than fortunate that one of the transplant house personnel came along. Between the two of us, we pumped up the tire, but he did most of the work and saved me from looking very foolish.
Twice in two days I have managed the flights of stairs from the first floor to the third floor (our floor), but slowly and in need of rest at the end. My batteries are there, but they don't seem to hold much of charge quite yet. Still, I must walk and climb stairs because I cannot use the house exercise equipment. My exercise shoes are now too small for my swollen feet (steroids again) and bedroom slippers are too dangerous on the treadmill.
Casper on my mind
Just last night, I was reminded of one of my few best friends, Father Casper Gensler. He was at Sacred Heart when I first met him and we became fast friends. His trust in me made me whole at a time I was broken.
Broken: In January 1986, while watching television, I passed out momentarily and woke to find I could not talk and could not walk. Within seconds, I could move again, and talk...except I had a severe stutter. Although the words formed normally in my mind, what came out of my mouth was torturous and repetitive and distorted.
Hospitalization, testing, and lots of head scratching by doctors in at Marquette General Hospital finally came up with a diagnosis: some sort of almost-aneurysm, which affected my speech center. I heard it called a severe vascular migraine. Three months of speech therapy followed...to no avail. My employer, Social Security would not let me work -- even paper work.
This was during the time of rebuilding Sacred Heart Church and somehow I had been scheduled to lector for the first services in the new church building, on Palm Sunday. I really wanted to do the first readings in the new building and Father Casper decided to trust me to do the best I could and left the rest to God.
Sunday morning, although I had practiced daily, things were not coming out well, and perhaps even worse because of nerves. I knew fellow parishioners had steeled themselves to endure my stammering. The first words of the first reading were: "The Lord has given me a well-trained tongue..." I believe the Lord also gave me my speech back at that very instant. My reading was flawless and there was no more stammer or stutter. What I remember most was the beaming smile coming from Father Casper that morning as I finished the readings and I can never forget the trust he had given me.
To date, I still cannot imitate the odd combination of stuttering and stammering I endured for those three months. I have tried. To date, there has been no recurrence of the speech problem.
Your prayers and good thoughts remind me daily to do the best I can and leave the rest to God.
God bless you all and good night,
Mick