As Told From The Wheelchair: "A Fight To Survive"

"The Night The Lights Almost Went Out In Pensacola"

"The title for this chapter arises from an old Reba McEntire song, but it fits in so well with this chapter, I had to add it"

So in this chapter I will be discussing the most recent plot in a series of life-threatening health scares I have faced in my lifetime.

This one pertains to my first ever kidney infection, pain in which made it impossible to live my life normally for several months, but let's start at the beginning of this journey.

I had noticed some nagging pain and discomfort in my left hip, thigh area and figured I had just pulled a muscle getting out of my wheelchair or something.

I took liquid pain medication in order to dull it, although it helped, that pain was masking a sinister problem that was brewing in my body.

The pain had started in June, by August it had turned into constant pain, nausea and fevers.

By October I was delirious and I did not know it but I was days short from dying of the infection brewing in my body around my kidney.

On October 17, it all came to a boiling point when I called for an ambulance to transport me to our local hospital because I had had enough of the pain and fevers.

So here I was in an ambulance toddling down the highway for the hospital, you couldn't tell anything was wrong with me that day unless you were inside my body.

I was my funny, witty, charming self with the rather attractive female paramedic stationed in the back with me.

Upon arriving at the hospital I was forced to sit in a non-custom cart for 9.5 hours while my kidney started to slowly die and continue infecting my body.

Unbeknownst to me I had broken several ribs, damaged my liver and had spots of infection in my lungs.

After a week of rigorous antibiotic therapy, placement of a nephrostomy tube and a PICC line I left the hospital, damaged but still breathing.

For 5 months I underwent antibiotic therapy, scans, surgeries and home health care visits weekly from October to February.

A time in my life I hope nobody has to go through EVER.

But at the end of that journey I had gained a better perspective on how fragile life is and how quickly it can be taken away.

Do me a favor, take care of your health, it's not a joke.

I promise for a happier theme in the next chapter.