My month long vacation from the real world.

I'm still processing all that took place in the last 5 weeks, but suffice to say that though it was a vacation from life it was also life exponentially enhanced...

I took four trips to the ER (wait, I only went three times as my sister took a turn on the 3rd of July) but there were 4 visits to the ER in my month. My mom has a newly recurring obsession with going to see docs in different parts of the country. That's all I can think of -- since she's a very healthy 72 year old and the idea of her being sick scares me, so I'd rather just think of it as her wanting to meet new doctors and check out ER response to cardiac episodes in Maine and Wisconsin. (end results: she's got a-fib but is doing well, thanks!)

Two of the trips were for my daughter who had scary nasty red welts that oozed a golden liquid that crusted over like amber... yeah. gross. Doc at the ER in Elyria, OH thought it was a bug bite and/or cellulitus and/or a recurrence of Lyme with a twist. I was afraid it was some horrific systemic infection that was erupting with these odd puss pockets and I was kinda freaked out. My cousin, a house call doc in Chicago, hadn't seen anything like them either (which added to my freak out). I am *not* an abx lover, but the idea of a horrible systemic infection or recurrence of Lyme had me really upset - so we went with a 10 day regimen. I figured I could rebuild gut health and we can watch our sugars intake - since we're working towards a more traditional diet, we'll go all out with the Candida Free diet, etc and rebuild her and our family's immunity.

Six days on the antibiotics however and her ankle swelled and bruised and looked just nasty - very quickly. The doc at that pediatric ER in Fargo was very nonplussed about it and said quite calmly: "your daughter is allergic to mosquito bites." She said that there are parents who are quite upset about the diagnosis. I hugged her. I can handle a mosquito allergy. I couldn't handle the idea of an unknown systemic infection that didn't respond to abx!

A near tornado experience, a night sleeping in the car, nasty hotel front desk clerks, and way too many steps off my holistic path, but I'm home and making plans to move back towards my center... and to keep my family close!

I have people to contact to let them know that I didn't actually drop off the face of the Earth and that I'm still very much alive and well and planning to participate in whatever it was I was participating in prior to heading for points west. I thank everyone for holding out for my return! :)