COVID, you have been a pain

Covid wrecked so many people and so many plans. In February 2020, we snuck in a little trip to Ottawa for the Winterlude festival to skate the Rideau Canal. This was a bucket list dream of mine and I'm so thankful we did it. We had a long weekend of brutally cold temperatures, skating, Canadian culture, and hockey. It was truly wonderful. We just had no idea it would be the last trip for a long while. We had a cruise planned for March 13, 2020, which was canceled the day prior. Then the big lock down happened. Our summer trip to Italy was cancelled next. Then in December, before vaccines were available to us, I got Covid. by day 10 I was on a ventilator and a helicopter to a pulmonary hospital. Two days later I was airlifted to Oklahoma City and placed on ECMO. I was sedated 2 1/2 months. They began looking for lungs and kidneys for transplant for me. In March, I woke up with a trache in my throat. Two weeks later I was finally able to speak and they sent me back to Fort Worth. I had liver failure and was moved to a transplant floor. Then sepsis hit. Recovery was a huge challenge. Fortunately, my organs rallied with good nutrition and medication so no transplants were necessary. I went through several months of physical therapy to learn to walk again and build back some endurance. I still have a long way to go, but I am here and working hard to cherish each day. So, with hopes towards a brighter future and a better 2022, we have booked a few trips. Our hopes are for a March cruise to the Caribbean and a June cruise to the Arctic Circle for the Midnight Sun. I hope to be able to complete these trips and share my continued recovery. As Rick Steves says, keep on traveling.