As My Time Winds Down “The Itch Grows Stronger”

This is a quick update of what’s been going on. When I do not put posts out for a while I start getting email and text wondering what’s going on. When I first started this blog it was to keep friends and family updated on my travels and share the wonderful places I’m able to visit in this life lifestyle. As I’ve mentioned before I enjoy sharing these wonderful posts, but as anyone that puts out a blog knows it takes a certain amount of devotion and quite a bit of time. When not much is going on as far as traveling, it’s hard for me to feel enthusiastic about writing about day-to-day activities. I have friends that have journals and they try to write in them almost daily, but for me that would lead to somewhat of a ho-hum blog. And I know the people that write these daily blogs feel that way at times it’s hard to keep things interesting when just living day-to-day life. Everyone has their own reason and style of journals that they want to put out there. Mine has always been intended to share my travels with my friends and family. As time progresses it’s turned into more of a travel blog that lots of people seem to enjoy. What I like to do is travel a little and spend at least a couple weeks in a given area. Giving me time to explore it thoroughly. But when I stay put these winter months in a given location for a long period of time. I do not want to bore people with just the routine lifestyle we all live. And after a couple months in a given location I start getting the “Hitch Itch”. This is an ailment that most of us full-time or suffer from now and then. To choose this lifestyle of being on the road and make the best of it you have to have an adventurous spirit. But if you’re not careful you can truly burn yourself out in a short period of time, by doing too much traveling. So it ends up being a balancing act. That is why I like to find these work camp jobs, it gives me the opportunity to stay put in a given area for extended period of time and really connect with the people and the area. And I truly appreciate all that it has to offer. The traveling, visiting wonderful and new locations all over, and meeting new and wonderful people along with reconnecting with old friends, as I move across this country, I truly understand what a blessing it is. As I start this post it’s the wee hours of Monday morning March 12. It’s been raining off and on all day Sunday and supposed to continue today. But the main reason I’m up at these ungodly hours is today I get to experience the fun procedure of having my second Colon ostomy performed. For those of you that have had this procedure before you know the procedure is quite simple and relatively uneventful, because they put you in a subdued state. But it’s the preparing for the procedure “that is no fun at all”. And for those of you that haven’t had the “Pleasure” of this procedure I will give you a quick update of what the prep entails. First off for 24 hours or more before the procedure you are not allowed to eat anything except clear liquids. Which any of you know I love my food so going 24 hours without any is a bit of a chore! But then the fun really begins the evening before the procedure, when you drink this gallon of cleansing fluid. ”Need I say more” and then from midnight on you’re not allowed to eat or drink anything. And that’s why I lay awake here waiting for my procedure which will not be performed until noon on Monday. Oh well if this is the worst thing in life I have to go through this is nothing!! This winter knowing I was going to be located in one spot for several months. I decided to be proactive and find a doctor and go through numerous routine exams. When I got here back in October I was experiencing some symptoms of high blood pressure which I had gone through a few years before and was given blood pressure med to get it in control. I had not been taking any medicine for a couple years now and my blood pressure was good with the change in my lifestyle, (less stress, and more exercise). But as we all get older our bodies just are not what they used to be even though our minds think they are. I can tell when my blood pressure spikes, I can feel it throughout my body and was pretty sure that is all I was feeling.  So I found a local doctor down here who has been great and went to him several times doing blood work, a EKG and other routine exams. My blood pressure was diagnosed as high and they put me on a very low dose of medicine which helped immediately. And I’ve been feeling okay ever since November, when I started back up on the meds. But over the last year I’ve been experiencing more fatigue and shortness of breath when I do strenuous activities. So to play it safe and to be proactive my doctor suggested I see a cardiologist. So over the last couple months I went through an ultrasound of my heart, and a stress test and everything was found to be in good shape “for my age”. What all the doctors of been telling me is my symptoms which are mild and really not worrying me that much, are mostly due to the fact that I’m getting older. Since I retired, I have been getting a lot more regular exercise and have been eating better and I certainly do not have the stress in my life I used to have, that all of us suffer from. Every day I think about how lucky I am to be able to live the life I’m living and have my good health. The funny thing is as we getting older, you feel more aches and pains can’t do the things you used to do even though your brain seems to think you’re still in your 20s. I think this is especially so with the opportunity that I’ve been able to travel more at a leisurely pace and a joy all the wonders God has given us.

I’ve had a wonderful time here at Hamburg State Park this winter, met some wonderful new friends that I will certainly meet up with again. Explored the area and become a local resident as much as you can in five or six months. We’ve accomplished a lot of projects this winter that during the summer months there just isn’t enough time for. I have a few things I’m trying to wrap up here in the next few weeks before the first week of April, when I will hit the road once again. All of us here at the park are starting to feel the anxiety of the fact that we will soon all be going our own directions and will not see each other for a while, “that’s the sad part of this lifestyle”. When I leave here sometime the first week of April I will be heading west spending time exploring parts of Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi before I make my way back to Wisconsin. Once I get to Wisconsin I will spend a month or longer visiting with friends and relatives there. And then I will take another month or so to get back out to Oregon where I will once again be volunteering at Heceta Head Lighthouse for the months of July and August. I enjoyed it so much last year that I offered to come back again and share this wonderful experience with the people that come to that area. So I’m sure as spring and summer continue I will have plenty more to write about. Also I am already making plans to meet up with fellow full-time RVer‘s that I’ve met along the road. There will be several of them visiting Oregon and Washington this summer, so I’m very excited about these reunions. The next few weeks will be extremely busy. After my procedure today which I have no expectations of finding any problems. This is just a routine exam trying to be proactive, to stay in good health, especially for my daughters’ sake. I had this procedure done five years ago and with what they found it was recommended I have one again now. I’m sure everything will be fine and this is just routine. But after losing my dear Sonia to colon cancer “I do not want to have my daughters go through that again”. So I’m trying to take better care of myself not only for myself but for them.

As you can tell this is not one of my normal posts my blog has always been intended to be about mine and Maxine’s travels and the things we see and the fun we have. But as I’ve said before when I don’t do much running around I still have to let people know what’s been happening in my life especially as I get more followers and this is a wonderful feeling. Also this week Wednesday, March 14 my sister Bonnie who you have heard me talk about many times before is coming to visit for a week and will be doing more exploring of this beautiful part of the country. It will entail a couple days in one of my favorite southern cities Savanna, Georgia. And lots of running around sightseeing making the most of her time here with me and Maxine. So stay tuned for the fun activities of this upcoming week. And then the final couple weeks that I will be here in Georgia will entail a couple more doctor follow-ups and that way I should be set for the next year or so. As I said all the checkups have come back that my health is quite good and I’m thankful for that. I guess I just have to accept that my body is slowing down a little and adjust my lifestyle according. Well that’s all I can come up with for now and I’m in a see if I can get a little more sleep and stop worrying about my stomach growling.

Thanks for reading and until next time best wishes to all, Rick

Advertisement