Part 2.

I managed to hang on through July in spite of my sweet and 15 year old dog, Seurat’s illness and my 2-3 times/week visit to my doctor. (details in Part 1) Mostly I focused on the all important date of July 25: my scheduled Pulmonary biopsy at Hospital Biblica in San Jose. The date was also when two of my sons were scheduled to arrive in San Jose. Mike would be staying for 2 weeks, Tim for 3 in order to help me as much as possible after my lung biopsy.

As the date approached, I was nervous about the one pre-requisite that the Dr. Guido, the Thoracic surgeon had stipulated. I must be able to walk after the surgery. I kept asking Dr. Hernandez if he thought I would be able to walk, and he said yes. Definitely. And I was. My well bandaged foot could fit nicely into the open backed Crocs.

Billy and I decided to go to San Jose a day early so that we could arrive by 6 a.m. on surgery day. We thought we would get good night’s sleep, but our bargain hotel didn’t comply. My room was perhaps 12 feet from the train tracks and Billy’s room was under the stairs to the second floor. The entire hotel was filled, mostly with French 20-something backpackers who apparently loved playing hide and seek which entailed a lot of running up and down the stairs. With each of our alarms set for 5, we left our dubious and memorable hotel soon after. Its proximity to the hospital was pretty much its only plus.

Though the prep and surgery went amazingly smoothly, my focus after being wheeled back to my room was on Mike and Tim. I didn’t have to wait long! It was a perfect ‘homecoming’! And soon after Dr. Guido came by to check on me and remove the lung drain. The mood was upbeat and his evaluation was that I was doing great! I felt a bit like the odd one – a reclining old woman surrounded by men in their 40’s – all excitedly watching Dr. Guido’s video of the inside of my lungs! It felt oddly a little personal. And then I got to see it! Wow. How often does one get to view one’s insides?

After a night in San Jose, just to be safe – we returned home with Billy driving and just in time for my scheduled appointment with Dr. Hernandez. Now I had two wounds to check

Of course I over-did when my sons were here – and of course I set myself back. Dr. Hernandez was quite upset and I was ordered back to relaxing with my foot elevated on a pillow.

After Mike returned to the US, Tim and I had two primary objectives, both relating to my lung disease, ILD. First we would return to San Jose to meet with pulmonologist, Dr. Rojas for the definitive diagnosis of which ILD I had and how best to treat it.. And, we would begin the cleaning of my house to prevent dust buildup.

What a job!  My office was the first task!  Everything was examined and either thrown away or put safely into a labeled plastic box.

Sitting in Dr. Rojas’ office with Dr. Guido also present to check my under arm wound from the inter-costal lung biopsy, we listened. Dr. Rojas delivered the news quietly. I had hypersensitivity pneumonitis or Bird Keeper’s Lung. He went on to say that he had researched through my website and found that I had a long standing relationship with pigeons and chickens and parrots. I held my breath just a bit and continued listening. My ILD was likely caused by a genetic predisposition as well as my close relationship with various birds in NM and now. The treatment would begin as soon as my foot healed – with immuno suppressant therapy. And just as he said it, I already knew. Sage, my African Grey parrot would need to be relocated to a new home.

It was too much to take in all at once. Numbness was my first response. Over the next week that I had with Tim, we talked a lot and I thought a lot. Where could Sage go? How is it that I got ‘Bird Keeper’s Lung’ and others I know didn’t? Why? When? Finally it was Tim who said that this was perhaps a gift in being able to choose wisely for Sage. He pointed out the very real scenario of ‘something’ happening to me requiring that he come quickly and deal with my precious animal family. My dogs would be relatively easy as several friends loved them. But Sage? Having and caring for an African Grey parrot is unlike most bird owner’s experiences and quite a lot different than caring for dogs or cats. Tim would not have the time that I had right now.

So my thinking shifted to what was best for Sage. And along with my head, I felt my heart shift. I needed to find someone who was younger than me (Sage at 14 could live another 40+ years), lived nearby and who was willing to interact daily with a very curious, intelligent and talkative parrot. He/she preferably had other family members, other birds, experience with parrots and great love for them. It was a tall order.

And the answer turned out to be right in front of me.

Dr. Mario Hernandez was my orthopedic surgeon who had done the surgery and was now bandaging and checking my healing wound 2-3 times a week. Each time he and Billy would get into animated conversations that I couldn’t entirely follow, but that were always about animals. Billy’s farm, cows, horses, bull dogs, and one day I heard Dr. talk about his chickens and ducks and geese and a peacock and a parrot…. I interjected that I had an African Grey parrot! Dr. Hernandez looked up and said that the Africano was very intelligent, expensive and difficult to find in Costa Rica. He would love to meet one. I’d filed the information away, but now it had suddenly resurfaced. And so we began talking about Sage moving to Dr. Hernandez’ family home in downtown San Isidro – just 10 minutes from my place. He began having a large cage built for Sage in his yard, right next to his house and also next to his Eclectus parrot.

On Monday, August 25 Billy and I took a rather calm and compliant Sage to Dr. Mario and introduced him to his new friend and family that did include two irascible bull dogs. I visited three days later when I had my next scheduled appointment, and everyone, human and parrots looked great. Sage seemed like he already knew this would all turn out as it did. Sometimes I wonder a lot about the depth of what Sage and other animals really understand. And I also wonder how he talks with the Eclectus who only speaks spanish. Spanglish?

Between a Rock and a Heart Place

In September I am almost to the end of the Achilles heel treatment and almost to the beginning of the ILD treatment. I’ve thought of myself ‘between a rock and a hard place’ more than once. Someone suggested the title for the Medical Expenses Painting Sale as a slight alteration of that familiar phrase. “Between a Rock and a Heart Place” was perfect. It created the transition of focus to art, with all its healing powers. Son Tim took all 80 of the photographed, sorted and numbered paintings with him to Seattle in early August. Then son, Jonathan got all 80 up and visible on a web page for the sale.

My job is now back in my office, with a new added window – writing a personal paragraph for each painting. I am still seated at my desk with my foot resting on a pillow and within a whisper of complete healing. With each paragraph I write I am now revisiting each painting and the intimacy of the brush strokes and color.

Update:  Dr. Mario reports that Sage listens for him to walk through the front gate of his home and whistles. Then the interaction begins – with a kind of “Simon Says”  game of varying whistling medleys from both. It makes me smile because I know the game. And it means that Sage is happy.

Please enjoy walking through the online painting sale that begins October 1.