As I was driving all those long hours cross country this week, many friends messaged me to send words of encouragement. My phone has a unique feature where I can ask it to read my messages and to dictate a reply. The dictation feature insists you enunciate clearly and speak slowly. Project! Or else, you end up telling your friend she might have a you’re an airy infection. Or you might just sleep in your truck so you don’t have to take your cock out of the back. It can get embarrassing. Or at least very funny! Ahhh…the price you pay for safety!
At any rate, I received a message from a second cousin twice removed and he wanted my number. He said we needed to talk. Now, all the way to St. Louis, I was planning to head south toward Tennessee to visit cousins. But the closer I got, I was being drawn to come home. As soon as I called my cousin to say I gave in to the call home, my phone rang. It was the second cousin twice removed informing me my aunt had been taken to the hospital in the afternoon. They weren’t sure what was going on, but she had huge blisters on her lower legs and ankles. They drew blood for tests, started her on antibiotics and admitted her. After grabbing a few hours sleep, I went down to the hospital, took one look at her legs and said, “Have you been out rummaging around in that black raspberry patch at the end of the road? She lit up and said, “Oh, my! Those berries were as big as my thumb!” I asked for a piece of paper and wrote down that I thought she had chiggers and her overactive immune response developed the blisters. Then I googled it. Nailed it! The doctor came in and seemed to agree. The thing is, you look at a meek little old lady with a rash and blisters on her ankles and berry picking is not the differential diagnosis. It helps to have a friend or family member along who knows the patient’s habits and history.
After I solved the hospital debacle, I ran errands and came back to the river. I was going boating with a friend but the boat wouldn’t start so we sat on the boat anyway…all evening, and ate and visited. We still got the motion of the passing boats and we didn’t waste the gas. Win-Win!
Sleep is my new best friend!
❤️
“Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.”
3 John 1:2 NIV