We’ve all heard the saying, “Life is what happens while we’re busy making plans.” Well, I am in the midst of living that truth at the moment.
Friday evening I went over the dozens of things needing to be accomplished over the weekend. As I crawled in to bed, my mind kept darting about, trying to accomplish that list. When I finally drifted off to sleep, even my dreams were filled with chores needing to be done, and deadlines needing to be kept.
When I awoke on Saturday, I figured I could kick it in to high gear and get at least half of that long list checked off before the day was done. But then I got up. My feet hit the floor and the room started spinning. My vision was showing this incredible viewing of an old TV with the frame flipping upward, over and over and over. I seemed to have lost my horizontal hold.
Day was lost
Needless to say, the day was lost. There was no accomplishing much of anything when the body just doesn’t want to work right. Taking a step forward felt sort of like trying to walk and dance and slide on ice, all at the same time. Reaching down to pick something up meant toppling over.
The first time this happened was shortly after we had moved to this farm. I awoke so dizzy and so sick the squad had to be called. I could not function in the least, and there was no doubt I needed immediate medical attention.
I was admitted to the hospital because my symptoms could not be brought under control, no matter what tricks the doctor tried. After several days, he concluded it must have been a bad case of Meniere’s and sent me home on bed rest.
I was not to drive, I was not to operate machinery and I was to take some medication he had prescribed. It all seemed pretty hopeless as the symptoms hung on for weeks on end.
Remains with me
Since that time, I have noticed this vague feeling remains with me much of the time — if I look up too quickly or reach for something up high, there is the reminder dizziness could return with enough intensity to topple me. I have learned to live with those subtle reminders and don’t let it worry me.
My friends have told me when I over-do my schedule to the point of craziness, they worry the dizziness will return with enough of a vengeance to stop me in my tracks. I believe they are right on that score.
So, how in the world do we live a busy life and try not to over-do all the things we simply have to do? Well, in this particular case, the brakes were put on for me, bringing me to a screeching halt while the list of things needing done just sat there idling.
Cows to milk
My dad’s favorite saying, even while he was so incredibly sick near the end of his life, was, “Hey! I’ve got cows to milk!” The nurses would chuckle at his determination to convince them he simply must get moving.
My feeling over this lost weekend is in accordance with that very thought. Life just keeps on happening while we keep right on making plans.
