September has sure been a month of drama and upheaval, on a global level and personally - for many it seems.

 

Mother Nature showed her power with multiple catastrophic hurricanes and earthquakes, impacting millions of people in various areas of the planet. Was She showing her disappointment and disgust with us BIG time in the hope that maybe we'd finally wake up to taking care of Planet Earth - and one another? Thousands of lives lost, billions of dollars' worth of material destruction, a style of life over for many (at least for the foreseeable future), and some locales pretty much thrown into oblivion. I hope that you and your loved ones are safe.

Over Labor Day weekend, I too had drama to last a lifetime, providing for reflection and contemplation. Despite my alternative and holistic health outlook, earlier in the week I started taking a prescription, for the first time in probably decades, after having dental work. A few days later, my energy was really off, and even being on my beloved Verde River (for only the 3rd but last time of the season) was not sufficient to buoy me up. I kept my Saturday evening plans, and went to bed at a decent hour, hitting the pillow and going "out like a light" in a millisecond. My intuitive, shamanic friend with whom I was staying told me the next morning that it was like no one else was in the house - now that's scary!

 

Waking up with a rash on Sunday, I managed to have breakfast with friends, even helped to rescue a pooch who was wandering on the Red Rock Scenic Byway between West Sedona and the Village of Oak Creek. But I knew by the way I was physically feeling, and really not being able to enjoy myself nor be present with my friends, that I needed to cancel the rest of my plans and get home to bed. I had sooo been looking forward to a Sunday of catching up with friends with whom I'd finally been able to arrange one-on-one time, but it was not to be.

 

I went back to my friend's home, packed, and then took a two-hour nap before hitting the road. I managed to drive about 45" minutes when it really struck me that I could not drive the additional 100 miles home. Really, this was such a weird and unknown kind of situation for me. And, of course, I was alone, traveling by myself.

 

I was nearing Cordes Junction, which you may be familiar with as it is the I-17 exit for Arcosanti, the projected experimental town with a molten bronze bell casting business - and for making a "pit stop" at McDonalds when necessary. And, there is a motel - I would just have to overnight there and postpone getting home.

 

I found the motel, paid for a room, and couldn't plop myself into bed fast enough, then proceeded to sleep more than 16 hours! On Monday, despite hoping to get on the road in the wee hours of the morning, I departed the motel right at check-out time, then stopped at McDonalds, managing to ingest a couple of bites of grilled chicken hoping the protein would boost my energy. Solely by the grace of Spirit, I drove safely home, where I once again plopped myself into bed.

 

I'd already notified my manager that I would not be in the office Tuesday, and when I awoke that morning, I knew that I had to reach out for help, that something serious was going on, something I was not accustomed to. Still not having many friends in Phoenix since relocating back from Sedona almost 2 years ago, I texted my dear friend Sheila who I'd known from my prior life in Phoenix, and with whom we'd reconnected over the past couple years, asking if she could take me to Urgent Care. What an angel and blessing she was! Urgent Care was a waste, so she took me to the ER, accompanying me each step of the way, providing conversation, offering her wisdom, and even making me laugh! Sheila spent about 6 hours with me that day, as I proceeded to get an IV, have blood drawn, a chest x-ray, and a CAT scan. She gave up her precious time to be of service, to be someone to lean on so I didn't have to go through this strange, scary experience alone. The diagnosis was: drug allergy, severe urinary tract infection (I hadn't had any symptoms), and low sodium. My sole priority was to heal and rest, so I took the week off from work despite losing the income (no work, no pay contract). This was surely an act of love: taking care of me.

 

I'd not been to an ER in 18 years, and I have to report that things have changed quite a bit! While all personnel were professional and nice, being in that environment and system easily confirmed my beliefs about the Western approach to health care including the routine practice of running a test and prescribing a drug.

 

Despite my outlook, I felt gratitude that such places and technologies were available. I got to experience the willingness of people to help and who care - but clearly I have to let them know what's going on if they are to do so! Such a crisis re-emphasized what is really important in life.