Five years left…maybe. Oxygen required.
I'm Deb. Or Deborah if you're formal, Debby if you go back 55 years, and Deporodh if you're an online friend.
Just before New Year 2023, my pulmonologist diagnosed me with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, an incurable progressive lung disease with an average 5-year life expectancy after diagnosis. I have been found to have lost one full liter of lung capacity (20%) in the last two years. Hence, I am now prescribed supplementary oxygen for whenever I am being active, and perhaps during sleep (test still to come.)
I have a loving partner, and family distributed across the US, Canada, & even in Europe. I hope to double that 5 year statistical mean! Meanwhile, my partner & I hope to make a repeat trip to BC, Canada this summer if financial shocks allow.
My savings went away the day I got home from the hospital end of July. My medical-related indebtedness keeps piling up.
Is there help to be had?
People who might care:
- members & customers of Eugene's Saturday Market/Holiday Market who recall Timeless Enterprises, later Timeless & Daughters and the Burden Cloth (www.burdencloth.wordpress.com)
- members of the Society for Technical Communication (Region 8, a.k.a. Silicon Valley), in whose annual competitions I won Touchstone technical writing awards several times during the 1990s, as well as presenting at both the Region 8 conference and the international conference then.
- members of the San Francisco branch of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society (I'm a life member since 1971; I studied with Stewart in San Fran as well as in Mill Valley, and was offered a position on the Red Thistle dance team at its founding in the 1970s, college prevented)
- members of the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) active in late 1970s–1990s—West Kingdom, An Tir, Oertha, Caid (Mistress Deporodh of Rannoch, OLM, OCA, Lacemistress OAW, OWS, grant of arms, Mistress of the Laurel, Champion of the Arts, Herald Pursuivant)
- alumni of Humboldt State University (CSUH at the time I graduated in 1974)
- active participants in the South Bay's Full Moon Circles and former members of Bay Area Pagan Assemblies (I was editor of the Pagan Muse & World Report from 1993–1997)
- members of the New Wiccan Church
- Gardnerian Wicca (British Traditional Wicca, called in Europe Initiatory Wicca) elders and initiates
- past students of my previous Wiccan-related teaching and the few “outer courts” I've run as an HPS—Woodhart Weald, Swangrove, and Hartwood Grove.
Back story: I'm 71, I've been permanently disabled (stroke) since 4 weeks after 9/11, living off disability ever since. In July 2022 my gall bladder "exploded"—surgery removed 2 gallstones, almost the size of golf balls. The surgeon told me he couldn't get all of the gallbladder. The toxicity of the gallbladder nuked my pancreas; I now have type 2 diabetes, starting with an A1c that was 14.4 on July 20, 2022. In the past 4 months I have gotten that dire number down to 5.5—which required giving away my stocked foods and buying diabetic-safe foods and baking supplies. Spent a week in the hospital being treated for several infections, hyperglycemia, COVID, and removing the gallbladder & stones. (See update photo.P
I also have (pre-existing) severe allergies, plus autoimmune hypothyroid & achalasia (a very rare disease treated with esophageal surgery in 2020 but not curable) which were moderately well managed before my hospitalization (but which complicate recovery).
