Phlox from the big garden bed. And a little spider.

Don is doing better. He’s still very weak, but he’s reading and watching the very old prehistoric television set that is in our bedroom. He slept a lot yesterday, still sweating out the toxins in his body. He’s been up this morning to have a cup of coffee, take a shower, and now he’s back in bed eating some oatmeal.

A very tense and scary few days here at the cottage, because, even though my instinct said it might be Lyme (I was the one who first suggested it), we are in the middle of a pandemic and there were moments when I was very fearful. I don’t need to say more than that about it, but I will say that when the antibiotic started to work, I was incredibly relieved.

By the way, several years ago when I contracted Lyme disease, I had to get a prescription for Doxycycline. My health insurance at the time didn’t cover the prescription cost. It was nearly $200 and we didn’t have much money but we had no choice but to pay for it. The price had skyrocketed for some reason – greed, most likely. I used to dispense Doxy when I worked at the animal hospital and it had never been that expensive. I don’t know it that’s still the case, but with Medicare, Don’s prescription the other day was just over $4.00.

Don has had Lyme twice before this bout. I’ve had it. Our dogs had it. We’re well aware of the symptoms and how to deal with it. It could have been the tick that Don saw. Or he could have had a bite that we never saw. I do think, and I’ve heard this from others, that Don might be more susceptible to even a minor tick bite given his past history. One of the most important centers for the study and treatment of Lyme Disease is in Florida, near Mere’s house, and she has worked with people who come there to be treated. When I had it, I had a fever and mild chills, but nothing like what Don has experienced every time he was diagnosed.

I’m grateful that he’s slowly improving. Thank goodness. I’m still sleeping downstairs because his sleep rhythms are off and he should feel free to move around without having to worry about me. Yesterday, I made a run to our local farm stand for vegetables and fruit, all of which we had run out of. And I’ve cooked dinner for the past three nights – you know things are bad when that happens.

Thank you for your kind wishes and all your prayers. We’re definitely seeing light at the end of the tunnel.

Rest in Peace, John Lewis. A true hero has left us. As he said, we have to make ‘good trouble.’ That is the way to honor his legacy.

Stay safe.

Happy Saturday.

I sat out on the porch this morning and listened to our neighboring bullfrog, who has been very vocal lately. I find that sound very comforting.

This will be quick. Don’s fever and chills came, went, and came back again yesterday more times than I can count. We decided he should schedule a video appointment with his doctor and that happened around 2 pm. Thankfully, when Don explained his symptoms, his doctor went ahead and prescribed some Doxycycline, although at some point Don will have to go in for a Lyme test. I drove to the pharmacy, which has curbside pickup, and then hightailed it home. He felt miserable throughout the evening and into the night, sweating through this shirt and the sheets. But this morning, I’m seeing some signs of improvement. Nothing huge yet, but his voice has more energy and he didn’t have a fever when he got up. He’s back in bed now, but he’s listening to his morning meeting on the phone, so that’s a good sign.

We routinely check each other for ticks after we’ve been working outside. About a week and a half ago, he found a tick on his arm. It was attached but by the time I saw it, it wasn’t engorged, so we figured it hadn’t been there long enough to do any damage. No bullseye that we could see. Of course, there’s also the possibility that we could have missed a tick bite somewhere.

This has been very worrisome and continues to be, though I’m feeling a bit lighter this morning.

Anyway, that’s the latest. He’s pretty weak, which is completely understandable given what he’s been through. This is a guy who would never stay in bed unless he felt utterly miserable. I slept downstairs again last night and will probably do it again tonight.

I’ll keep you informed. I hope you don’t mind, but I really don’t have the energy to respond to comments. I’ll get back to that very soon. Thank you all so much for your good wishes. They mean a great deal to us.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.