"Stifling" summer sickness--II

"Stifling." The word has new meaning this summer, and not because of the heat. 
What follows is not a complaint. Not whining. I am blessed and fortunate in many ways, but it has been a stifling summer. I'm not feeling sorry for myself, but I've had a lot of time to think. I write this on a day we were supposed to be leaving York for Edingburgh. Here we sit in an Edmond coffee shop, reading and writing and thankful for progress on a unseasonably cool, rainy day.
I know many people to whom the following list would seem a blessing, especially my good friend Faith Wylie, wonderful and courageous co-publisher of the Oologah Lake Leader, valiantly fighting lymphoma. I'm indebted to her husband John for keeping us up today on Facebook for her progress.They're an award-winning couple putting out an award-winning newspaper in a tiny town, the best of Oklahoma journalism. When you have friends like them, you are blessed, and healthy in ways that really matter.
But, I don't get sick,  andwas pronounced "in good health" after my physical five weeks ago. Yet in the past two months, I've seen more doctors and taken more medicine than in the past three years. 
"Stifling." And yet a time of thinking and evaluation, about self, family, spirituality, religion and politics in my country.
I dealt with this humorously earlier in my post about My Old Truck, but that was before the old thing started really costing money, and I almost lost my sense of humor. 

Lesson--Change the oil often, because once you get behind, or start neglecting the old thing, its problems will accelerate.

Consider the list below, as a prelude to another drug "warning" and posts.  Ignore the first six if you wish--they were medical events this spring and early summer.
Every event from number seven on has helped fill my life in the past four weeks or less.

1. Dermatologist
2. Rx
3. Neurologist
4. Physical Therapy--4 of 16 sessions. Canceled. I'll do the rest on my own, or live with it.
5. Canceled--Neurologist. Ditto.
6. Psychologist
7. Family MD--Physical
8. Regular Rx x 2
9. Sleep Study I
10. Sleep Study II
11. Sleep Doctor
12. CPAP
13. Family MD-Visit
14. Rx
15. X-Rays
16. Surgeon
17. Rx x 2
18. Surgeon
19. Home Health Care--14 days
20. Health clinic--bronchitis
21. Rx x 3
22. Surgeon-post op
23. Hematologist
24. Surgeon-post op
25. Rx
26. Still scheduled:
27. Spleen scan
28. Urologist
29. Surgeon
30. Canceled--Pain management MD--I can put up with the pain.
31. Also--Multiple purchases at Rx for open wound packing supplies, gauze, tape, disinfectant soap, pads, disinfectant sprays, etc.

There's more to write, but as I teach my students, keep posts short. So there's another drug warning and at least one more chapter coming about the lessons I've learned from "stifling."