A week ago Friday I went to the ER with a pulmonary embolism – a blood clot in the lung. Since then, I have been recuperating, Very. Slowly.

Let me tell you, being told I had a pulmonary embolism was SCARY – mostly because the stories I’ve heard about pulmonary embolisms usually have to do with people dropping dead of them. I’m in good shape, though, and my prognosis is good! The clot is small, but it will still take three weeks for my body to break it down. In the meantime, I am short of breath, and short of stamina.

The stamina thing is the worst. I feel really good when I’m laying down. I struggle a little with my breath when I’m sitting up. Getting up and walking around… sometimes that’s okay and sometimes not. When it’s not, it’s not just “I think I’ll sit down in a moment” – it’s “If I don’t sit down RIGHT NOW, I will FALL OVER” weakness. I have been gently pushing myself, trying to increase my activity bit by bit to see what I can handle, but it is a very slow process.

I cannot stand at my easel right now. I can barely stand at the kitchen counter to make a sandwich. I can do things in short bursts, but I have to sit and rest for a while in the middle. Going upstairs to answer the door just about does me in.

So. My activity is, of necessity, limited – not by my doctors, but by my body. It will get better, but slowly.

In the meantime, I’m waiting for word back on two gallery submissions, and I have a third waiting, with a Sept 1 deadline… and this week, I’ll be working in a sketchbook, preparing for my next body of work. Because I’m anxious to get back to work! 🙂