day 9, 30 days of thanks continues....

Today i am thankful for my health. Around my birthday (right as i came home from Ohio), I was sick with some really odd symptoms. i finally went to the doctor on my birthday and he ran some tests. about a week later, the tests came back that i had some virus - but this virus actually had a name - CMV; part of the mononuclosis family, (not the usual, oh, its just a virus). so i looked it up on the internet and yep, sure enough i had all the symptoms but one.

It started when we were descending on the airplane on my way home from Ohio. my quads started cramping up horribly. by the time i got off the airplane, i could hardly walk. (i'm not exaggerating here.....) i grabbed a luggage cart and had to use it for support. i got my luggage and sat down to call my husband. i said to him, "something is wrong with my legs". i am not a dramatic person by any means, so he took this to be alarming. my shuttle finally arrived and i felt nauseaous the whole way home. by the time i got home i was white as a sheet and very shakey. my legs were quite painful so i took a hot shower and layed down. i felt so horrible not only physically, but mentally as well because jeff had been taking care of the kids while i was gone and dillon had had a very high fever (another reason to feel stressed). i wanted to help him out but i couldn't. i guess i felt guilty.

the next day my legs felt better, but then i was walloped by extreme exhaustion and fatigue. i could hardly walk a foot without being out of breath. then my body started aching in weird spots, like the back of my knees and then my elbows, and then my shoulder blade, back of my neck, etc.

I was put on an antibotic, but the whole time waiting for the tests results, internally i was freaking out. what was wrong? is this something serious? i can't be sick - i have kids to take care of. it was killing me that i had no energy, no drive, couldn't even go to my studio. it was scary.

the virus i had is actually quite common. 3/4 of adults have been exposed to it, but just don't become symptomatic. eventually i started feeling better day by day. by the time i went to Artnsoul, i was still fatigued, but standing on much better ground.

i also had a breast scare too that turned out to be fine. i am lucky. i am feeling well and healthy. i know so many people with chronic ailments (my son being #1 on the list) - so i know how hard it is to feel ill all the time. it's draining, it's depressing, etc.

so today i am thankful that my little virus episode was just that, a minor blurb. i am lucky to be healthy. my thoughts are with those who are dealing with illnesses, recent diagnosises, chronic ailments.