Oh, this life-y thing called life… never a dull moment, is it?
We had one of those moments, thankfully far less dramatic, on a recent road trip back from California. My brother’s 15-year-old minivan chose that exact stretch of road, just as we crossed back into Colorado, to stage what felt like a full-blown farewell tour. Smoke. Awkward gear shifts. The whole “I might be done here” performance.
We pulled over, let the engine cool, and did what modern travelers do - we consulted ChatGPT for a quick gut check. With a little guidance and a hopeful nudge forward, the van limped its way into nearby Fruita, where we were lucky enough to find Stephen at Pickie’s Garage - reputable, kind, and refreshingly efficient.
Less than an hour later, after a fresh infusion of transmission fluid (which, by the way, looks alarmingly like blood - this looked less like auto repair and more like a roadside medical procedure), the dashboard was no longer lit up like Times Square and we were back on the road.
And here’s the thing - had the van chosen a different moment to “give up the ghost,” we might have ended up somewhere far less fortunate, with a far less positive outcome. Instead, we landed exactly where we needed to be, with just enough time to get it fixed before they closed up shop for the weekend. Funny how that works.
So I’m especially glad your situation turned into a positive as well. Maybe your guardian angel nudged things along… or simply stuck her foot out at just the right moment. And I’m very glad the doggies are okay too!
Oh Jacque, I am so glad you are okay...on so many levels. I took two falls in the last few years. Once cracked a bone in my left ankle and the other did permanent nerve damage to the right side of my face. The second fall left what looks like a permanent Botox treatment. :) Still, I am trying not to repeat these performances.
I recently experienced a hard circumstance that woke me up to some realities in my life. I am very thankful for the pain I went through. It was a gift. I can relate to what you shared her. Again, I am so glad you are okay. I hope the more minor injuries are healing.
I am glad you didn’t have a brain bleed, Jacque, although an encounter with the asphalt that hard and bruised ribs are painful. And grateful in that mixed way, “oh no! Oh good,” that they noted the incidental finding of the nodules that need to be followed.
I have had that too, after an MRI to monitor the pain coming from remnants of my splattered spleen from an accident many years ago (high school) only to find neoplasms in my pancreatic ducts. Good and not so good. Most often they are benign and don’t develop into pancreatic cancer, but they need to be monitored to detect any change. If I hadn’t been experiencing pain from the splenosis, I wouldn’t have known they were there. So far, no change has been detected four years later. I am grateful. I just had an MRI on Friday so I am waiting on the results. Hopefully that will also show no change.
I shall look for the positive hidden within the negative. What does this current sinus infection conceal? A lesson, perhaps, to take more time to recover after a long journey, and to give my body what it needs in the moment.
Oh dear friend!! Scary indeed. Yet another reminder to be grateful for the signs and for every day. A friend did have her cancer diagnosed after a dog-walking fall led to an xray. She crushed that cancer and thanks her dog every day.
I’m so glad I am finally finding time to read this. I’m relieved all is well. Your ability to inject humor and real world sense into your writing is relatable and comforting. Well done!
Isn’t it amazing that when you are a writer you experience things so differently. The good the not so good and when you write well, it all makes sense. I am so glad you checked on everything. I have two people close to me who have recently found nodules in their lungs through appointments and tests for other things. In both cases they were found to be fine. Evidently a lot of things cause them. I hope the other ones turn out to be harmless also. I do have a story that turned out well like that but it is too long and is still ok and unchanged in 36 years. A brain tumor discovered in my daughter after a dr gave her too strong a birth control pill and she had a slight stroke, then an MRI, found it, and 36 years later it is still ok. I was lucky. A dr I was friendly with told me not to take her to a surgeon because they would operate immediately and to wait and have many tests. He suggested a neurologist. Smartest thing ever. Not good to mess with the brain. … sorry, this was long but only half of the very long story! Jacque, I hope you hear only good things!💙
So scary! The falls and the scans. Thank goodness it all turned out ok, considering.
Oh Jacque! Hugs! Glad - so glad you are ok!
Oh, this life-y thing called life… never a dull moment, is it?
We had one of those moments, thankfully far less dramatic, on a recent road trip back from California. My brother’s 15-year-old minivan chose that exact stretch of road, just as we crossed back into Colorado, to stage what felt like a full-blown farewell tour. Smoke. Awkward gear shifts. The whole “I might be done here” performance.
We pulled over, let the engine cool, and did what modern travelers do - we consulted ChatGPT for a quick gut check. With a little guidance and a hopeful nudge forward, the van limped its way into nearby Fruita, where we were lucky enough to find Stephen at Pickie’s Garage - reputable, kind, and refreshingly efficient.
Less than an hour later, after a fresh infusion of transmission fluid (which, by the way, looks alarmingly like blood - this looked less like auto repair and more like a roadside medical procedure), the dashboard was no longer lit up like Times Square and we were back on the road.
And here’s the thing - had the van chosen a different moment to “give up the ghost,” we might have ended up somewhere far less fortunate, with a far less positive outcome. Instead, we landed exactly where we needed to be, with just enough time to get it fixed before they closed up shop for the weekend. Funny how that works.
So I’m especially glad your situation turned into a positive as well. Maybe your guardian angel nudged things along… or simply stuck her foot out at just the right moment. And I’m very glad the doggies are okay too!
Oh Jacque, I am so glad you are okay...on so many levels. I took two falls in the last few years. Once cracked a bone in my left ankle and the other did permanent nerve damage to the right side of my face. The second fall left what looks like a permanent Botox treatment. :) Still, I am trying not to repeat these performances.
I recently experienced a hard circumstance that woke me up to some realities in my life. I am very thankful for the pain I went through. It was a gift. I can relate to what you shared her. Again, I am so glad you are okay. I hope the more minor injuries are healing.
I am glad you didn’t have a brain bleed, Jacque, although an encounter with the asphalt that hard and bruised ribs are painful. And grateful in that mixed way, “oh no! Oh good,” that they noted the incidental finding of the nodules that need to be followed.
I have had that too, after an MRI to monitor the pain coming from remnants of my splattered spleen from an accident many years ago (high school) only to find neoplasms in my pancreatic ducts. Good and not so good. Most often they are benign and don’t develop into pancreatic cancer, but they need to be monitored to detect any change. If I hadn’t been experiencing pain from the splenosis, I wouldn’t have known they were there. So far, no change has been detected four years later. I am grateful. I just had an MRI on Friday so I am waiting on the results. Hopefully that will also show no change.
I shall look for the positive hidden within the negative. What does this current sinus infection conceal? A lesson, perhaps, to take more time to recover after a long journey, and to give my body what it needs in the moment.
Oh dear friend!! Scary indeed. Yet another reminder to be grateful for the signs and for every day. A friend did have her cancer diagnosed after a dog-walking fall led to an xray. She crushed that cancer and thanks her dog every day.
So thankful for the positive outcome after another scary and painful fall. Your attitude through it all is such an encouragement.
I’m so glad I am finally finding time to read this. I’m relieved all is well. Your ability to inject humor and real world sense into your writing is relatable and comforting. Well done!
Isn’t it amazing that when you are a writer you experience things so differently. The good the not so good and when you write well, it all makes sense. I am so glad you checked on everything. I have two people close to me who have recently found nodules in their lungs through appointments and tests for other things. In both cases they were found to be fine. Evidently a lot of things cause them. I hope the other ones turn out to be harmless also. I do have a story that turned out well like that but it is too long and is still ok and unchanged in 36 years. A brain tumor discovered in my daughter after a dr gave her too strong a birth control pill and she had a slight stroke, then an MRI, found it, and 36 years later it is still ok. I was lucky. A dr I was friendly with told me not to take her to a surgeon because they would operate immediately and to wait and have many tests. He suggested a neurologist. Smartest thing ever. Not good to mess with the brain. … sorry, this was long but only half of the very long story! Jacque, I hope you hear only good things!💙