Life is What Happens After You Make Other Plans

This was the year (2009) when the stress levels were going to lessen, my wonderful husband and I would have more free time to start this thing called retirement. That was my first (of many) mistakes, thinking ahead to 2009. Enter the words of Susan Johnson, a wonderful Christian author. 'LIFE IS WHAT HAPPENS AFTER YOU MAKE OTHER PLANS'.

I never even got the chance to ease into 2009. Two weeks before the end of 2008 I innocently stepped off our deck stair and bingo, heard a loud poping sound and my right legs collasped in agnoziging pain. Saw my orthopedic doctor and his best guess was a torn ligament in my knee. This should have been my first clue that my extended plans were fading into no where land by the minute. Since it was only 2weeks until the end of the year the doctor and I decided to wait until the New Year to get an MRI. Was fitted with a strong kneebrace and off Bill and I went, me limping to the car thinking, well this should not be so bad. I'll have surgery after the first of the year and recover in no time at all, remember the phase LIFE IS WHAT HAPPENS.......I wasn't at the time.



New Years Day (2009) I felt a cold catching me so a few days later went to an urgent care clinic. Was given antibodics and cough syrup. The thought did run through my mind that this wasn't in my plan for the beginning of 2009. Two weeks later I was still sick so back to the urgent care clinic. More antibodics and cough syrup for a week. Now, if I had been in my right mind I would have known, after working for a doctor for 10 years, that what I should have done was to see my internist.



By January 13th Bill noticed I was slurring my words and not walking straight, I denied everything. He finally had to tell me either I get in the car with him to go the ER at our local hospital or he was going to call 911. To appease him I agreed to go to the ER certain that all I had was a cold that was hanging on. WRONG!



After a chest X-ray they informed us that I had pneumonia in 3 of our 5 lung lobes and had to be admitted as this pneumonia was quite serious. By now, I knew my plans for January 2009 were blown to bits. After several days in the hospital, with my knee in a strong brace and hooked up to all kinds of tubes they released me with strick instructions to see my internist in a few days.



I still did not comprehend the seriousness of having pneumonia and the length of time it takes to recover, the doctor said two months, my thought was, I'll be up and running in no time. How did I get to be 63 years old and be this dumb? Little things did get my attention at home, like how much I was huffing and puffing just walking up our stairs.



Well, I have been humbled 'big time', I am not invincible after all. After 3 chest X-rays that showed I still have lingering pneunomia in one lobe I had to cancel my knee surgery 3 times!!! My next X-ray will be last week of March and if that one is clear I can schedule my knee surgery.



So, I now am racing around the stores in those electric carts for 'old people' and accepting Barbara's Johnson's saying, LIFE IS WHAT HAPPENS AFTER YOU MAKE OTHER PLANS.