Plunking Around

 Sunday! Football. More purging! It's crazy how many times I pull things out  of a box when the first thought is "what was I thinking!"

While going though old files do any of you find yellowed paper with random phone #'? No name, or a first name, no last, and you have no idea who, what or where! Found a post-it note that said "Tuesday, 10:00"! Makes me think  someone called and said they were on their way to our house, so I gathered up a bunch of odd and ends, magazines, nail files, polish remover, cool I'll-check-that-out-later catalogs and a partner-less sock, dumped it all in a box and the box ended up in the garage.

At least, by purging now, there is the promise that we will not be hauling tons of useless ephemera with us to Ohio!

Visited Denver last week to celebrate our oldest granddaughter's 25th birthday with her. Quarter of a Century! How did little Alli get to 25 when I'm only 42?

We had plans on visiting my 90 year-old aunt and lots of cousins but the altitude threatened to strangle me. We had to head home after just one day at that altitude! Another Pulmonary Fibrosis benefit! Also found out that wrapping a scarf around my mouth and nose when outside in weather below 40 degrees is advised unless I want to go for marathon coughing!

No Cold Air
No High Altitudes
Learning a lot with this diagnosis. Also getting some excellent naturopathic advice from good friends. 

Pulmonologist looked at my white white hair (ignoring the purple highlights) and asked when I first starting going gray. I answered that I got my first gray hair in high school, true. He stated that families predisposed to premature gray hair are also predisposed to Pulmonary Fibrosis. 

Sorry, Dude, (Dr. Dude) but no history of IPF in the family and longevity is the best part of our DNA. Family members live to be late 90's. 100 and even 102. ( I thought my great-grandmother lived to be 104 but I was corrected by my mother. Great grandma only lived to be 102!

Before I let you go, I want to share a little entry from my mother's journal. (No wonder, packing is taking so long, I keep pulling out the journal and catching up on Mom's life)

Quote from journal:

"Mama's mother, grandma Daisy is 102. While we were in the kitchen I asked her if she's always been healthy. She replied that she has rarely been ill. No time living on the ranch! I asked her, Grandma, have you ever been bedridden? Yes, mi hija, hundreds and hundreds of times, even once in a buggy!"

Mama Said There'd Be Days Like This

Hi all, I've missed you all, though I do check up on you now and then. 

Life has been crazy here in Shasta County. Los Angeles Times and New York Times have actually written articles about the craziness. 

Several years ago a rich guy came to town, built a gorgeous winery, event center and chapel all without permits. The county charged him and he had to pay penalties...which of course the entitled white rich man was above doing. He closed everything up (or the county did, not sure). He moved to Connecticut  but with a soul dedicated to revenge! We have a huge bunch of Trumpers, Election deniers, White Militia and GOP cowboys here in the county and they are taking over the county all with the financial backing of Mr. Revengeful. It's damn scary. 

That's exactly what we needed to go with Covid and forest fires and smoke and drought. If you see any green lawns in our county it's because they've been sprayed green or your very rich and don't mind paying the fines.

We've been slowly packing and purging to make our exit from California and were seriously considering North Carolina or Virginia. It looks like it's going to be Ohio! Yup, OHIO!

When I told one of my granddaughters that her hippy grandmother was moving to Ohio she laughed her head off (almost). "Ohio!" she said, "I almost forgot there was a state named Ohio!"

Ohio is not my first choice. I need mountains. Every time I see a drone view of a house on Zillow or Realtor.com and see that flat horizon my heart pounds and I can't breathe for a second or two. Flat scares me. A friend that lives in Ohio said not to worry, they have hills. He just doesn't get my attachment to Mt. Lassen and Mt. Shasta and all the surrounding mountains. 

Why am I considering Ohio, you're probably asking yourself. Not such a long story. 

I've been diagnosed with Pulmonary Fibrosis. Not a good thing. Average kicking-of-the-bucket typically happens within 1 to 3 years after diagnosis. Diagnosed two months ago by accident, my worthless doctor actually had a report from a CT done in 2020 that showed the beginnings of IPF but failed to tell me. A CT done this year to look for something completely different showed progression. My chiropractor actually diagnosed it. No cure, just progression and then cough, choke, death. Crap!

 Ohio has Cleveland Clinic, which has an outstanding pulmonary department. So flatland it is. 

I'm extremely anxious and depressed with this. I've taken all the tests and am awaiting next doctor visit (with pulmonologist not old GP). In the meantime, I'm trying all the naturopathic things I can do. NAC, Vitamins C,D, & E. Doing some breathing exercises and (don't laugh) third chakra work. 

I'm working with a therapist on a Death with Dignity plan, which probably means coming back to west coast or another state that allows it. Ohio doesn't have that option. The thought of suffocating while my family stands by just doesn't have any appeal.

I have three kids (kids all in their 50's) but they are the most intelligent, funny and glorious humans. It makes me sad how much I will miss of their lives but mostly their humor and intelligent conversations. 

Don't get me wrong. I'm not giving up. I will put every effort into delaying the progression of this disease but there is no cure (YET). 

Dr. Pulmonologist says there are medications to help slow progression but the cost is about $70,000 a year which insurance will pay approx $1000 per month. He doesn't prescribe it, unless his patients insist, because it only has about a 5% efficiency in slowing progression. Can you imagine? $70,000 a year. Big Pharma scores again!

So, breathe deep, my friends. Keep moving. Get out of town when the skies fill up with wildfire smoke. 

I'll keep you all up to date. Back to packing and hacking!!!