Back From Miami

Here I am, back from a week in Miami looking after my daughter, Shelley, who had to fly to the States from Bolivia for treatment for severe back pain. It was a wonderful trip in that I got to spend more time with my youngest daughter than I've had in a long, long time. It was a sad trip in that she was mostly in severe pain from deteriorating discs and we're hoping the doctors can help her.

Shelley's pain was so severe that she had to be heavily medicated and wasn't able to drive for the first few days. New medication cleared her mind but she's still never completely out of pain. Treatment starts tomorrow when she'll receive the first of 3 cortizone shots to her spine, each spaced approximately 3 weeks apart. I'll return to Miami when she receives the next 2 shots but John is with her for this first one.

Miami is beautiful but the drivers are the most aggressive I've ever come across. No-one stops for red lights until the cross traffic gets close. I was always worried about being rear ended when I stopped for a red light because tail gating is an art in Miami. So is speeding like race car drivers.

We stayed at Shelley's inlaws' home while they were out of the country but they're due back in tomorrow so that's why I thought it best to come back to my trailer. They're lovely people who treat their guests like royalty but I didn't want to be a house guest for the next 6-7 weeks. It's a 5 hour drive for me to Miami and I can do it with my eyes closed so it's best for me to make the trip a few times instead of hanging around there doing not much of anything.

We shopped a bit while I was there but Shelley can't stay on her feet for long without discomfort. I feel so bad for her because she must be getting bored. The computer and T.V. are her main activities but the constant pain just wears her down so she naps often. The new meds allow her to drive but I'll still need to be there for her injections because she'll be sedated and unable to drive when she gets them. I'm assuming they're not pleasant to receive.

Shelley is quite worried that her insurance provider will insist she return to Bolivia between shots and that would be very inconvenient. It's an 8 hour flight that anyone with back pain wouldn't want to experience if they could avoid it.

I always thought that it would be me that my girls had to take care of so it's a little disconcerting to find my youngest daughter having health problems that won't be eliminated in the near future. A friend of mine just told me about her own daughter's extremely serious health problems so a bad back isn't the worst thing to happen. It's all relative, isn't it?

I'm glad to be back at the park and into my regular activities but a part of my heart is still in Miami with my baby girl. The love of her life flies in to be with her today, though, so I know she's in good hands.