As new years day approaches the weather turns cold. A storm is moving in, and it’s not just a snowstorm.
This is not the way I expected to begin a new blog. I expected my first post would be about working on our ‘retirement estate’, an offroad adventure, or something involving technology. It seems God had a different plan for us this year and, I must say, 2022 started off in one of the most difficult ways I could ever imagine.
On the evening of Christmas Day, 2021, Crystal tells me that she feels like she is getting a sinus infection. This is not unusual for her. She is allergic to everything green and has to contend with several sinus infections every year. Because of this, she has learned how to treat them and rarely requires anything other than some over-the-counter medications to successfully defeat the condition. In the following days, I can see that she is beginning to suffer from this sinus infection. She is congested and coughing, she sounds stuffy when she talks and is now running a slight fever. The middle of the week comes and I suggest she goes and sees a doctor and that an antibiotic could help her fight this more quickly. She insists that she will be fine and continues with her routine. As new years day approaches the weather turns cold. A storm is moving in and it’s not just a snowstorm.
If there is one thing I have learned after being married to her for 26 years it’s that she is stubborn and it is pointless to argue with her.
New years day arrives and brings with it the biggest snowstorm this area has seen in a few years. I spend most of the day in the snow as this storm caught us somewhat off guard so I’m moving items from the yard into sheds. As night falls the power goes out. We have a propane furnace but the fan requires electricity so amidst the falling snow and 30 MPH winds I’m having to fule up a generator and keep it running. Finally, at about 10:30 that evening, the power is restored and we can begin to settle in for the night.
Crystal is suffering, I can tell. After the day spent in the snow I’m also achy and chilled. Now ready for bed I take some nighttime cold medicine myself to try to fend off anything that might be trying to take hold of me. Crystal is in the recliner in the front room watching TV. I go to check on her and give her a kiss goodnight because I’m sure I’ll be fast asleep before she comes to bed. While talking for a few minutes she asks me, “do you remember that time I had pneumonia? This is starting to feel like that.” I told her to get her coat and that I was taking her to the emergency room. She resisted, reminding me that I had just taken cold medicine and should not drive that way. I then suggested I call my dad or brother, I’m sure they would drive us in. She insisted she would be fine and if she wasn’t feeling better by morning we would go then. She was worried about the snow and wind and the condition of the roads. I was very worried about her and frustrated with her resistance to getting help. If there is one thing I have learned after being married to her for 26 years it’s that she is stubborn and it’s pointless to argue with her. I told her “fine if I can’t wake you up in the morning I’m throwing you in the bed of the truck and taking you to the vet!”