Health and wellbeing

I'm on the long road to recovery. I am nearly ready to join a 12-step group on my issues with the medical establishment.

I'm still fighting the infection and the newly-discovered, compounding problem of poison ivy exposure. This was the confusing thing about the diagnosis. I had a skin virus, then a bad allergic reaction and finally a staph infection on top. A triple whammy. I had to get I.V. antibiotics at the E.R. and now I'm on three ointments and four prescription drugs. Not bad for a simple day in the garden.

My dermatologist told me that my rash was about as bad as she had ever seen. The only worse case involved a state trouper who wrestled with a felon in a bed of poison ivy. She said in a quaint southern way, "You are best done with gardening." And, "You have no business gardening ever again." When I protested, she responded, "OK, you may try again in full body armor."

I love to garden nearly as much as I like to knit and read. I have struggled with gardening down south learning new skills and discovering new techniques. I'm going to have to knit a lot more. This is going to take some time to sink in.