Our covid Journey — In Sickness and in Health

"In sickness and in health."

Those words slide over our tongues 

faster than we realize what we are promising.

 We commit to a lot on our wedding day.

With God's help, 

we deliver on those vows  

whether plagued with a pandemic or a silly old sniffle.

 

What can I say about my husband and his response to my severe covid?

Never have I felt 

so loved, 

treasured, 

cherished, 

cared for.

He devoted himself to my well being.

To making me 

comfortable, 

safe, 

healthy.

And always, 

to know his love.

 

When vows were made with dreamy eyes,

we didn't envision 

the potty chair, 

the mess, 

the work,

the pain,

the exhaustion.

 

Never a complaint.

Always joy.

Forever a smile, 

A joke,

 a laugh, and

  always 

love.

A happy home is a healing home.

Not knowing how to cook, he taught himself how.

Making me amazing gourmet meals.

When he asked what I wanted for dessert,

I said, "pineapple upside down cake."

I was kidding.

How in the world do you turn a cake upside down?

I had never ventured it.

But there it was.

What Elaine wanted, 

Dan gave.

The house clean.

Kitchen spotless.

Laundry done.

Kisses given.

Prayers prayed.

Love.

I am blessed by a man who has the gift of mercy.

 Caring for me was 

his desire,

his calling,

his devotion 

to the wife of his youth.

 "May your fountain be blessed, 

and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth." 

Proverbs 5:18

I am the wife of Dan's youth.

We rejoice in our love.

The love God gave us for each other.

The love we share for Him.

The love that endures forever.

The Love that strengthens us when we are weak.

the Love that heals.

The Love that says

 "Love is patient, 

love is kind . . . . 

 it is not self-seeking, 

it is not easily angered . . . . 

 

Love 

 always protects,

 always trusts, 

always hopes, 

always perseveres. " 

1 Corinthians 13: 4-7

My husband.

Overflowing with love

just like

Jesus.

My covid Journey — Yellow Socks

Yellow socks.

She slipped the yellow socks on my feet and

God reminded me:

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but

 of power and

of love and

a sound mind."

2 Timothy 1:7

Yellow is the color of courage.

I needed that reminder from my Jesus.

After a wonderful night sleeping by my big bear of 

a cuddly husband in our own bed 

and drinking in all the wonder of being home,

my oxygen levels plummeted again.

I am back in the hospital.

My vitals are now good

(34/24/24).

Oops!

Wrong statistics.

That was fifty years ago.

I am told this is all normal, to

expect months long recovery, where

I may play ping-pong living at

 home/hospital/home/hospital.

I admit asking God,

what are you doing?

So many prayed for me!

He answered,

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways,

declares the Lord.

As the Heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways and

my thoughts than your thoughts."

Isaiah 55:8-9

God knows what He is doing.

Phew!

So glad He is in charge of my days.

So, if your day fills with fears or doubts,

pull up your yellow socks,

look up to Jesus, and

listen up to what God wants to teach you.

He has much to say.

 

My Journey with Covid-19 — Hallucinations

God provided entertainment along my covid way and during my hospital stay in the form of hallucinations. 

Covid-19 hits people in many ways. There is no rhyme or reason to this disease. Some lose lung function, others have heart damage, and  not a few have brain impairment. Fortunately, when covid enters the brain, it does not stay. There is no permanent brain damage. Just some stories to tell your grandkids along the way. Enjoy my three run-ins with hallucinations:

1. Honestly, the hundreds of frogs on my ceiling were adorable. They entertained me through some long covid days. 

2. When a friend visited, I was surprised and happy to see her. How did she evade the isolation guards? Visitors were prohibited. But, there she was at my bedside ready to put some fun in my day. 

"Your bed looks too small. Let's make it bigger. In fact, let's turn it into a big boat!"

Next thing I knew, my friend and I were flying around the room in a beautiful and colorful boat. What fun!!! After a time, I grew tired and dizzy and asked my friend to stop the boat.

"Alright," she said reluctantly. "But look at this room. It's a mess! I'm going to move all the furniture around and make your room beautiful!"

When I woke up, my furniture was all in a different place. I have no idea how that happened. The nurses accused me of getting out of bed and moving the furniture, although they had no explanation how I had the strength.  Or, perhaps, that was an hallucination too!

3. Waking up, I had no idea who I was, where I was, or why I was? The walls were bare, the furniture unfamiliar. Where am I? What's my name? Why am I here? I had no clue. My eyes roamed the room until I saw the person at the top of this blog post. (She was not an hallucination). I realized then that I had been abducted by space aliens! Yikes. My nurse was kind and assured me I was Elaine in Corning Hospital being treated for covid-19.

God reminded me, and I want to remind you:

God knows your name.

He knows the walls about you.

He holds you and He will never let you go.

"Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my  hands;

Your walls are continually before me."

Isaiah 49:16

God is not an hallucination.

God is not a space alien.

God is real.

He will knock down those walls of doubt and fear.

Cling to Jesus.

He'll get you through all of life's crises.

Further reading on Covid-19 hallucinations:

According to a recent review of studies in Psychology Research and Behavior Management, COVID-19 infections have been triggering such hallucinations . . .  

It's not fully understood why this happens, but one idea is that patients with severe COVID-19 infection “may have a little brain damage from chronically low levels of oxygen going to the brain, due to COVID causing the lungs not to oxygenate the blood as well,” explains Pravin George, a staff neurointensivist at Cleveland Clinic. “It could also be that COVID itself is attacking the brain directly in certain patients.”

The good news is the brain damage is temporary. I am now in control of all my thoughts. The frogs are gone. My furniture isn't moving. And I know who I am, where I am, and why I am here. Hallelujah! 

Have a splashes of serenity kind of day!