Petals on the Pesky Path Through World's End

A flower I recognized, a problem I didn't

For those who don't know, I've been really sick since Wednesday (7/24).   Lost 10 lbs and 6 days, and 103 fevers.   ER visit, Dr. suspecting I was on the road to perdition...blah blah blah.   If you didn't know and are mad at me, I'm in construction, that whole mad-at-me thing is my happy place.     But thank you.  

When we went to the hospital yesterday for a doctor's visit and blood tests, he ordered a test for BABESIA, a tick-born parasite they don't even report on in PA, it's so rare.   "you see it in Mass or Conn, not here" said my Dr. W.    I said, "I was in Massachusetts but that was a month ago, June 21", he said "Babesia can have a very long incubation period, 6 weeks possibly.   You got it in Mass, best guess.   But yes, the doxycycline (that my brother-in-law Dr. Brian, recommended for Lymes and Dr. W told me NOT to take) would have helped but it's not the preferred treatment"     (in fact the weekend on-call doc agreed at my (persistent) request to prescribe the Lyme's antibiotic, that I held it down on Sunday night and 103 fever along my first bite of food since Wed, a half cup of applesauce) and woke up the next morning with no fever.   

Pix from my World's End hike in the rain, first time in the AM in the rain: the flowers carpeting the ground were from an long line of these there.  This type of tree popular in Olmstead's day but rarely planted today.   I recognized them as "Catalpa Bignanoidies" from my undergrad Field Woody Plants course from 1976, even if I can't remember where I put my keys twenty four hours ago.   Catalpa "Big" is a short-lived tree with orchid-like flowers: disease-prone and hard to keep alive (didn't know that was going to be of significance).    I was surprised to see a whole mature alee.     I posted som pix from early that day on  rainy 6 mile walk and later in the day with the kids and sun.   
 
Yep, I have BABESIA.    I'm getting the right meds now and feeling lots better.   I made my very own breakfast just like a big boy: 2 eggs, toast, coffee, sliced fresh pear, and freshly ground coffee and only had to sit down twice to do it.  Delicious.    I knew because Dr. W kept repeating to me that my white blood cells and platelet count were worryingly low, that he suspected "a bone marrow disease", meaning leukemia.   He admitted that's what he thought today on the phone.  I told him after my Saturday ER visit that no, my 5-cent diagnosis was something called "starvation".    Yesterday at the hospital (2nd visit), I could barely walk and needed a wheelchair to get around.   So much fun weeeee!    

I am grateful to Brian for suggesting an antibiotic when it seemed a long shot.  And I'm grateful for Dr. W for ordering a test for a very out-of-left-filed parasite found only in far-away, exotic Massachussets-land.  
But most of all, I am glad I didn't find out why they named it "World's End".    


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Janice and Brian live in a house I designed for them on the Boston Harbor (love that house!).   We stayed there the weekend of June 21st for a wedding (totally unrelated) in the next town over.  Their house is on the water and next to the magnificent 500-acre "World's End Park" on a peninsula out into Boston Harbor, designed by Frederick Law Olmstead (other little projects of his include Central Park, you may have heard of it).    I went for a 5-mile walk there half in the rain, where they tell you not to leave the trails, it's so riddled with Lyme's bearing ticks.  That's why we suspected Lymes disease.  And yes, Dr. W reluctantly agreed that though he told me not to take it, it would have (and did immediately) help me out.    

Soooo much better today.  Only slightly dizzy, I made it to the street and back twice with the trash without passing out.    I am happily duct-taped to my office chair to keep me upright, but now a lot stronger.   

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Side light story from yesterday, Tues July 31.   Kip this if you have Facebook, I posted it there...

Melissa was driving me to a doctor's appointment today.  I've been sick as a dawg with some sort of flu for a week.   Since Wed nite, I ate one applesauce and the world's most delicious scrambled egg and toast when my 103 fever broke yesterday.    I seem to be getting better, still dizzy.  Lost 8 lb in 5 days, I know sounds soooo pitiable, that's not the story.  

As we were driving by a little driveway into a dentist's office we saw two elderly people laying on the ground looking like a crime scene,  out flat sprawled on the driveway just feet from the street, scary.   What?   Melissa reacted quickly, faster than my brain fog would allow and we came back to help.   Just two elderly folks who basically knocked each over then knocked themselves out hitting the deck.   Melissa always has her superhero cape on and  I didn't pass out lifting up a rather heavy hubby, set them both on their way with well wishes.  

 Suddenly I felt better.