We drove home from Nevada today. It was so awesome to be able to enjoy warm weather with my hubby and daughter. I really loved watching Shaniah play lacrosse with a bunch of girls that display such a great deal of team work.
As we were driving home, I finally understood why my chiropractor was worried about me going this weekend and why she told me to take it slow.
When we drove down on Friday I could feel the elevation changes slightly. I felt additional pain and pressure in my lungs but really not too bad and we only had to stop a couple times.
On the way home today in between Nevada and Cedar City, I really felt it. I did not understand what was going on at the time but I felt like my 90lb. dog was sitting on my chest as I lay in the back seat of our truck. I really struggled getting my air, was extremely tired and lightheaded. I had my hubby pull over at a rest stop just before Cedar City. I thought that would help. It did not so I told him just go fast and lets try to get to a better elevation. It took about 20 minutes before I started to level out.
When things started to calm down in my lungs and I could breathe better I started to look up the elevation on my phone. I found out that where I live in Utah is 4400' above sea level and where we stayed in Nevada was 2100'. On our way down my blood had plenty of red blood cells to accommodate my oxygen level. But as we came back home, especially through St. George and Cedar City where the elevation peaked at 5600' is where I felt I could not get my breath. I realized that my body needed more red blood cells to keep up with the elevation changed and did not produce them fast enough to catch up with the elevation changes. I read up on others who had Sarcs and found out that our bodies have a hard time adjusting to elevation changes so quickly due to the granulomas taking up space in our lungs.
Today I realized just how much I have taken the simple fact of breathing for granite. Struggling to breathe today made me so thankful for our bodies and what they can do without us even thinking about it. It wasn't until today that I realized just how amazing our body's are and how lucky I have been over the past few years to have such a healthy body. Today I promised to never take what my body can do for granite ever again. Having this disease has reminded me that we only have one physical body and that we must do everything in our power to take good care of it.
Today I found gratitude in:
1. Our physical body given to us from the Lord and its ability to breathe so effortlessly
2. Being able to realize just how blessed I am today.
3. My hubby and daughters love for me as we drove home.
4. Answers to prayers that came when I really needed them.
5. Our safe arrival home after a long, long, car ride.
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