Another Stuffy adventure

​For those who don’t know, I have been dealing with some medical issues which are unrelated (we think) to my Bell’s (P.A.L.S. Y -spelled this way to keep the spammers at bay).
 I’ve been having near blackout episodes which literally are so painful that they stop me in my tracks. I’ve been to multiple specialists, and we are still looking for answers. I had some major episodes during our recent trip to Virginia. I was fine getting to the plane on Thursday, but once we landed, I couldn’t walk more than a dozen steps without having to stop and wait for things to subside. Friday continued to be a bad day, so for the return trip on Saturday, I opted to ask for help getting through the airport in both Virginia and Detroit. Both wheelchair attendants were amazing and I’m sorry things were so rushed that I didn’t think to get a photo of either of them with Stuffy G.  I’m having a tilt table test today, so hopefully that will help shed light on things. I’ll be honest, that test has me a bit concerned. I’ve been dealing with this for over a year and have learned to stop and let the pain and colors subside. I won’t be in control during the test and honestly, that terrifies me.  I want to get this all figured out and keep reminding myself that I will be in the best possible place if something were to happen.  

​On to other news, we took a quick trip to Virginia to pick up our grandson so he can hang out in Michigan during Summer break. The hubby and I had a blast with Stuffy G at the airport and traveling around our old haunts. I got some great photos of Stuffy G with the copilot and flight attendants.  One of the flight attendants pinned on Stuffy’s wings for his first flight and both the pilot and copilot were happy to allow him to get his picture taken in the cockpit.
It seems as if everyone is happy to get their photo taken with Stuffy G.  Well, almost everyone… When we arrived at our hotel, I was excited to see a Marine Band unit checking in. There were Marines everywhere so I thought it would be a great opportunity for Stuffy G to get his photo taken with one. I decided to wait to let them get settled hoping I could get a photo when things weren’t so hectic. The next day, as the hubby and I were heading out to see some sights, I saw my opportunity, or so I thought. There was a van out front getting loaded with gear. As the hubby went to get the car, I approached a Marine who was standing near the van. I handed him my card and quickly explained that I write a series with a Marine Veteran and how Stuffy G is the mascot for the series and that I would love to get a quick picture of a Marine holding him. While the man was polite, he assured me he had no time to take a photo. He nodded to the other Marine, and they left me standing there holding my Stuffy G bag. I’m glad Bunny wasn’t there as I’m sure she would have taken my cane from me and used it on the man. (If you have read the Jerry McNeal Series, you would find the humor in that sentence.) Funny how the only person who has ever refused my request for a 30 second picture was a Marine. It’s also a bit sad, Jerry McNeal is a Marine Veteran after all. 

​Other than that one experience, everyone was super nice. I had quite a few really bad episodes while we were in Norfolk and wasn’t able to walk more than a few feet at a time without issue. Still, I wanted to get a picture of Stuffy on the boardwalk with the King Neptune statue. It wasn’t a matter of paying to park. There was no paid parking close enough to make that possible. Hit with inspiration I asked the hubby to pull into the Hampton which is close to the statue. He resisted as parking is at a premium and strictly enforced. So, I told him I would ask.  I went inside and spoke with a lady at the desk and explained my dilemma, assuring her it would only take around ten minutes. She was extremely nice about it and even gave me a temporary parking pass. One thing I’ve learned on that trip, while you might be disappointed on occasion, it never hurts to ask. 

​I’m still working on book 20. To be honest, I am not nearly as far along as I need to be. I think the writing voices are mad at me for promising a full-length book, as they are fighting me a bit on that. Providing there are no issues with today’s tests, I will be in the writing chair for the rest of the month. I will revisit things then to evaluate both my decision to make the book longer and the timeline. While I do not want to disappoint anyone on either point, I need to be honest with myself and give my team time to get the book ready on their end as well. More to follow on that, but I thought it only fair to tell you where things stand.
Thanks for reading, and as always, thanks for sharing this journey with me!
~ Sherry 
*Update, I made it through the test without an episode. The good news is it's definitely not my heart. The bad news, we still don't know what is causing the episodes. 
#theadventuresofstuffyg #stuffyg #thejerrymcnealseries #marine 

More photos from the trip.