...my left side...

...of my old body...continues to betray me.

Modified  radical mastectomy on my LEFT breast: 1994. Tough stuff. Many followup implant surgeries. Six chemo treatments. (Causing me many more physical problems.)

Sidden Sensorial Neurological Loss (SSNL) of my LEFT ear:  2009. 100% loss of my hearing in that ear. Can’t wear a hearing aide. Nothing left to “aide.” Three ENTs couldn’t tell me why.

Now, last week, learned my LEFT hip needs to be replaced. Oh. Goody. Can’t wait.

So breast cancer? Not in my family. That anyone knew about. I had just turned 40. I spent a
year going to doctors in Ft. Worth once a week. From our home about 90 minutes away. I cried at my last chemo treatment. For a hundred reasons. But mostly because I adored my nurses. Such special people. It’ll be 25 years on May 26th since my mastectomy. I’m grateful to My Lord God for every minute I’ve been allowed to be here.

My deafness? I cried every day for a year. Every. Day. I could NOT accept it. Mostly because I couldn’t find out why it happened. I had been on a plane with My Sweet Hubby (aka MSH) a week before I realized I had no hearing. That ear had popped on takeoff and hurt like it never had before. (I’d been on ALOT of flights at that point in my life.) This pop and pain only lasted about 25 seconds. Stopped and was never painful again. Even when I realized I could NOT hear. No pain. No clue. Nothing. I still ask God daily/nightly to consider healing my ear.  Mostly I remind myself I had 55 years of perfect hearing. Some babies are born deaf. Or lose their hearing too young. So I thank My Lord God for my past hearing and for my right ear. (I wish I had the power to make sure there was no more deafness in ANYONE. Especially babies and toddlers and children and adolescents and teenagers and young adults. And middle-aged adults. And Senior Citizens. And all animals.)

Now this LEFT hip. My mother is 86. She has had both of her hips replaced. At about 66 and 74. So am I completely surprised? Nope. Am I disappointed? A little worried? Frustrated? Yes. I cannot lie. Yes. I was hoping I’d have some other options. I was hoping to have a FUN, busy, easy, relaxed, great Summer with MSH, TLC, Little Leighton and Belle. Not be somewhat housebound for several weeks. Maybe two month. Sigh.

It is what it is. BUT...

Does anyone else wonder why these hard challenges are happening to my LEFT side? Weird. Just weird.

It’s almost May, Y’all! The year is speeding by! Take care of yourself. Your body. Your heart. Your soul. Your bones and joints. Your ears. Other important parts. Wink. Wink.

Hugs and SMOOCHES,
ELC