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A survival story1/3/2024 ![]() I attempted to put on my support hose, but was unsuccessful. On the evening of February 3, 2019, I noticed that my right leg was swollen. In hindsight, I now know that the photo documentation of the Santa Rosa fire and rebuilding served as a major part of my ability to continue to function in spite of a life threatening illness that was taking over my body. Walking in nature while establishing relationships with wildlife were also an essential part of my healing and my emotional health.įor better or worse, as long as I had my camera in hand and a subject in focus, the pain in my body was secondary. Photography was not a hobby or a profession, but a necessity. The only things that were not truly affected were my ability to take photographs and walk dogs. Sure if I have a high tolerance for pain or if I was just really good at treating it with unconventional methods.Īs my disease progressed, my ability to function decreased. I was unaware of how successful I was in coping with what others would have considered unbearable pain. I also had the help of my camera and three photo assistant dogs, Beso, Mae Mae and Lucy, who provided the emotional support I needed to get through hard times. Relied on medical cannabis to relieve the pain that slowly got worse over the years. I exercised, spent time in the therapy pool each afternoon and Over the next five years my body slowly deteriorated as I adjusted to what I partially believed was “just part of getting older.” There was also a part of me that kinda knew that wasn’t true as I observed other people my age. My two losses merely opened the flood gates to what was already there. I believe that happiness delayed what was inevitable, what was already happening in Zoe was instrumental in helping me refine my photographic talents. I was never happier in my life than those nearly two years with my soul dog. As I saw it, my time with Zoe simply delayed the inevitable. Many people believed the loss of Chris and Zoe so close together contributed to my decline in health. I was eventually able to rebound, but never recovered the vibrant health I enjoyed before. ![]() For five months I went through horrendous treatments that saw me lose 40 pounds because of a reaction to a blood thinner drug. Six weeks after Zoe’s death I found myself in the emergency room diagnosed with a DVT blood clot. She wanted me to have no guilt about doing what was clearly necessary. There was no doubt in Chris’s mind that Zoe’s death was the more important one for me to be present for. My sister Chris understood that I needed to be with Zoe at the end of her life, so she made clear her request that I not come to be with her at the end of her life. ![]() Youngest sister Chris in December, 2013, and the subsequent death of our dog Zoe two months later. ![]() She reminded me that any story about my life has to include the dogs in my life. The answer came to me at three a.m., when I was awakened by my current support dog Lucy as she jumped onto my bed. That was not exactly an easy task when writing this story. When writing a story, one first needs to decide when the story begins. ![]()
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