HI FELLOW SURVIVORS: After quite a while, I finally got it “together” enough for a biog entry to let you know where I’ve been. On August 3 in the middle of the night I got up to go to the bathroom. I don’t know what I hit on the way down but I broke 3 ribs one of which punctured my right lung. After an ambulance ride and many tests, the dr. said I had pneumothorax (i.e. collapsed lung which created air between the lung and chest wall. He inserted a chest tube in my lung to drain out the air and fluid. This also had caused pneumonia. I was placed on antibiotics, monitored, x-rayed daily, and the chest tube came out in about a week (I have a lot of memory blocks during that week due to meds).

My next stop was rehab to get me breathing better and walking again with my walker. I arrived home Thurs Aug 26 - tired, sore and in need of much rehab to get back to where I was even a year ago. I don't know if I can do it so...back to one day @ a time. To top it off my spinal stenosis has crept back in. I’ve been in quite a bit of pain but being careful not to overdue any pain meds. (My 3rd epidural was supposed to be the day after I ended up in the hospital.) I need to remember not to have high expectations, try to stay positive and pray that God will give me a sign for when and what the next step will be. As I was drafting this bog I received a call from the pain clinic for my next epidural (a sign from God?) which is Sept 9. I hope it relieves the pain this time and then I will get back to my two trainers. Till then I’m trying to do some at-home exercises. I can only pray and do the best I can do each day. The following was in my reading for today:

“I have been through the valley of weeping, the valley of sorrow and pain;

But the God of all comfort” was with me, at hand to uphold and sustain.

As the earth needs the clouds and the sunshine, our souls need both sorrow and joy;

So He Places us oft in the furnace, the dross from the gold to destroy.

When He leads thro’ some valley of trouble, His omnipotent hand we trace;

For the trials and sorrows He sends us are part of His lessons in grace.”

I miss you all and am looking forward to joining chat on occasion. Hugs Leah

PS: A "new" Strokenet member "Grumpy" is my ex-husband's ex-son-in-law!! Small world, huh.