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[RC] I'm back!! - Maggie MieskeHello Ridecampers!
I have missed all of you sooo much. I received my first digest this morning and it was like a family reunion, seeing all of your names. I'll give you a brief update and then tell you what I want from you!
It's been a rough couple of years! Actually, in the fall of 2005, Nelson was hospitalized with diverticulitis. I graduated that December with my B.S. (and we all know what THAT stands for) and instead of walking to receive my diploma, I had a hysterectomy and then started TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) graduate school a few weeks later.
That summer (2006), I started teaching at CMU in the English Language Institute. I LOVED it but I was soooo tired and worn out. Or so I thought. I got sicker and sicker until finally Nelson took me to the hospital one morning. They put me right into the ICU because my calcium levels were through the roof and apparently, high levels of calcium can give you "charlie horses" in your heart...a heart attack! I spent a good deal of time in the hospital, had to quit my job, of course, and eventually had to have a biopsy of the lymph nodes in my chest as they were enlarged. The doctor really believed I had lymphoma. Fortunately, it was sarcoidosis, a very strange but treatable disease. I'm still on steroids for it and am responding to the treatment well although I've gained thirty pounds. Malik doesn't appreciate that but I don't have time to ride much
anyway. I was able to go back that fall as a graduate assistant in the English Language Institute and am now an adjunct instructor since last fall. Thank God because, in all this mess, we had no insurance. Our medical bills are astronomical and we are filing bankruptcy. The student loans will come due after I graduate this year, so we could never, ever pay it all off. We do have great insurance now, but it's up in August so the big job hunt is on! Anyway!!!! Back to the story!
Last summer, Nelson had an aortic dissection. (Yeah, no insurance for this one either!). Not a normal (?) 3-4 incher like most people would experience, but one that went right down into his left leg, temporarily compromising his left kidney and miraculous missing the major arteries to his other vital organs. He should have died. He walked around for 5 days with this thing...the first hospital misdiagnosed it as back spasms and sent him home with muscle relaxers and pain killers. It's too big to do surgery; the risks are too great. However, his body has since started healing itself...the kidney is feeding from the false lumen (the part of the aorta that tore) and an interesting phenomena called colateral circulation is occuring. The doctor pretty much told him he can do anything he wants, including work, although we lost most of the farrier business when he was out of commission. He has since LOST
about 30 pounds. He still does some horses but he has slowed down.
I am getting ready to graduate in May with my degree and am currently applying for jobs all over the states and world, including the Middle East. I'm wondering if Maryanne is still on Ridecamp or if there is anyone else living in the Middle East. I've done a lot of research about the job opportunities, living there, etc. Now, I want to find out more about living there if I decide to stay awhile and ship my horse over! :) I am also curious about some other areas where I have applied for jobs and I'd like to reestablish contact with my Ridecamp friends so I can find out more about different areas for riding purposes. At this point, I've applied to places in Florida, Georgia, Texas (Arlington), Illinois, Wisconsin...I can't remember them all. And I keep wondering, what's the riding like? Where can I keep a horse? When I finish my degree, I am GOING to get back on my horse for
real!!! I think our little Mykayla (now 3 year old granddaughter) has ridden him more than I have in the last 2 years!!
Anyway, sorry for the book but I wanted to update everyone and let you know where we've been! Hopefully, I'll find a job where I can take my horse and one for Nelson, too. He wants to start riding himself! I guess I'll lose my pit crew! That's ok!!
So, what do I want from you? To reestablish contact. When I apply for a job or am thinking about applying for a job, I'd like to drop a line and say HEY! What's the possibilities for riding here and keeping a horse here? Do you know anything about the area? That sort of thing. I know I can count on you!!
Maggie and Malik Michigan "At first, dreams seem impossible, then improbable, and eventually inevitable." Christopher Reeve (THE Superman)
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