Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Letting Go

I'm not sure if Jilda has a stomach bug, or if we had tainted fast food. My stomach felt iffy, but her's rebelled.
She spent the night on the couch closest to the bathroom. I was afraid she'd fall if she got up in the night, so I slept on the other couch. At one point she wanted to sleep on the bathroom floor, but I convinced her the sofa was a much better choice.
I didn't get a lot of sleep. A few hours after midnight I could hear thunder in the distance and the rain pounding the roof sounded like applause at the symphony.
Our dogs normally get unsettled when the weather gets bad, but they all hunkered down on the rug between the couches and rode out the storm.
My brother-in-law who lives next door called to say that he dumped 3 inches of rain out of his rain gauge this morning.
I knew it had rained a great deal because when I looked out the back garden door, I saw that our chickens were wearing their water wings.
I had some appointments in town today but I managed to reschedule everything except one interview that I did that over the phone.
Neither of us are used to having health issues. Jilda has had lung problems for 30 years but she's managed to keep it mostly under control thanks to great doctors.
But this past year, we both have had our share of problems and it's been interesting. When we get together with friends we tend to talk about doctors and medicine as well as aches and pains.
I realized during a recent conversation -- we sounded like our parents.  We used to have fun at their expense whenever they veered off onto the healthcare highway while talking to their friends.  Those light hearted moments don't seem nearly as funny now.
We've always been health conscience. We try to eat as much fresh fruit and as many vegetables as possible. We've never smoked cigarettes, we wear seat belts, and we exercise daily.
But these bodies weren't designed to last forever and no matter how much you fight the aging process, the river of life keeps flowing.
I think the lesson for both Jilda and I is that we need to focus on the things in our lives that are really important and start letting go of the things that don't matter so much.

13 comments:

  1. Anonymous8:20 PM

    and maybe stay away from fast food restaurants?

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  2. That was a tough long night for everyone, heavy rain, feeling very puny and little sleep. Hope tonight has some peace and rest. Thanks for the update, health issues are a big deal, more so in our 50s and 60s than I would have ever guessed.

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  3. No jokes tonight - just a sincere hope that you are both feeling better.

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  4. A wise conclusion.

    Love,
    Janie

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  5. The healthcare highway; with all its unexpected twists and turns. The main thing is you are still ON the highway....

    Ms Soup

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  6. Am sending you and Jilda lots of healing hugs! Take care
    x

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  7. Health is the most important thing, hugs for Jilda!

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  8. I was so hoping that the New Year would mark a better time, health-wise, for Jilda. Hope she's feeling better.

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  9. I did spend a few hours sleeping on the bathroom floor one time during the flu. Hope you both feel better - and learning to sort out the things that really don't matter is always a good decision no matter what the catalyst :-)

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  10. Feeling well is the most important thing in life. My husband and I have been sick with different things for years but have learned to cope with it. It isn't easy, but sometimes your lifestyle has to change. I can only eat certain foods or I get weak, tired and have pain in my joints. I learned this through the book, Eat Right for Your Blood Type. Some foods make us weak. I believe a naturopath is the best person for finding out which foods make you weak or sick. It is a very easy test, with no needles.

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  11. I'm right there with you. I have to force myself to remember not to whine about my aches. So we step up the exercise (when we can), eat healthy, and hope for the best. I hope you're both feeling better soon!

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  12. @ Deloris, I'm with you. It will probably be a while before we eat fast food again.
    @ Joy, Marsha -- JIlda is feeling better, but she still hasn't ventured very far from the couch. It's been a long time since something hit her this hard. I think it has something to do with her weakened immune system.
    @ Ms. Soup, you are sooo right. We are still on the highway. We would have both been in the junkyard if we had not taken care of ourselves.
    @ Kitty and Claudia, I just gave Jilda a hug and told her it was from y'all :)
    @ Sarah, I feel like things will turn around quickly once she starts treatments on the 18th.
    @ Li, letting go of unimportant thing has become paramount for us.
    @ Belle, I'm looking for that book tomorrow. Thanks for the info. One of our friends recommended that book this past week. I think it's a sign that we should read it post haste.
    @ Karen, I think we're over the hump.
    I really appreciate all your kind words. We couldn't ask for a better group of blog buddies.

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  13. I seem to never get sick but got that same stomach virus about a month ago. It was going around. It came at a time when I was susceptible and wham! Awful is an understatement. So glad she is now feeling better. How sweet of you to stay closeby... :-)

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