A Month Off-Kilter

I had a difficult February and am glad it's behind me now. This car covered in snow is the only photo I could find that represents how my February panned out.

First my sister got into a terrible cycling accident. She raced in a triathlon and while speeding downhill, she took a wrong turn and crashed into a metal railing then got thrown over several meters into a ravine. An airplane ambulance flew her to a hospital, where ... after a week of stress, she had a high-risk operation. She had broken ribs, gashes and bruises on her body, arms and legs; and her hip bone shattered. Some type of metal (or is it stainless steel?) was used to reconstruct her broken bones ... they were inserted into her body and molded on-the-spot during the procedure. The sharp, shattered bones were located close to a major artery. She can't move her leg and needs to do months of physical therapy. She's home now but has crutches, a wheelchair, and a special bed.

While all this unfolded, I prepared to fly home halfway across the world, in case my sister did not survive the accident. My adrenalin shot up. Only after a week, when she was pronounced to be in the safe zone ... my adrenalin crashed ... and I was attacked with all kinds of illnesses ... migraine, the flu, sinusitis, an eye infection, a cough, rashes on my leg. I took a combination of western medicine (antibiotics, a nasal spray, eye drops, pills) and eastern cures (teas, wearing shoes with magnetic soles, meditation, deep breathing). More of my hair turned white.

I had to function while all this went on ... I worked, ran the home, bonded with my son and did childcare because he was on a two-week winter break.

It's all behind me now. I'm looking forward to better news this March. My sister was supposed to visit me this Easter and join the Paris Marathon ... but all that is cancelled. She won't even be able to walk for months. I can't complain though. At least she's alive.