Wishing I was still on board the Azamara Quest or ensconced in a quiet Roman Villa, my instructions were "get to your Doctor". Prodding was not necessary as I was concerned enough all by myself. Immediate fatigue, sternum cramping, shortness of breath, rubber band legs ..... o.k., o.k., got a bit frightened but I haven't seen a Doctor since ...... right. Hold on, if every time you saw one the closing comment was "you are as healthy as a horse, just loose a few pounds", would you keep going to see THEM...... right, no. So, called my Orthopedic Surgeon. It took 1 1/2 weeks to be approved an accepted but she was ...... a very tall South African with the blackest hair I ever saw on a white woman ...... an immediately was seduced by her straight forwardness, candor and sick sense of humor; that is until she refused to allow me to leave and had me admitted to the Hospital. No pass go, no $200..... suddenly I inhabited room #114. Seems my Red Blood Count was at 17; apparently "they" are concerned when it drops to 40. Hummmmm, well, o.k., are you sure this is necessary? That was greeted with a lecture on education and something questioning my intelligence.
Three days later, an echocardiogram, colonoscopy, extensive needles day and night of drawn blood, transfusion of 3 units of o something [positive, I think]; "they" determine my extreme anemia had caused my travel problems. BUT, we need another colonoscopy. Well, of course they do. This is when I begin to feel as though I've driven into a mechanics bay and what was a perfectly operating machine turns into ..... well, maam, this is wrong and that needs replacing .... you get my drift?? right. Amazing what large doses of ferrous sulfate [iron] 3 times a day will accomplish. Tah-dah! Blood work is greatly improved BUT, and there's always a but...... , we need a "cleaner" colonoscopy.
While I'm loose, free and not feeling like I did on shipboard, life is to be ..... taking walks on the truck trail, holy cow .... dancing !!! I have the energy to actually .... live, move, exist. Apparently, I have been leaking blood for a very long time until I was down to forcing the dear old heart to work excessively hard to pump a very small amount of blood. Now, just need to build back the muscle mass I lost. I'm here .... and that's a good thing. Now we know why I was accusing Ed of trying to give me a heart attack on those "forced" marches...... I was a bit low on blood!!! Isn't the course of life funny? Oh, come on, you gotta laugh!!!! "If only" won't buy a cup of coffee or tea ............... I'm looking out the window at the deepest orange glow of this day's setting sun and anticipating tomorrow's adventure. I've never felt such calm; but I wish I was still on Azamara Quest ..... WOW ..... what a ship; what an adventure. Thank you doesn't begin to cover my gratitude.... AND AFTERALL, TOMORROW IS ANOTHER DAY.................
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