Well, it all started with a spider, “that lay down beside her” and took a bite of my leg. Preparing for my first trip outside of my bunker in NYC my worry was about contracting COVID and so amid a pandemic, I never imagined a spider could take me down. After a week I noticed the bite had become infected and my only recourse was to go to the Walk-In Medical down the block where I’d gotten tested for the virus and antibodies. This post is also a bit of a commentary on the state of medical care for things that maybe aren’t so big but can become a runaway train. A sad realization, you are on your own. The following narrative is what you get for paying $600+ a month for Medicare and private insurance. Yet, I am still so very privileged compared to others.
A week before COVID came upon us, I had a physical, and my regular doctor informed me she was no longer taking my insurance. I meant to get a new primary care doctor, but with COVID it was not business as usual. That’s how I ended up going to the Walk-In Medical. The first doctor gave me an antibiotic, but the infection worsened, and when I returned there was a different doctor and a different more powerful antibiotic. I was told to take a probiotic with the antibiotic 2x a day. Later when I took control of my destiny, went into medical journals, and did research, I find out that if you take a probiotic with an antibiotic the antibiotic will kill any contribution the probiotic is making and renders its impact void. Instructed to return the next day, yet another doctor sent me to the Emergency Room of a local hospital where yet another doctor gave me a different IV antibiotic that caused a reaction. The IV had to stop, I was given Benadryl and the antibiotic was flushed out. There was no sign on any paperwork that I had this kind of reaction or whether and if that meant I was allergic to this antibiotic. The next morning I got a new and fabulous Primary Care doctor and we had a telehealth consultation agreeing I would come in for another physical in September.
About three days after this visit, I had chills, fever, nausea, and other symptoms that kept me in the bathroom several times an hour. You know my first thought and that of my doctor was the virus, but no respiratory symptoms. Perhaps the stomach flu, we’ll give it two days. When Day 5 comes with no relief more tests, my doctor called and told me I had a very toxic and dangerous infection in my colon, which the antibiotic prescribed for my spider bite put me at high risk of contracting. Nobody told me that this antibiotic would kill all the good bacteria in my microbiome, allowing this toxic bacteria to take over. This infection also has a high rate of re-occurrence after treatment. To make this adventure even more exciting, the most common treatment was yet another antibiotic, the one I reacted to in the Emergency Room. So my doctor prescribed another one of the recommended antibiotics, this one very expensive and needing to be specially ordered. By the time my treatment began, I lost 5 lbs. and before the end another 5lb. Meanwhile, my new doctor was monitoring me for dehydration and an enlarged colon as many people who get this infection end up in the hospital. I continued to scour everything I could about this, how to prevent re-occurrence, and all the things I had to change and do to make sure this did not re-emerge.
There is an end to this story and you know me, it is a happy and positive one. While COVID was the first of life-altering events this summer, this illness was another. I am grateful. I thought I had slowed down, changed my lifestyle to one of less stress and a healthier way of eating and taking care of myself, but this illness showed me even that was not enough. No social media, I did not even want to talk on the phone. Those worried sent me texts. No work, no content creation, no writing for public consumption. Everything I was doing, eating, drinking came to a halt. Everyplace I was going. A deeper and more profound halt than that caused by the pandemic. I took responsibility for finding out how this had happened and what I needed to do in response, and that was the day I began to be well.
Until I knew what was wrong with me, I must admit I was scared. People die from what I had. But this complete stop and getting through it, made me feel so grateful for the life I have had and the one it looks like I will continue to have. What is important to me became even more clear and more important. I moved to take even greater responsibility for my own life and well-being, which oddly made me feel safer than depending on the institutions that are falling apart all around me here in the U.S.
This transition time between illness and health has been one of creativity, nurturing, and care. I have a new routine. One that involves a complete change of diet, early morning yoga, and most pleasing to me, writing every day. I do one thing at a time before I start another. I post and engage on social media less. When I do it’s because I have something I wish to say. I invite my followers to slow down and pause a while to read my caption. I am intentional in every task I take on. No more coffee but lovely rituals around making tea. My energy is like a slow even burn throughout the day no more late afternoon crash. My hair is getting long. I’m cooking. Listening to music and dancing. I dream of gardens, but for now, I am tending to the flora in my microbiome until we find our new home where I can have one with flowers.
In some ways, I am finding it hard to return to the actual world. I’ve made myself a little healing cocoon and I’m not ready to come out. Like a newborn baby, I’m not looking forward to the bright lights and loud noises. So this too I am doing one thing at a time, one step out and then back in.
Some updates: Calvin and I just signed a contract for a new (vintage 1912) home. About an hour north of NYC and ten minutes from my daughter, it’s in a small and diverse city on the Hudson. Can’t wait to share details. It needs some work to make it ours so stay tuned.
I’ve received a good amount of interesting beauty products and other things to try lately and so I thought I might share some of my favorites. I’ve been having fun experimenting with them.
It’s #secondhandseptember so in this photo, I’m wearing a vintage dress I got at A Current Affair a beautifully curated vintage show held in LA and Brooklyn. This year it will be virtual Sept. 24-26. And of course some vintage costume earrings.
Thank you to those who sent me emails and enquired after my well-being, I so appreciate my thoughtful followers.
What revelations have you been having during this time of transition, your personal ones, and the one we are all in right now because of life circumstances?
So glad you are better. Your story hit home. Be safe and well while you embark on your new home adventure.
You go girl we
Strong women are survivors we love you
Miss Sunday Akron ohio
So sorry but at the same time thankful because it really could have been so much worse. Take care
Soooooo good to hear you are recovering your health! You have been missed and thought about much.
The mid Hudson river is pure magic, steeped in history and with big fabulous geology! Enjoy!!!
Going back to my roots, grew up in a small town on the Hudson.
You are an absolute Love & Inspiration – all the best to you & Calvin and GO GET’EM WOMAN!!!
Will do!
I am sending health, strength and warm virtual hugs your way. You are such a Sage for me and an inspiration. So glad to hear you are on the mend- so scary.
peace and grace,
Pam
My goodness! So glad you are feeling better.
We all have our COVID scares-
We must acknowledge our feelings about this most abnormal time.
I did venture out to my Primary Care Dr. for a Medicare Wellness check and of the 20 questions she asked, for one I admitted that in the past 6 months I have felt scared and depressed over the lockdown and she was very anxious re: my response, whereupon I told her that to be mentally healthy I must recognize our feelings and be kind to ourselves. She had no clue. You are correct; we must take charge of our own health.
So glad to be following you on your blog! ?
Great story, makes the point.
I’m so glad you are feeling better. I have been reading about your transition from full-on work to a less frenetic lifestyle with interest and recognition. I love your hair longer – I am considering the same but sometimes the thought of having to spend time drying it so that it doesn’t just look limp and ratty puts me off. I think a fringe too (bangs in your USA talk!). Take it easy, and get yourself well.
One silver lining. Those of us lucky enough to have been working are having more control over how and when we do it.
So glad you are on the road to recovery and looking forward to read your inspiring posts again
Thank you for sharing your trauma and your journey forward. I hope it will be smooth sailing for you going forwards.
Best regards,
Vicki
Roslyn NY
Fingers crossed.
It’s wonderful to have you back in good health again.?
Hi Lyn,
So sorry to hear you’ve been unwell and above all that the worst was due to poor treatment. I have been a victim of bad health care treatments myself, many times, in different countries.
The revelations I had since Covid are many and I like to think they are all positive. I have learned how self care is essential to move forward. Not that I didn’t know it but now I really practise it. I understood that there’s no time to be wasted on things i don’t enjoy doing and even though is hard to get where i want, i have taken baby steps toward the right path. I understood that a meaningful life is doing Something you like and are passionate about and that helps others at the same time. Without the second element, the first becomes just another thing to get by.
I hope you’re better now and enjoying your cocoon. Take care.
Bianca
Thanks so much for sharing your reflections.
Ms. Lyn, I am wondering if your spider that sat down beside you was a Brown Recluse. My sister also was bitten once. Had the same near-death experience. It’s amazing and wonderful you got through this episode.
Actually the problem came from the antibiotic not the actual spider!
Lyn, I was born & brought up in Poland. In my young years spent there every time being on antibiotics I had to drink kefir for the good bacteria. There is something to it! Dont give up taking probiotics with antibiotics, they somehow survive and correct good balance in our digestive system. I always drink kefir when on antibiotics and daily as well! Glad you are well again and back to nurturing our souls!
I’ve just started following you. Glad for your happy ending!
Love hearing about the changes in your life.
Welcome!
Oh my goodness! That does sound scary. So glad you are better. I listened to you on the Women We Love podcast and it was nice to hear what you sound like. Hope your health returns to 100% soon.
That was a fun podcast to do.Glad you liked it.
You are such a inspiration. I need all I can get right now. Thank you
I missed you and am so very happy and relieved that you are blossoming once again. Congratulations on the new Vintage home. Life continues to be an adventure.
Indeed it does!
Thank you for this post — its alerts and important information. An absolutely divine photograph. Thank you for sharing your talents and style with others! You are incredibly inspiring. All best wishes, Patricia
Thanks so much.
Oh my – what an ordeal. Thankfully your medical needs got sorted out.
You look fabulous in this pic.
I still can’t get over as to what US medical care costs. I’m Canadian and live in B.C. Our medical care is pretty well free. We no longer have to pay into the provincial plan – this was cancelled in January and it was not high to begin with = to see drs. We do pay for medication – but I also have a separate extended health care plan which covers a certain % and I’m also on PharmaCare (free to enrol) so medication costs are minimal.
I like your transition from illness to health – we should all follow.
Enjoy the remaining days of summer
Sometimes it’s the getting well story that is the interesting one.
Thank you for sharing your informative and thought-provoking article. I admire your investigative nature and your move towards a life filled with family, flowers, and flora! God bless you, I am right there with you!
Michele from Oregon
Happy to have the company.
Oh my goddess, I am so glad that you are well and have come through this better for the experience. You strength and force of will saved you. Rock on!
Hi Lyn!
I’m so sorry for the crazy experience you’ve had but happy you are doing better and finding new peace. Here’s a strange but effective treatment for a spider bite. I was bitten by a brown recluse. It was bad. My Amish niece sliced a potato , placed it on the bite and wrapped the leg. Within an hour the slice was black. She replaced with a fresh slice. This went on for 2 weeks as the replacement times spread further apart. Eventually the slice no longer turned black with poison and my leg was spared. Sounds crazy but her family uses this for any serious bite or sting.
Take care and enjoy your new home!!
Amazing holistic solution thank you.
Congratulations!!
What a fabulous new life you have waiting for you!!!
I am very very grateful.
So glad to hear you are well on the way to recovered and are preparing for your next phase. I long have been underwhelmed by the US healthcare system; firstly, the various challenges allied with dealing with insurance, and then, secondly, the absolute necessity of being your own best advocate or, if that isn’t possible, then having a fully engaged advocate to represent you. At least one of those is necessary. I hope you continue to pursue your self care steps. They clearly have you treading a new path leading to fresh insights. Be well, and keep us posted.
I am so happy you are doing well and that you’re on the mend. Unimaginable what you went through because of a spider bite! Life is so fragile. Your communications were, no doubt, missed by many of us, myself included. It will be lovely to watch your move in the upcoming weeks. Take care.
Thanks for the kind words
So happy you are on the mend!
It’s truly amazing how much the body can tolerate and still heal.
It sounds like you are on the right road!
Me here again living in Christchurch NZ my birth and forever home. Everyone is scared and we should be too..Here in NZ we beat this Covid and it came back very small but frightening that even in this small amount of people where did it come from Two more people lost their lives which bring’s NZ Covid Deaths to 25 people and 1800 total have caught it,,our propulation is just over 5 Million,,,,perhap’s someone sneeked in on a boat? this covid is a different strain which has not entered this country before… I learn’t very quickly as we age,,we need to eat what we cook ourselves and grow ourselves..I’ve just bought the biggest glasshouse to add to my garden,My husband and I start our day with a protein shake for breakfast,Pea Protein,is as good as you can get,,with blue berrys,banana,natural yoghurt,cinnamon,ginger,tumeric,cumin, black chia seed’s and Linseed too.Keeps us full and active to well after lunch which is generally a salad,,or asian dish plus High Protein meat or seafood or egg’s too.Tea is normally a sandwich and natural yoghurt with cinnamon and Mixed Berrys..fruits all day in between. no more nodding off in the chari straight after lunch anymore,,it’s True the word’s You are What you EAT…Can’t wait to hear more about your move and the next exciting step in your life,,I’m a tailor by trade and trained as an embroidery machinist too,,as much as I don’t like Mask’s,,I’ve sure enjoyed making some very pretty ones for my Christchurch Humans,,if we have to wear these mask’s we may as well look pretty while doing so..even managed to make some nice ones for the Men too..Stay Strong and Prepare for whats Next..
Thanks for the food suggestions and I’ll bet those are some gorgeous masks.
Glad you are on the road to wellness. Thank you for sharing what you went through. We can all learn from your wisdom.
Your new home sounds delightful. You will be away from the city but close enough to take the train in.
I will be excited to read your opinion on the beauty products.
Yes best of both worlds
So happy to hear that you are on the mend! You were missed. Take care and enjoy your new home!
I’m so glad to hear you are on the mend! Odd things have happened during this pandemic. I was the most careful person I know, not even going to the grocery, having everything delivered. Low and behold I was taken down by a fever and inflammation in my should (bursitis) that led to a trip to the ER and an ordered overnight stay to test and observe for infection. I haven’t had an overnight stay in a hospital in over 20 years! Thankfully, all turned out well, and I, too, took it as a sign to re-set, be grateful, and bring new awareness to my daily routines and rituals. I’m just determined to live the fullest life possible within the necessary limitations that are so important to observe.
Take care!
Yes, it seems to be bringing attention to health in many different ways.
Oh I can SO feel for you. I too had a bite that became infected and lead to a 2 night hospital stay. My bite was the dying cry for help from a beloved pet. It also marked the 3rd of my wedding anniversaries spent in hospital. I am still working and covered by what is considered very good Insurances, alas, I still have a bill of $3000. I too am not tolerant of most antibiotics and painkillers. I spent 5 days in the bathroom before I called 1st the Dr who said “probably a stomach bug” after some choice words to the Dr I called a Nurse Line and got the good advice about taking different care of myself. After another 4 days of mostly sick my body simply would not take another pill. How can this be healing me if my body is fighting the cure? I lost a much needed 10 lbs and am tending to a large ugly scar. I’ve had to come to grips with a more delicate body than I was previously used to. I’ve cherished loved ones more and re-committed to that self love you speak of in your new routines. Best Wishes and Take Good Care
Wow! This was so timely. We really must empower ourselves in all areas of our lives. No one cares about our health as much as WE do. Of course, we need to partner with experts but they don’t know it all and they benefit from our expertise on our bodies and our own research efforts.
I am glad you are on the mend and good for you in taking charge!
Hard to determine who is an expert these days!
I have thought of you and hoped you were OK. In this strange time we never know. My sister got a toxic spider bite a few years ago and it was nasty. I had a similarly bad reaction to an antibiotic a couple of months ago – it all seems so random anymore. The house on the Hudson sounds like a dream – a dear friend lives in Mahopac. The Hudson River Valley is one of my most favorite places. I am so glad you are better and hope to read more of your thoughts and adventures soon.
Thank you and you will. I am feeling even more ready for a new adventure.
I am so happy you’re feeling better. I love your style and attitude towards life. I am now taking a giant step back and re-evaluating my own lifestyle?
Glad houille!
I am sending you some Reiki energy. Be well and stay well ….we need you. It is time to rethink and regroup our lives. This pandemic has helped us in doing just that. For me, I have finally published a book I have had on hold for 30 years. It is called “Meditating Through Menopause” by Constance Lysko (me). In meditation, sometime in April, I asked my angels what can I do to help with this pandemic time. They answered….get your manuscript off the shelf and publish it. I went through menopause many years ago (I am 71) but if I can teach even one person to meditate I am happy. May you always know health, happiness and love, and your new home. Redo what needs to be done…SLOWLY. Love, Connie
Inspiring story, thank you
So, so familiar! Free clinics I had to use when I had no insurance was like a roller coaster ride. After many visits and misdiagnosis I was finally referred to the Mayo Clinic. On the one hand it eventually led (in a roundabout way) to thyroid cancer diagnosis and 3 surgeries. When you have no insurance the act of advocating for yourself can be as devastating as the disease you’re fighting. I still struggle despite having Medicare. Free clinics don’t keep good records and I had a lot of Levothyroxine doses mis-prescribed causing a myriad of bad reactions. I am now on the right track again, but still struggle to advocate for myself to get treated regardless of my income status. Thank you.
PS..I too, a couple years ago, suffered an insect bite…luckily I received treatment early on.
Glad t see you’re back! I love your blogs.
Thank you and thanks for sharing your story. Hope you are in a good recovery from the cancer.
Glad you’re okay!
Hi,
I follow you and enjoy reading your posts. I am teaching on line Biology to High School Students, my 3rd career as I am well past the age of retirement. I must tell you that this is not only a challenge teaching this way but also leaning new technology. I have an iMac ad the school provided me with a HP computer loaded with all the software I needed. I must say that what takes 11 steps to do on Microsoft only takes 3 steps on a user friendly Mac!
I wanted to mention your article you just shared regarding your “Spider Bite” situation and I would like to recommend that in the future or even now look into Homeopathic Medicine. It is real and there is a lot of articles related to it. Sometime it takes Western Medicine years to accept something it has been taught and is will not accept Homeopathic clinical trials or put them into medical journals or periodicals. Keep an open mind and do real research.
I like to cast a wide net and have been finding out a great deal about more holistic approaches.
Dear lady, sounds like you’ve got this… self care is the most important thing any of us will ever do❤My admiration and love is being sent to you along with thanks… your words meant something to me. I am seconds from the end of the very last stretch of road in the south island New Zealand in a 1930’s bungalow, your new home sounds like a great place for you to be. Love and happiness to you…Carey from Bluff NZ ❤????
Your bungalow sounds dreamy. I’m exceedingly jealous of you because of who you have as a leader, especially compared to mine
I am so glad that you are alright. You are an inspiration.
I would like for you to accept my request to begin following your website. Marianne
Will do
You’ve been through such a lot…..so pleased you’ve come out the other end in one piece (peace)
What an amazing story! My husband is mortally afraid of spiders for exactly this reason – their bites can be horrendous. I live in Victoria BC and we have some doozy huge ones out here that I’d never seen before moving out here. My heart goes out to you – how frightened you must have been especially now when the LAST thing anyone wants to do is go to an ER department anywhere. I contracted something odd too – my doc just said the tests had shown an inflammation in my bowel but it seems to have subsided with some “home remedy” approaches like probiotics, fasting, less fat and more fiber. So far so good 🙂 I wish you a full recovery!
Yes, I was really concerned about going to an ER. Fortunately, it all turned out well.
I am so glad to hear from you and to discover what actually has happened I’ve been curious as to where you’ve been
It is vital that you take good care of yourself and be informed as you have learned unfortunately the hard way I am an RN a very hard-working RN and I tell this to all the patients I see about being informed and being educated about what their medical diagnoses is and best plan if care. I also reinforce to take better Care of their health so if something does happen they possibly will take less of a burden to the body.
The situations that are occurring now have also changed me. I have not watched television for probably 4 1/2 months. No social media… used to be interesting to look at now it causes me distress. Outside of work I hike with my husband(a teacher) and our two older sons I crochet and read And we continue to play more board games than ever we are lucky in that we own a small home in Maine that we bought a few years ago so we retreat there a lot especially with our stressful jobs. I am so glad you are buying a new home outside of the city where you can relax and enjoy a less hectic life and a more stable situation whats happened in New York City is heartbreaking
Your outfit is just lovely and the sunglasses are great. Please take good care
Your patients are lucky to have you. There is a craving for realness these days and you describe what that means perfectly.
Hi, so glad you are back looking chic as ever. Love the fact you are taking responsibility for yourself…everything starts and ends with ourselves.
Exciting news on your new abode too.
Ml
Polly
Yes, I can’t wait to share the journey with you.
Hi Lyn
I wondered where you have been, and now I know. I am so glad that you are well and able to engage in activities again. Wow, what a scare. Our good health really is our wealth. It is like gold. Blessings to you. I am glad you posted. Thank you.
Thanks for the kind words.
Your story was inspirational.
So happy you are well.
Having been born and bred in NY ( it is in my blood) my husband tricked me 7 years ago to coming to Miami.
I am not. Floridian at heart and wish I could be back North.
Finances have changed for my husband and myself so various places ( such as you mentioned) are precluded. Oddly just yesterday my daughter who is in Santa Monica and hates California altogether……was speaking of Hastings on the Hudson.
Another obstacle is that I quit driving 20 years ago because living in Manhattan it became ridiculous and I never really liked it anyway. My husband doesn’t drive either and frankly you should all be grateful he stopped.
In the end I just want to say that I have followed your posts for awhile because ( though I won’t say how….I was a bit of a Manhattan icon as well and our taste in clothing is spot on.
Once a Manhattan fashion icon always an icon no matter where you live!
Thank you for the lovely read, and inspiration to slow down and create a cocoon. Kathryn – Melbourne
Great that you are getting better now. What a frightening experience. Thank you for writing about it. Take care.
Thanks for sharing this encouraging post. Like you, I’m writing more and enjoying it tremendously. It’s eye- and heart-opening in more ways than I can share in this post. Suffice it to say that life is giving me more reasons than ever to keep walking, practicing yoga, breathing deeply, and holding on to joy.
Well said!
What a delight this was to read, as it became clear you took charge & created your own healing cocoon, in which you are blossoming & thriving…hesitant to fully emerge from. I love this. Blessings of love & light to you! All sounds well with your soul. This is good.
I am an introvert & a home body. My son-in-law observed that I must be living my best life, when encouraged to socially distance & isolate myself. I’m not at all sure that’s a good thing, considering the horrible experiences so many are enduring as our planet is brought to its knees by pandemic…but, it is my reality, right now, in my little world. I never get my fill of home & quiet solitude.
I have been given personal freedom from things I didn’t even fully realize were burdens to me my whole life…like my vanity…Spending an hour every morning doing my hair & makeup after my shower…laying out my clothing, right down to shoes, bag, jewelry & accessories every night….Having my nails done professionally, as well as my hair. I have come to actually embrace how I love au naturale. Not bad for a 55 year old single mom who commuted the equivalent of an extra work week every month for 15 years…as a secretary.
You’d think I’d be reveling in more time, without my daily 4:30 am alarm & hour long drive in Chicagoland traffic and it’s true…”sleeping in” 2 hours, until 6:30 am is something I dread giving up again…when we hopefully kick covid to the curb & slowly return to some version of normal life someday. But actually…I had taken lemons & made lemonade…made friends with my commute…turning it into “me time” in which I sipped coffee, listened to music, podcasts & audio books…talked (hands-free) with my daughter…took country roads & rolled down the windows. I never thought I’d say this, but I rather miss driving my car. The one I traded in last year had 206k miles on it. I’m on car #3 in those 15 years.
I’m getting some very real time with my “just barely adult” sons, who are (thankfully) home with me during covid. I didn’t get to see or talk to them much, as they grew up. I was too busy working, driving, sleeping, running errands, cooking, doing housework, etc. A real silver lining to this surreal time, for me, is quality time getting to know my 18 & 21 year old sons. This is priceless to me…well, almost…I would never wish it would have happened because of our global crisis, of course.
Just like my workplace is rethinking who actually needs to be onsite every day with a physical office space, after we phase back to our new normal…I also find myself thinking bigger…dreaming bigger…letting my thoughts explore new possibilities. We could live anywhere & telecommute. Do I really need to own a car & all the expenses that go along with it?
I’m also realizing how life can turn on a dime. None of us are promised tomorrow. Am I living the life I really want? Is now the time to creatively think of a more fulfilling way to put a roof over our heads, clothes on our backs & food on the table? It feels more urgent now, to answer questions like these & take steps…even baby steps…toward a more satisfying life experience. The days of putting my head down & slogging thru my marathon days…mopping up on the weekends & starting all over every Monday morning are evolving. I’m having an awakening, as I believe many of us are.
That’s not a bad thing. It’s okay.
But I do realize, it’s a gift not everyone is given. I am truly grateful. Those of us who make it through this thing alive & well have an obligation to live our best lives…for our families & ourselves and to honor those this world lost.
Thank you for sharing these wonderful reflections. It shows us how to re-frame and re-imagine which this time is giving us the opportunity and the permission to do. Taking back control of our work and work lives in ways that allow us to be more human, I hope will be a significant outcome from this period.
Wow that was a horrific experience. I too had a out of control spider bite this summer. I was able to fight through it w Benedetto but my arm was bigger than a balloon. This was after a particularly frightening batch of maybe mosquito bites I now have an epi pen. Did your dr recommend one? I think you should get one!
It was not that I was allergic to the bite it got infected. So fortunately I don’t need an epi-pen but happy you found what you needed to remain sae.
I missed you! So very glad you’re doing better. So very sorry you had to go through it. Due to health issues, I’ve been pretty much home bound for about two years, so the COVID lockdown really didn’t effect me. Lots of reflection time. What I miss most is physical contact. No hugs, no touching at all. I’m looking forward to getting out.
I miss that part too. Here in New York we are pretty good so at least some hugs with my daughter are possible. Yet to see my mom thoght.
So glad you are better!
“Our bodies have this marvelous capacity to begin healing, if we simply stop doing what’s causing the problem …. making poor lifestyle choices.”
Dean Ornish
Congratulations on proving Dean Ornish correct!
Your story would be at home in the book, Radical Remissions, by Dr. Kelly Turner ….. stories about people taking control of their own healing. My son-in-law is using this book as the basis for healing his cancer.
Sounds like a good read, thanks for sharing that book and good wishes for recovery for your son-in-law
Lynn,
So glad to hear you are okay. I have followed you for years and never submitted anything, but thought this warranted an email.
Can’t wait to see your new house. Take care.
Happy you did! Thanks.
Thank you for this amazing story. I hope you feel much better now and I wish you all the best, Accidental Icon. Please write. I look forward to reading more from you.
Very warmly,
Dorota Kowalska
Warsaw, Poland
Been doing a great deal of that so stay tuned
I’m so glad you are recovering,
And congratulations on your new
Home.
Thank you.
Those of us who easily retreat into our own personal space may be coping better with the isolation and distancing brought about by the virus than those who need a lot of social or family interaction in their lives. My concerns about moving from the city to a quite isolated existence on acreage have subsided knowing that I am more creative and productive without the distractions of the city, and I can reach out to others if I feel the need. As horrific and disruptive these last seven months have been for so many people, I think it also has given many of us a new appreciation for life and what is possible beyond our known existence.
I agree with you completely. I just pray that there are enough of us to steer us to a more sustainable just and caring trajectory.
So glad to hear you are doing better after taking over your own care. Good luck on the house. Stay well and safe.
Thank you.
I’m so sorry you had such a difficult time. That you are coming out of it better than ever is excellent news. I’m writing from Portland where we’re on the sixth day of dangerously unbreathable air, on top of months of “staying in” due to coronavirus. The air is filled not just with smoke but free-floating anxiety. It feels like we’re all being tested, or presented with trials that encourage us to wake up and change our habits and ways of thinking. It sounds like you came through yours with flying colors. May we all be so successful!
Oh you and your poor city, it feels like you have been battered with one thing after another. I had a wonderful trip there a few years ago and I loved so many things about it, especially the creative spirit I found there. Prayers that it and you come out of the test even better than before.
Love your style!!! Fashion has no age!!
Love the longer hair so much and the gorgeous lovely purple.
I love my hair too. Somehow it makes me feel more powerful.
Oh, my goodness, what an uphill battle! So good to know that you overcame all of the obstacles and are now thriving.
Glad to know you’re safe and well. Take care and enjoy life, again.
Wow. So glad you are finally well. The doctors are limited. Medicine is a science. I’ve been battling a mysterious illness since 2014 and no doctor (many) have an answer. Don’t know where to research anymore. So glad you are well.
Thank you and I hope you find an answer somewhere.
I am one of the few welcoming this time of social rest. My “spider bite” is the death of my husband due to dementia. The pandemic has forced me inside due to my own health issues. I have gratefully had a lot of time to review my life, my grief, my future. I’ve been questioning going back to my life as it was and have clearly decided not to, however, I don’t know what to be when I grow up this time. Though I know I am heading toward the self care direction, I’m not there yet. I thank you for your candor and for putting into words some of the feelings I, too, am experiencing. The idea of blossoming from a chrysalis when this is over is the image I will now focus on.
I am so sorry for your loss. What I learned is that we have an instinct about how long to stay in the cocoon. We must give ourselves the time we need. If we let go and listen what we need, who we might be will come. So keep nurturing and caring for yourself, don;t push and you will find it.
You look marvelous and I am so happy you are feeling well! Thank you for sharing this and know that this type of setback is what makes us all so very human and alike. Cannot wait to see the unfolding of your new home! Love & Prayers
Thank you, I am busy with imaginings about what we’ll create.
Your story is very inspiring and a life-lesson for us all to take charge and stay in charge of our health. Thanks for sharing your journey during this incredibly challenging time. Stay well.
I’m glad that this experience might help others as well.
So glad you are better! I love your sense of beauty and style!!❤❤
Thank you, getting back to getting dressed up a bit.
The first time I saw you, I knew you were my kind of woman. Mature, self-aware, confident in whatever you wore and carried yourself like a queen. I said to myself, gosh, more than a year ago, “that is my kind of woman”. I am 68 and often complimented on sometimes quirky, yet stylish outfits I wear. Always ready when I go out in public, no matter where. I am prepared for anything and any photo with all these folks with camera’s you never know where your face will end up. Honestly, I am being me!
I too, was put down by a spider bite 3 years ago and my reaction was exactly along the same lines as yours. Swelling, getting the wrong antibiotic from an urgent care visit, as my primary was off that day. Yet I was blessed and knew as soon as 6 hours I have an antibiotic in the Macrolide family, which was on my chart that I was allergic to. I blew a ‘gasket’ called and got the correct antibiotic and I too used benedryl to flush it out of my system. What did I learn? I bought a Medic bracelet, of course in multiple bracelets in various colors to match my outfits and it list’s that item and few other things. Try Amazon. They are priced from $ to $$, depending on what you want. Good luck and keep these coming, you are my HERO for the 50+ crowd and some 20+ can take some lessons too. https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000736790612
Thanks for sharing your experience and yes fashion can bring us some joy.
Dear Lyn, thank you so much for sharing The tale of your health crisis and subsequent healing. I am so glad to hear of your transformative experience. Please continue to take care of yourself!
I suppose my transformative experience in the last months was the decision my husband and I made to sell our lovely home of 31 years and move into a condo. It meant purging so many possessions, and being in limbo for a while— the house sold quickly and we can’t move into the new place until the first week of October. In this two month gap we are staying near our daughter‘s family up in Oregon.
As probably everyone is aware, on the west coast we’ve added another heavy plague to the pandemic (and the politics of hate)—the terrible wild fires and the hazardous air quality. Only the briefest forays outside are possible. More life lessons to be learned, but there is not so much we can alter in this situation except to work ever harder on maintaining equanimity.
We are having the opposite transitions. We are moving from a condo to a house. Moving is stressful enough but I can’t imagine it during wildfires. Please stay safe and well.
I am so sorry to hear all that you have been through during this chaotic time. Please take care. Glad you have your move near your daughter to look forward to.
Yes, it will be wonderful to also give her support. She is an assistant principal of a large school, her husband is also a teacher and working from home while managing my granddaughter’s schooling has been so stressful for her. Being ten minutes away I can pinch hit when necessary.
So glad vfc you recovered! Oh my goodness.
My revelations? I live in Oregon and the smoke from wildfires is choking, and we are stuck inside, in addition to retreating because of the pandemic.
I have realized I have nothing vfc to complain about. I am healthy, I have a lovely home and a retirement income so I dont need to work. I have become very thankful.
I am so sorry about those devasting fires. And yes it you have your health you can deal with almost everything.
So glad you are recovering. What a scare. What I am learning from The Troubles: As a character in a favorite book exclaims after she comes out of a severe depression, “I am seeing doors and windows everywhere!” The answers to our happiness are still here. There is still beauty in each thing. It is going to be different but the opportunities to evolve and live better are in our near and distant future. Thank you for challenging society’s view of age and beauty. You are a trailblazer. Take care.
Doors and windows are still there indeed, they may just look different.
I am so very sorry. Was this a brown recluse spider? They are so dangerous. My prayer is that you will now be quickly healed. How very smart of you to take over your own health care. Our once fine medical system, research has gone to pot. Thanks partly (huge part) to Obamacare.
Very good luck to you friend. You look fabulous in that gorgeous dress.
Sincerely,
Judy
Like you, in some ways I have Loved my COVID cocoon. I have had the time to research, paint, organize, enjoy cooking and just breathe.
Enjoy your new environment and family.
The time and space for everyday creativity.
Grateful you are healing and finding you (new) way. You are an inspiration.
Many thanks.
Doesn’t it seem as if slowing down has opened us up to what the Universe has to offer? Because we were moving so fast, we didn’t see the little miracles all around us? There’s so much to appreciate it our daily lives that doesn’t need ‘the world’s’ endorsement or even involvement. It has been a time to focus inwardly, to get into the flow, and in turn, be kinder to others. To show mercy and forgiveness that has been shown to us by The One. Let’s face it, we live in a very unforgiving world.
Regarding healthcare, it seems we all need advocates And to be advocates for others who are not able or capable of being their own advocates.
Yes, I can’t imagine how it is for people who do not have resources or access to education. I am so privileged in that way. I used to teach my social work students to first look at a client’s health status before they jumped to mental health or some other explanation. What I have seen in this gut research I’ve been doing is that there is a link between the health of your gut and your mental health, especially mood.
Poor Miss Muffet! What a horrific story. I am glad, though, you are on the mend. (And that the spider did not frighten you away!)
Stay well.
I’m a tough girl as you know!
Family and good friends are precious. Making physical and mental health a first priority. — Wishing you a speedy recovery. Thank you for sharing this important information. I really appreciate it. Love your fashion style! — Nancy (68 years old, publication graphic designer)
Thank you, I am looking to see what style will emerge as who I am is different yet again. Stay tuned.
That is quite a story and am so glad that you have seemingly recovered. You are far too fabulous to perish because of some damned spider. Can’t wait for posts about your new home. Take care and stay healthy
I know can you believe this all happened because of a spider?
When I was a child there was a TV ad for something called Geritol (still have no idea what it is) and the tag line was when you have your health you have just about everything. Those words have become more and more true and relevant.
In every situation there is always a gift. The trick is to find it. Sounds like you did.
Question. When you are home, making tea, writing, tending to your well being, what do you wear? What makes you feel comfortable and also gives you pleasure?
Very good question. I have been mostly wearing jeans and oversized shirts. My jeans are all loose because I did lose some weight and I actually love having no constrictions on my body. When I have to shoot a photo for Instagram or a job I’ve been choosing long flowy dresses. If you scroll to the bottom of the page my blog is connected to Instagram and you can see some. I have bought no new clothes since before COVID and re-visiting and seeing in new ways what I already have.
Wondered where you were. It is wonderful that you are doing so much better. Continue to take care!
I have also been enjoying my time at home and you phrased it beautifully by calling it your cocoon. I also feel like I never want to leave, except I would take a vintage home on the Hudson. Good luck.
I don’t think I would ever be leaving my apartment if we weren’t going to move. It’s also because if we have another surge in the Fall I just can’t bear to be separated from my daughter and family who live very close to where we are moving.
So glad you are feeling better….
There’s a lesson in there for us all.
Sounds like you are taking good care of yourself. God bless you.
Lessons in all experiences we have.
Wow, take care. I had been wondering but thought maybe vacation. Keep getting well.
Thanks!
Thank you for sharing this incredible health journey with an outcome of healing and hope.
I am 63 and lost my job in March due to Covid-19. I was a server in a small tea shop. Since April I have been struggling with pain and realize that I need to “be still” and listen to my body. I am grateful for this time to learn new ways of being.
Your story has encouraged and inspired me.
Thank You!
I am so sorry about the loss of your job. So many ramifications from this virus that don’t get the attention they need. I am happy you are using this time to take care of yourself.
Enjoyed this!
I didn’t know you had a new love in your life- Calvin! Wonderful. The hone you bought sounds fabulous!
Quite simply: blessings. And prayers.
I am so glad you are well.
I’ve been missing you.
You, in your reinvented self, remain an inspiration.
Thank you so much for sharing.
Thanks for your kind thoughts.
Your blog is a joy to read. I am thankful that you are well after your ordeal and admire you for going on the Internet to be informed and in more control of your health as we all must. I am about to turn 59 and so enjoy reading your thoughts on life and fashion as you travel through life just a bit ahead of me.
Thank you and I am ready to get back to finding joy again on what I put on my bones!
I smiled from ear to ear reading this post. I feel a sense of calm. Your content energy radiates in your writing. I can even smell the flowers at your new house…even though they haven’t been planted yet. Thank you for sharing all of this. So glad you are on the mend.
Exactly what I hoped would be conveyed! Thank you,
Thank you for sharing this part of your journey. So glad that you are regaining your health, as I know how dangerous those things can be.
I actually think I am going to come out of this healthier than before. Thank you.
Happy to hear you listened, did research and took control of your body in order to heal. I’ve become quite comfortable nesting at home. Sitting in the backyard enjoying morning coffee and listening to the birds brings peace. I k L sigh at the squirrels as the perform acrobatic twists and turns perhaps to humor me. It works. I laugh. Now I’m looking at my yard and wanting indigenous plants and more herbs. Enjoying it all but missing the freedom to be out and hug freely.
You articulated exactly all the reasons why I wanted a home where I could have my own yard.
Frightening- we really shouldn’t have to do the research – luckily you could find the necessary resources to make informed and wise decisions about your health. Was it a Brown Recluse spider- not that it matters but they are quite dangerous as you know if one was the culprit. What’s with docs dropping insurance? Mine just did the same.
I think doctors have so many options that if they don’t like one company they can drop it and do another. But the lack of consistency in doctors means many things can be missed and important aspects of your history become erased. If the documentation is poor that adds another layer.
Wow, you’ve been through a lot! Happy healing. It sounds like you are doing all the right things.
So glad you are healing. Take care of yourself.
yes, i noticed you had not written & i missed you.
health is so precious…. & you have to find your true path to your good health.
nice to see you!
ml
knoxville, tn
Thank you, it’s been a positive journey.
So very happy you are ok! One must take control of their health and their destiny. You are your own best advocate. I am a Clinical Exercise Physiologist. The number of patients who come to see me who have no idea of the medications they take or what they are allergic to truly worries me. I try to council the best I can.
Yes, education seems to be the ads on TV from Big Pharma telling you to go tell your doctor to prescribe something for you. Your clients are lucky to have you.
What you share is always thoughtful and thought provoking!!??
Continue to feel better?
Many thanks.
So happy to hear that you are well. I was worried about you also.
Fortunately you are bright enough to help in your health
Congratulations on the move. I have heard that a lot of people are leaving NYC
Yes I feel ambivalent like I am abandoning the city when it needs people the most, but I remind myself that I was here for many other of its crisis’ on the frontlines so to speak as a social worker, Crack epidemic, AIDS epidemic, 9/11, so perhaps I can give myself a pass and let the young folks bring her back to life.
So very glad you are well now. Your writing is inspiring, beautiful and true.
Thank you, that means alot to me.
I’m very grateful you’re doing better. It’s been a tough year for everyone. Glad to hear you have found a new residence and have had time to play around with some beauty products. I’d missed you and your humor terribly. ~ Out here in California on the central coast, it has been excruciating. Covid lock downs, fires beyond belief, crazies running everywhere, also I had a hospital stay and several surgeries for my eyes, plus elections are soon… well let’s just say so far i’ve survived most of it. Like you (And you’re an exceptional role model.) i’m staying upbeat. I can’t wait until travel is more accessible and I can go back to visit the desert in Quartzsite Arizona. P.S. my hair is now down to my waist and no way to get it cut! I resemble the hippie I was back in 1969 but with silver white hair. LOL
I bet you look amazing with that hippy hair!. I am so sorry about the wreckage caused in your state by the denial of climate change and the repudiation of science. I find it surreal to think this is America. But happy you have managed to stay safe and maintain some hope and optimism.
Wow! Nasty spider and a horrid journey through your medical system
Stay safe beautiful lady ❤️
Patience a s a virtue, revisited both personally and because of life circumstances.
Yes, I’ve learned to live gracefully with the huge amount of uncertainty facing us now.
Bless you and thank you for your words and experiences. Best for the future.
Yes ! Cheers to proceeding with care and enjoyment
Always evolving, right?
I’m a new subscriber but have seen your pictures for years and have loved following you when I can. As I read your story I became increasingly annoyed at the state of health care in this country and was worried for you well being. What a relief to read you found a primary doctor who was interested in actually caring for you not just giving you a script and sending you on your way. Be well, be safe. Sending you warm wishes and positive vibes. A new subscriber who enjoys your blogs, style and writing. Best, Yolanda (Puerto Rican, 55 y/o – COVID has helped me embrace by curly, stark white, hair. Love it!)
Thanks so much for this caring response. I love my white hair even more right now that it’s longer.
So happy that you have recovered into wellness.
Thanks!
Congratulations on your upcoming move, I guess you are now part of the migrants moving out of NYC to suburbia. You are going to find a big difference in lifestyles and access to things you at present have. (like that walk-in clinic right down the block). You will probably have to drive to most locations but I am sure that there’s a section of the city that’s classified the downtown center.
I have been keeping in touch with several people either through emails or texts via the Whatsapp or regular texts since I can’t use public transportation anymore. I live in the next city outside of NYC, (Yonkers) which has the Beeline bus system and the 3 MetroNorth train lines. None of those systems run as frequently as the public transportation in NYC, but the passengers who use public transportation are what’s keeping me from going back to using the buses as the buses get crowded and not everyone wears their mask correctly. Eventually, maybe in about 18 months from now, I’ll go back to using public transit. I lost my hairdresser but I re-learned how to dye my gray roots with hair dye from a company called Madison Reed. Since I haven’t seen my hairdresser since March my hair which was shoulder length is now about 4 inches longer, the longest I have ever had my hair. I just ventured to trim about half an inch off the ends to remove any split ends. Like you, I like to have a dramatic look to my hair, and lucky for me in 2019, I decided to stop coloring the front part of my hair blonde and let it go natural since the entire front was all gray. Now since March with everyone embracing their gray, people are complimenting me on my look and asking how I did it. Besides trying to take short walks outside ( I stay only on my block, except for when I have to walk half a mile downhill to the laundromat, once a week), I have been cooking meals from the foods I have in the pantry and entertaining my cat. I also grew a small container garden composed of herbs, flowers, and hot pepper plants. Most of the flowers are perennials as are some of the herbs. Plus I have a small red Maple tree in a container pot. I have also read ao far this year 79 books which I have posted reviews on both Goodreads and Amazon. Keep us posted on your upcoming move.
Yes after 25 years I return to my roots, the suburbs. I was raised in a Hudson River town and now returning. Since it’s a small city there are busses and Metro North is a walk away. I have very ambivalent feelings about leaving but since both Calvin and I work in the city, I will be there often enough. I’m thinking that we might go in for a weekend and try some of the new boutique hotels when we can. A romantic adventure when you don’t live here anymore. Your comment shows how resilient people are and use their everyday creativity to get things done.
I’m so happy and relieved to hear you are now well and doing things to insure you stay that way. Bon courage.
Thank you for your kind words.
Thank you for sharing your recent health issues. Life is very fragile but precious. Some-
times we need a wake-up call to slow down and get back on a safe and careful tract.
Please continue to share your happenings. Look forward to details regarding your upcoming move.
Gratefully,
nancy Rogge
I will, so happy to be back here.
Much love to you & Calvin.
Thank you, we are beyond excited.
So happy to hear from you again, I am so inspired by your spirit. And so happy u are well & safe! U were always so lovely visually & so articulate in your expression of whatever you choose to give of yourself to us. My revelation has been the reality of this virus hindering me from visiting my Mother in the nursing home or escorting her to the hospital as she receives chemo for the cancer discovered during this virus it is one of the harshest realities I have ever had to face….Much Love ?
I can relate. My mom is in a nursing home too only to be seen through a glass window. It’s a particular kind of cruelty from this virus that we cannot comfort those vulnerable loved ones in the time they most need our support and comfort.
First let me tell you that you look marvelous. I noticed straight away that your hair is getting long. Your dress is lovely and the glasses~ fabulous. How am I coping what am I doing to stay same? Reorganizing! I am not saying that I am becoming a minimalist but I am finding a better way to store things and though I have tossed a few items by way of donating I am just finding better ways of utilizing things. I have discovered menu planning again, something I did when I had children, collecting recipes from foreign lands. I love the alchemy of cooking. I feel a reconnection to friends even though we mostly text rarely “talk” but these texts keep us connected. I feel like my life is much better at this slower pace. Tomorrow is Thursday that is my one day Togo to the market. I used to go more often now I have lists that I make all week. I dream of dinners in my home with friends more than I dream of going out restaurants like I did before. I feel in spite of the stress of these times that I am thriving finding myself again through music, books and creativity like needlepoint and gardening.
What a wonderful life you describe. You are so right about cooking, I’ve re-discovered it and it’s a form of creativity we often don’t give ourselves credit for.
You look wonderful and I’m so glad your healing. You have been an inspiration to me for a few years now but this is my first msg. To you. I want to thank you for giving me hope that at 61 years old, style and having fun with style, is still relevant. You dress looks like a vintage Mary McFadden? Beautiful!
Always! This longer hair is bringing a change in my style that I am really liking so stay tuned for more new looks.
Love the sunglasses and purple vintage outfit plus flowering tree. I’m only visual now as I’m back in college
trying to finish my bachelors really tired sorry sweet dreams Mon Amie.
xoxo Caroline
Good luck!
Way way pre-covid i had a life experience that opened a door i never asked for and never ever could have imagined. It generated quintessential me …. and QuintessentialYouDesign.com
I have never looked back and am grateful each and everyday for meeting me, continuing to meet ever-unfolding aspects of me, and having the honour of facilitating the same meeting for others.
Congratulations on walking through the gift of your door. Ever in support of QuintessentialYou… each and every circumstance and condition calling you ….inviting you to be simply you …. versus some version we have each crafted.
Embrace at the deepest parts of your being and enjoy the journey you are being prodded to take.
Thank you and for sharing your experience too.
Interestingly, the theme of escape from the hustle and bustle inevitably arises with age. This may be associated with some significant event, or it may arise gradually in dreams of peace, encapsulation in your own well-arranged world. Apparently, the accumulated life experience makes us abandon momentary petty pleasures and drink drop by drop the most valuable things in this life.
So many treasures that come from getting older, especially the deliberate savoring of each moment.
Liebe Lyn
Ich habe oft an dich gedacht und dich vermisst: Deine klugen Gedanken und inspirierenden Anregungen. Du bist mir ans Herz gewachsen. Wie froh bin ich, dass du dich wieder mitteilen magst.
Was für unglaubliche Spinnen habt ihr in NY? So ein kleines mieses Vieh kann uns zwingen sich ganz intensiv mit uns selber zu befassen.
Durch Covid habe ich ein anderes Leben, alles runtergefahren, viel Zeit für mich, täglich bis 20 km laufen in der Natur, die ich glücklicherweise direkt vor der Haustüre habe. Meditativ, den Kopf leeren. Lernen über Webinarien, mir neue Möglichkeiten für mein Leben entwerfen. Mein Habit entrümpeln innerlich und äusserlich.
Ich bin dankbar für mein volles Leben.
Danke, dass es dich gibt liebe Freundin im Geist
Ich grüsse dich mit viel Liebe im Herzen
CH-Renate
I’m so sorry that you had to go through that horrendous experience. Thank you for sharing details from which we can all learn.
Wishing you wellness, peace of mind and happiness in your new home.
Thank you, it has been life-changing ending up in a very good way.
OMG…you have been through the ringer, Lyn.
I want to wish you a very speedy recovery…that thing about antibiotics and probiotics is so important and I’m so sad that no one told you…you must never take them at the same time…because they cancel each other out. So many. people just don’t know this. it’s important to take probiotics about 2 hours after you take the antibiotic.
In addition to finding a new, trustworthy primary care doctor, I hope you will find a holistic practitioner, so that you can receive care from other helpful modalities (i.e., acupuncture, staying away from acidic foods …if that’s what’s needed, etc.). These kinds of approaches have helped me so much, over the years, since I developed a cardiac condition, along with gastric issues, fibromyalgia, etc. I am 69 years old and I was a healthy, active person , until these ailments struck me.
Blessings and ;good wishes for getting well. You are such an inspiring, uplifting person. You are precise to the community that loves you.
Thank you so much for the suggestion. Having a daily yoga practice has been key as well as changing what and how I eat.
That sounds like quite an ordeal! Glad your ok now. I have to recommend….. A carrot salad! Odd but I had many years of digestion issues and would have probiotics etc with no relief. Someone mentioned a carrot salad to me which at first I though was ridiculous but now I have a grated carrot salad with a pinch of salt and sugar and have no gut or skin issues. The fibre in carrot and bamboo shoots helps cultivate good bacteria . Totally changed my health!
Thank you! On the plus side, I love carrots and this sounds delicious.
Dear Lyn, what an extraordinary series of experiences that have taken you on this journey inwards to your-self! I was glued to your words!
Your beautiful vintage shirt ‘sings’ on you and I’m especially delighted you + Calvin have found your potential garden and with it, all the wonderfully new experiences you’re yet to ‘feast’ on.
I too had a similar experience with antibiotics, misinformation that seemed never ending – a real gut-wrenching hell that took me through a dark tunnel + eventually, through hard work + a positive deliberation, out into the light, with a massive learning curve + in every aspect, an altered life.
Yoga, mediation, slow, deliberate acts, listening more, calmer karma, feeling grateful in every way, especially as I began to repair + go through a massive growth spurt! So good!
I wish you great warmth + look forward to your next post!!
Thank you for sharing it reinforces the way I’ve chosen to deal with this and look forward to the future growth.
So happy to hear that you are on the mend. Healthcare is not what it used to be prior to the pandemic. I’ve run into a lot of situations recently and Telehealth has not been helpful. I hope it’s some point down the road things start to normalize, whatever that new normal will be. We have to be our own healthcare advocates, more so now than ever before. Be well. Congratulations on your new home.
Thank you, I remember how much faith and trust my mother had in all the professionals we interacted with, no longer are we able to function that way. Thanks for the good wishes,
SO glad you are healing! And thank you for the reminder to slow down! I did so the first month of COVID but have now ramped back up and am longing for that slower, more pleasurable pace. Balance, right? Hugs!
There is a big difference between productivity and nurturing creativity. I was terribly confused about that for awhile.
Wow!!! I have realized that trauma is real and sometimes we live through tiny traumas that mar us for life. I thought I had reasonably handled the ups and downs I’ve had. Yet, COVID-forced half, let me realize that I was just tucking the trauma away. Sure, the trauma wasn’t always what we think of when we said the word trauma. However, being an African American woman, I’ve come to realize tucking things away can zap the life out of you. You go along to get along and have pretend joy. I am starting to focus on breathing and listening to my body. Joy awaits!
The downside of being super-resilient, minimizing impact. I am happy about your journey towards joy.
So glad you are well and taking care of yourself gently.
Thank you so much.
Happy you’re feeling better and I know your new home will be a big part of your restorative journey. I too moved to the Hudson Valley ( 21 years ago) and it has shaped my life in the most positive way. I have found that while staying connected to society matters, it is our connection to ourselves-body and soul that bring the greatest inner peace, solitude, and calm. I miss the physical proximity of family and friends, but have learned more about myself during this time than ever before, and I like and accept myself. I believe this moment will have huge impacts on shifting our priorities. I believe self compassion is the starting point to a better, less angry world. I hope.
I pray every night that the majority of us will take this time to do exactly that. If we do this country will become a better place.
Lynn, I am so sorry you had to go through this. Glad y are recovering. Your spirit is indomitable! “Turn lemons into lemonade”. Take charge and move forward into those avenues that enhance your life. Congratulations on the new home.
Every experience that I can learn from is important and so I generally have no regrets which is a good way to be. Thanks or your good wishes.
Wishing you health. This was a valuable post.
Thank you. I learned a great deal through the experience.
If it was c-diff that you had, know that a simple over-the-counter strain of probiotics called Saccharomyces Boulardii will kill it. This information is even on the Mayo clinic website now. Big Pharma does not want us to know about these common remedies as it will cut into their profits. We need to educate each other. I am so sorry for your ordeal. We have “sick-care” in this country, not healthcare. I have learned from my own trials and tribulations in dealing with illnesses that you have to be your own doctor and your own advocate. The system is not your friend.
Indeed. I found some good results from clinical trials for a probiotic called Bio-K as well.
So sorry to hear of your health issue. Glad to hear you’re on the mend in so many ways. We have an off the grid cabin that has been our saving grace with all the craziness this year. We all need that safe place of peace to clear our minds and help us through life.
I’m so glad you are well and sharing your experience. May I ask what foods you are consuming to become stronger? All the best. Cynthia
I’ve only just come across your writing and it’s wonderful!
I’m glad you pulled through and love the methods you used to recover.
Best wishes,
Claire
Good Morning; I so love your blog! You give me inspiration, since I am creeping up on my 60th birthday. What is your favorite tea? I too am trying to drop the coffee.
Best Wishes.
Hello Lyn,
What an ordeal ! Here’s to healing and a safe landing into your new house. So glad you’re on the mend.
Liza
Really appreciate you taking the time for this update. Of course I had no idea you were not feeling well But so glad things worked out well. Can you imagine, all this beginning with a spider bite! Glad you found the home you wished for and I know you will thrive decorating it. Sending you all the best wishes, I admire you so.
The excitement of transitioning to a new home is a lovely way to emerge from a little healing cocoon. I hope that you will share your transition with us so that we can feel a little of the magic that comes with new beginnings.
I find your blog beautiful and inspiring. During this time I walked my city and plotted square by square on a map. Saw, good, bad and amazing…a sun halo!…At the end I had walked 180 miles over 5 mo. This time has been challenging but some good things have come out of it. Another guy , age 65, swam between our 2 piers until he reached 100 miles. Sorry you were ill but even good came out of that…Looking forward to posts about making your new house your own. …Penny from Calif. age 75
Just to follow up on the spider bite. Several years ago, my husband was bitten on the foot by a spider, which we later identified as a brown recluse spider. Long story short, he was hospitalized for the infected foot. The doctors rejected his diagnosis, despite the fact that there was a clearly visible bite mark in the middle of what had become a swollen, purple colored, hot, and painful site.
One younger doctor (or intern) told us that it was a spider bite, but he was told that he was wrong. He backed off.
It took several weeks to heal. My point is that more people need to be aware of this risk since too many doctors are not.
Love those vintage earrings with that blouse. So sorry to hear about your health and insurance issues. Makes me grateful I’m Canadian and we don’t have to worry about coverage or care. We take care of each other. Hope the U.S. wakes up to the benefits of universal health care soon. Stay well and keep blogging. Love your posts.
You have been so missed and thanks for sharing about your trauma. Nice to know that you have recovered and are back writing interesting reflections on the unpredictability of life.
You look GORGEOUS! So glad you are well. Love your blog. Can’t wait to see what you do with your house renovation!
I’ve been thinking of you. I’m so grateful to you, even though we have never met. I’m very happy to hear you are feeling better from your health scare. This article speaks to me and once again you have opened up my mind and creative pathway. I, too, must concentrate on me, my health, my spirit, my body, completion of one task, then the next. And keep creating with my photography, my true source of joy.
Congratulations on your new home. I wish you happiness and good health.
OH MY GOSH……….this reminds me of what I have been through with DOCTORS!I do all the research and TELL THEM WHAT TO TRY as they HAVE NO IDEA!I have suffered for over four years so you are DOING WONDERFULLY………I canNOT USE THAT WORD GREAT cause THAT MAN has ruined it for ME!
YOU TAKE CARE……….This social media can be a LIFELINE of FRIENDSHIPS and CONNECTIONS but can also ZAP you!I just discovered the BLUE LIGHT GLASSES for the cell and computer!WHAT A DIFFERENCE they make for me!!YOUR new HOME sounds EXCITING!!!1912……..what happened THAT YEAR!?!
YOU LOOK FANTASTIC AS PER THE NORM!
XX
So sorry to hear you were unwell. I’m glad you’re feeling better. I was missing you.
This is the first time I’ve commented but I do look forward to your posts.
I especially enjoyed the post about your hair. I’m a bit of a hair fanatic so I completely understood.
Stay well in these troubling times.
I must say that I was wondering about you! Glad you are with us again. Love the vintage earrings!!
I’m so glad you’re on the upswing. Staying healthy is a full time endeavor these days. It’s no joke. As always I look forward to your posts. I seem to live vicariously by many of your experiences. You inspire me. thank you
Wow , what a story…glad to hear you are on the mend and congratulations on your new home
What a story, it could only happen to you and this at the most unexpected moment as always! Fortunately, you are now on the better side and it still has something positive. It is true that this whole Covid situation sometimes also has positive sides, I mean that we have received other necessities of life and try to make the best for ourselves in this whole situation, that’s how I experience it myself. I try to deal positively with the situation as much as possible and as a result I get a lot in return because the focus is on other things that I like! I wish you a lot of fun with your new home and enjoy every moment that crosses your path! Many greetings,
BTW: I love the long hair!
Stay well and away from spiders!. Can’t wait to hear about your new digs.
So very sorry to read your news. It’s possible we (now) share a similar medical journey. Mine came on the day my son was born 35 years ago, when little information was available about intestinal flora and gut biomes. The circumstances literally changed my life and dead-ended my career path at the time. I ended retraining in horticulture, and I find much meaning in cultivating flowers and beautifying my surroundings. I wish you peace and good health to come, and joy in your new home.
Hello again, I sent you a congratulatory note on your new home. I was so happy for you I completely missed telling you how I empathized with you reading your article. Such tragic events to overcome. I’m so sorry you went through so many trials on the antibiotics, lost ten pounds in just a month, one infection after another. I’m so glad you are on a new diet of healthy food and doing yoga. I love reading your posts and I hope that you have been feeling better with each new days. Sending you hugs and sunflowers!
Your post came at an opportune time for me as I had been fighting a raging headache and jaw claudification for several weeks, hoping it would cure itself. Last night I lost my clear vision and knew immediately that I had temporal arteritis, which my mom and sister also had. I am fortunate to have been married to an outstanding neurosurgeon and to have a daughter who is also a medical doctor. Within a few hours I have set the stage for a call with a neurologist and then with the chair of neurosurgery at Mayo Clinic. The correct dose of meds will be brought to me in a few hours. I will have a biopsy by one of the finest and will not lose my vision because the medicine will definitely help me. If my husband were still alive he would have diagnosed it two weeks ago but sadly, he passed away this year. I do not like being on my own like this but I am blessed to have my MD daughter for medical crises. Be eternally grateful that you still have a husband to share your life with and to lean on when times are bad. There is no loss like losing your husband of 56 years. I met him when were 14. I can be an independent woman but miss his strength in all things. I will be riding my indoor bike a lot to counter the weight gain from the Prednisone I will be taking for years. I am glad that you wrote about this today as it tells me that I don’t have it so bad after all.
Lovely post. I appreciate your intimate share and the emphasis on The importance of rest. So glad you are healing.
I am excited to hear about that lovely house! More style delights in a new direction!
I’m so glad you are feeling better! Congrats on your new home. I know it will be a special place. You are peeling away so many layers of superfluous habits and I so admire your drilling down to find what is essential in life.
I have just come across your blog though have been watching your fashion shots for ages. Usually if I am needing an uplift, its amazing how just browsing through and enjoying the way you dress so creatively inspires me to start putting things together that usually stay apart(clothes that its!)
I have short white hair and always fancied it long, rolling it into a bun – but I can only put up with the growing of it till it gets to just below the ear and off it comes! How did you manage it?
Your blogs are insightful and honest and I love how they inspire others.
Reading of the “antibiotic incidences” was so shocked at the treatments you received but so glad you took your health into your own hands. Luckily I live in N.Z though originally from the UK, but always question Doctors what I am being prescribed and why.
When I hit menopause at the age of 40 my female Doctor suggested I start Hormone Replacement Therapy -for the sole reason “it would keep me young” That same Doctor later opened a Clinic for Females performing Botox!!!???
I am now 76 was a Massage Therapist from the age of 50 to when I was 69 and A Bowen Therapist till 2 years ago. I am in a small fun singing group, a Book Club an art class and do aquasize twice a week- all without HRV!!
I live in a small town in NZ now after living in the city so not brave enough to “dress like I feel” as its pretty conservative – but you never know.
Thank you for being so open about what happened, your feelings, your fears and saying that we need to take care ourselves of our health if we want to be healthy. It confirms what I already knew and urges me to continue on the path taken. Thank you.
I too went through a major health crisis that was a terrible experience. I fell off the top of a ladder and shattered my leg. No walking for 3 months. I can relate to you in a different way. I am 68 and a lot like you. I’m very independent. Needing others was so foreign to me. It was a bad time. I even wrote a letter to the editor at the Chattanooga Times newspaper that was published. That surprised me. I am a Nurse Practitioner and I learned so much. It is so good to see you back. It’s like getting my new best friend back. And oh how I needed you. So glad to know you are ok. I also made some changes in my life. You helped inspire me. I am grateful.
So glad you are doing better. I have a Ph.D. in nursing and am a nursing professor at a major university. Probiotics are normally ordered with antibiotics to replace that good bacteria and to prevent clostridium difficile (C-dif). I have taken probiotics myself and have given it to many patients over several years. I have never seen it interfere with the effectiveness of antibiotics. I have, however, seen situations when the antibiotic was ineffective because it was not the correct one for the offending organism. Spider bites can be especially bad because they, like other insect bites, can inject staff aureus among other bacteria (staff aureus is the most common one related to insect bites). If not treated aggressively or with the incorrect antibiotic, can lead to sepsis, which sounds like what you suffered from. It would not be unusual to have a little PTSD after what you have been through. Know that you will be in my prayers. You are one strong lady for sure!
Don’t know if you will see this at the bottom of the long list of comments, but I’m glad to hear that you, and your colon, are on the mend. What an exhausting and rather terrifying experience, and one which renews my gratitude for the health care system we have in Canada. Taking that many antibiotics over a short period of time will definitely screw up your system for a while so I’m glad to hear you are focussing on healing yourself and slowing down. I’m excited to hear that you and Calvin found a house – close enough to NYC that you can still visit but far enough away from the insanity.
I’m glad you are through this ordeal and now savouring life’s quiet pleasures, which can be as exciting to the mind as the urban hustle, right? I think it must be fun dabbling with your new beauty products – I saw some on IG. And it will be great to live so close to your daughter. Cheers to this transition.
I’m glad you are through this ordeal and now savouring life’s quiet pleasures, which can be as exciting to the mind as the urban hustle, right? I think it must be fun dabbling with your new beauty products – I saw some on IG. And it will be great to live so close to your daughter. Cheers to this transition.
I was dismayed and saddened to learn of your health “episode”. It would be wonderful if our health care system – actually had a system. I am appalled at the lack of cohesiveness in our effort to get a diagnosis, or as my mother would say, “for the left hand to know what the right hand” was doing.
I had MRSA in January that started out in December as a tiny red bump on my abdomen. It got to be relatively bigger and hurt to the touch. It took me a month before a surgeon had to remove the infection that had been growing and to do a biopsy. Then he forgot to tell me I had MRSA. As Trump would say, sad.
I decided I would lay blame on Trump, and that did make me feel much better.
Be well. You are, as always, my idol.
I am so glad to hear you are feeling better, and sorry for the struggle you had.
Thank you for your writing, I take great enjoyment in your commentary, your style and your spirit.
So far in Covid, I am as always trying to: direct my energy towards where I wish to see growth, to ‘relax the struggle’, and to learn to set healthy boundaries. As well as enjoying the everyday 🙂
take care
So glad you are doing better. My experience w/ traditional doctors is that they can help, or mess you up. I often will not allow them to do whatever they suggest. I do a lot of research and have found doctors who practice more healing traditions rather than always going w/ big pharma and antibiotics. Stay healthy and safe.
Oh my goodness. I’m so sorry to read you had such a difficult time, Lyn. And so glad you’re better. I’ve always been purposeful, preferring slow. Large cities create over sensory stimuli for me. But…lol…I am being challenged because I’m going into the city almost everyday and about to move to the city for awhile to be closer to my classes. This way we’re not spending so much time on the highway. It wasn’t covid that altered my life, rather a realization that no one else is allowed to determine my future. And if they don’t approve of what I do then they don’t need to be in my life. I’ve done more to put out good, positive energy and affirmation, carefully examining anything for validity & dealing with it proactively that doesn’t align with those two things. Every thought and word puts out energy, and I’m so MUCH more mindful of that today. Hugs.
Thank you for sharing this story of your recovery and your presence within it, even with all the hits and misses of western medicine. Ultimately, you must give yourself the credit, and I am so glad you are on the mend! A shaman or medicine woman might say to you that this “kiss of the spiderwoman”, this bite from grandmother Spider, was a powerful message for you, which you have clearly heard and paid attention to. Some might see this as you receiving spider medicine, which I have always connected with the divine feminine and the creative force, both of which fit you to a tee. And, how lovely to have found a house with good old bones so close to your daughter, and on the wonderful Hudson! That river is so alive, flowing from high up in the mountains to its mouth at the southern tip of Manhattan. You will be still be so connected to NYC, and having moved from City to Country myself recently, and being in my 60s, it was the best move I ever made. My central nervous system and my body thank me daily. To your continued good and greater health!!
Thank you for this beautiful re-frame. I LOVE the thought of being visited by grandmother spider. It was indeed a powerful message.
This is Franz Kafka, (Der Prozess) in the medical/Hospital world. A distopian experience.
I am glad you recovered !
Gr. Els
Yes, I know, we have the internet. But it’s really so deplorable that it has come to be a means of educating our health care providers. My mom went for “laparoscopic” surgery to remove a mass in her colon ( believed to be inflammatory in nature, not cancerous). Long story short- she ended up having a large section of colon removed and the ends reconnected ( long challenging great operation for anyone let alone an 89 year old.).
If not for our vigilance over her symptoms, complaints, medications- she would not have survived. In addition, our insistence to transfer her from a surgical ward to geriatrics was also an important step. And mind you- it was done only after the surgeon “made it his idea”…….I do remember when my husband attended medical school ( I have some medical training). How to approach a patient was taught very differently from the compartmentalizations approach seen today. They need to take the profit and business out of medicine.
So glad you recovered from the spider bite and and the C.difficile
My mom couldn’t tolerate Flagyl ( (aka Metronidazole) either
Hope you can stay with your good GP
Your hair is lovely. Mine hasn’t grown so fast but I realize it’s hard to control short curly hair- so growing it out a bit
And enjoy redoing your next home
Thank you so much