This isn't art; it is personal history. This is the faucet that changed my life. In 1998, when my kids were 13, 11 and 6, and I was 45 and blissfully healthy, we camped at a site near this tap. Because the campground was associated with an organic beef farm, we were particularly careful about water, only using it only if it were bottled or boiled. Except for one night, when, after we'd put the kids to be in the tent, John and I decided to have a bit of wine at the campfire. We rinsed off the glasses at this tap. A few days later, the two of us had a GI bug; the kids were fine. John quickly got better. I didn't. Over the next two years, I wasted away from a healthy 131 pounds (at 5'8") to 90, eventually becoming desperately sick. In so many ways, it felt like I was disappearing. Eventually I got the diagnosis of celiac disease, apparently triggered by the GI infection that I am sure we got from the water from this tap. All these years, we had not returned to that campground, but I was finally ready to do it this summer. It is a spectacular place on the coast of Maine. John couldn't understand why (I scarcely do myself) but I needed to find the faucet that really did change so much for me. Having celiac disease is not great--but, because of it, I have met wonderful people from all over the continent and even in Europe and Australia. And being that sick taught me to slow down and appreciate THIS day. So I needed to come back to that place where, bizarrely, my life turned.
Camera: iPhone 4s Processing: a whole series of apps!
What a fascinating and emotional journey you've been on all because of this faucet, now that you have faced your fears I hope you make a large print and get yourself some sharp darts to remind it that you are the winner.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this important information about your journey to find the faucet that changed your life. Jackscrap idea of making this image into a dart board is a good one.
ReplyDeleteHa...love the dart board idea too! Very brave of you to go back there, not sure I would have! Thanks for sharing your story...I didn't know a GI infection could lead to celiac disease!
ReplyDeletea tough road to travel, both coming back but mostly before you were diagnosed. My son has the same but was diagnosed young.
ReplyDeleteWow - quite a story, Bobbie. So glad you were finally diagnosed and all is managed now. I'm adding my "good idea" kudos to Jackscrap's dart-board comment.
ReplyDeleteGreat photo with great color.
ReplyDeleteGlad you are still around and was able to muster up the courage to revisit that nasty faucet after all that happened to you, hope it recognized you and trembled for its life.
ReplyDeleteI third the motion to make a dart board. Wonder if it was cryptosporidia infection that you had...my grandson had that at age 2 and was so very ill with diarrhea etc...that "bug" is so much more recognized now and they have a drug to help people recover from it now. So glad you were able to triumph over this."What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" song is now going thru my head!
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