Kidnapped....

I'm shaking like a leaf this afternoon and am very unsteady on my feet after a marathon 24 hours of sleep. A friend kidnapped me and took me to Las Vegas on Monday for a much needed vacation. It was a blast, and for brief moments I forgot all about my illness and was able to have a great time :) We visited a few hotels, saw some shows and got a ton of pics. For the first two days I was able to push pretty hard, ignoring my symptoms, until I began to wind down on the last day, struggling to sit up without feeling dizzy. I pushed even then, wanting to squeeze every bit of fun I could out of the trip. As a result, the disease has reacted, hitting me like a ton of bricks. My hands are shaking so badly it is difficult to type and I will likely need to lie back down in a few minutes. It was worth it though, I had an awesome time! The best part was those short periods where I felt like a normal person doing normal things. I will keep those moments with me.

Gail and Roy Pruitt are awesome!

Wow, it's been a long time since my last post! Lots happening here. After a successful fund raiser put on by a friend and a pretty dismal one done myself..lol...I was doing ok, my hopes were higher as I was seeing progress toward my goal. Then came a letter from a local car dealer who is known for his charity and community work, whom I had written to a couple months beforehand. It stated that he could not help me at this time, and wished me luck. I thought I was ok with it at first, but then started to slip into a depression. I had to find a way out of that emotional place, so I kept my eyes open for opportunities and found one literally sitting around. Our city's brush and bulky collection is this month and neighbors up and down the block were setting out items to be collected, some of them very nice. Light bulb moment! I borrowed my brother's little hatch back and meandered around the neighborhood picking up small furniture items in decent condition to clean up and sell. The first day I found a small glass top end table. The second day a miracle happened.
As I inched by a house with a few small items at the curb, a silver-haired gentleman with a friendly smile strolled out of the carport area carrying a bundle of tree branches. His wife came out a moment later and we got to chatting about the items on the curb. She asked if I could use a bed frame.....I said 'sure!' and followed her into the carport to check it out. "How about a lamp, could you use a lamp?" We went inside. She had another lamp, and some shelves, and a rocker. I asked if they were moving as it seemed a bit sparse inside. They explained to me that the house was not theirs but had belonged to their mother who had recently passed in her sleep at the age of 96. I felt the need to tell them right there that anything of hers that they gave me was going to be sold as I was raising funds for my medical treatment. The lady was so sweet, she said "we were just going to give it to habitat for humanity....but you're humanity". I felt so blessed in that moment, that these kind people had chosen to give me a helping hand. I came back that weekend with my dad and sister's boyfriend and we loaded everything up, filling the entire truck! I thanked them both so much for their help, and the lady just kept hugging me and wishing me luck. I was so grateful I had to give her husband a big squeeze too...hehe. Meeting the two of them was a miracle and something I will not soon forget. Their names are Gail and Roy Pruitt. If you know them or come across them, shake their hands, give them a hug and thank them again for me. :-)