@johnbishop, @laurenbutterfly, @gingerw, @colleenyoung, and all...
Hello my friends from so long ago, for so many years! I have missed every one of you wonderful, interesting, wise friends from my Mayo association.
I've been pretty busy the last several months, last 2 years, with lots of new illnesses, challenges, changes and working with my son and my dear lord to figure this aging thing out for me. Wow! A lot to figure out. Many battles to continue to fight, some even to win. Much refocusing and re-evaluating my situation, my life, my future! Yes, there is a future!
I will be 78 years old Feb. 6, 2025! Did not think I'd be alive at this age, but I'm living until the good Lord decides it's time for me to visit Him. I made that conscious decision this year, to live, Now, I am looking forward to living until I am 87... the age my mother and her mother each left this earth. Or beyond.
Last year, after carefully keeping free from any Covid infection through-out the pandemic, I got Covid in July 2024, and October 2024. July I improved nicely with isolation and Paxlovid. October, not so good... had 3 Remvesider IV infusions at Mayo. The 3rd was delayed as I was getting worse and was sent to ER. I had Covid pneumonia, got my O2 up to 90 in the ER and went home! I would not be admitted! I have a bi-pap and O2 at home used nightly, so I convinced the ER I would stay on them until my O2 stayed at 90+ during the day. Kept me out of the hospital!
I was in bed for a week, on the bi-pap with O2 for 3 full days, 24 hours a day. I beat that infection! But, have not been the same since. Much more limited walking, no pool therapy for months, many more infections, especially UTI and ER visits, hospital stays for IV antibiotics, multiple antibiotics for months, increased heart disease and many limitations.
So, I fought hard. Really hard. I now live pretty much upstairs, in my 3 bedroom condo, full baths upstairs. My bedroom is large with a wall of windows overlooking the parking area, but upstairs I see only God's beauty-my old live oak tree, with Spanish moss-northern Florida-squirrel families, owls, birds of prey, songbirds, and nature. I keep my drapes open all day, only close when dressing. Decorated this room with things I love, my pretties from my life, my Christmas tree is a 3' ceramic tree my mother made for me decades ago, my creche I love and rescue plants that were dying at the garden center, I loved back to life. Have my TV, laptop, cell and then... turned a small bedroom into a wonderful little kitchen with a small fridge with ice, keep all my food supplies there and my favorite only dishes, glasses, and flatware.
Have my groceries delivered and go downstairs to bring them up to my kitchen. Slowly. No hurry... just easy- peasy a step at a time, maybe taking 2-3 trips over a day or two. It works. After several hospitalizations, nursing assistance was wonderful and kept me from having to go into a rehab facility. I don't want to be around people.
I eat yogurt, granola, small ice cream cups for special dessert, diet coke, bottled water, fresh salmon salad, protein drinks, green iced tea... get the picture? It works just fine for me. I live in my upstairs bubble, safe, away from others with infections, welcome the outside world into my world with my windows, learn and keep active upstairs on my laptop, YouTube, movies, cell, Hallow app, and slowly improving. Hit the therapy pool last week!!! Yea! Most days I get 1000-2500 steps in now. Good for me... I am slowly better. Staying in my home of 35 years. Across from my disabled son. I visit him every few days to watch movies or catch up on TV series or listen to a podcast or music.

This is now how I live and stay home. No volunteering, no attending groups, no church-join online no. Isolation is my friends, with several autoimmune illnesses and a wonky immune system. But, I am truly connected to God, my son, my rescue kitty of 10 years, Samantha, my plants, nature and beauty outside my window. Still on the roller-coaster many endure, high ups, low downs... but still have ups! That's a good thing.

I suppose my best advice from my current position in life, is to accept your life as it is given to you, fight like the dickens to make it better, to be as healthy as possible for you. Be your best advocate... fight the system that's usually setting up walls, make your life what you need... Know you can do it... think clearly for what is best for you. No cabinet doors? ok! No steps? ok! Live more isolated if necessary but stay in touch with the world however you can... Enjoy your life with what you have... with God filling your heart and a kitty or puppy if you can... kitty is easier for me now. Ask for help when needed. Be in control of you!

God bless each of you and may you find your best life in this time of your life, whatever it may be.
ESS

So, I stay in my home,