It Takes A Village…

Bell’s Palsy: Margaret, raising her eyebrows in surprise (L), and smiling (R)

If you follow us on Facebook then you know the past several weeks have been very difficult for us here on Ten Apple Farm. Margaret has been battling Lyme’s Disease, and as a result of the Lyme’s, Bell’s Palsy, a paralysis of the left side of her face. Here’s what we posted on Facebook a couple of weeks ago:

Hi Everyone — just want to give you an update on what’s been going on. Margaret was diagnosed with Lyme Disease tuesday night at the ER after a week of high fevers, terrible muscle and head pain and nausea. She’s finally on the right medication, and in much better shape than she was 4 days ago, but is still suffering …unbearable headaches and is also suffering from Bell’s Palsy, paralysis of the left side of her face. She’s doing her best to rest and try to beat this thing and get back on her feet.

We appreciate everyone’s get well wishes, kind thoughts, and good positive energy, and please, please — be super aware — check yourselves for ticks always if you’ve been outside, in the woods, wherever ticks might be. We wouldn’t wish this on anyone. Stay well. We’ll post more when we can.
Best to all, Karl, Margaret, Charlotte, Bea, Sadie & all your friends at Ten Apple Farm

Since that post, the outpouring of support that has come our way has been truly amazing, and we are extremely grateful to everyone who has pitched in and helped out in so many different way.

• Samantha Johnson at the JCA organized all the Levey families and Margaret’s Mother’s Circle families to prepare dinners for us for a two week span.
  
• Center Day Camp took Charlotte and Bea on short notice and midweek.
  
• We organized a work party two weekends ago to help with some farm projects and a ton of weeding that had fallen by the wayside, and several friends and a large contingent from Portland’s Permaculture group, many who we had never met before, came out to muck pens, shovel out the barn cellar, weed, and help build a new  large pen for our baby goats.
• And speaking of baby goats… Alina, our trusty farm sitter and goat milker, took on the care of a sick little baby goat, who surely would have died had she not taken her, and has since nursed that little goat back to health with constant care, and moral and financial help from her own village of supporters — check out her “Baby Goat Get Well Fund” rally.org page
• And all the friends and relatives who have helped out by providing childcare, taking Charlotte and Bea on outings, helped with Sadie, folded laundry, baked cookies (thanks Meg!), and much much more.

We are now almost in week 4 of Margaret being very sick (although she suspects that she may have been suffering from the Lyme’s for several months) and there is light at the end of the tunnel. The antibiotics that Margaret is on seems to be doing their job, ridding her system of the Lyme’s, and besides the palsy, or as Margaret puts it, “from the neck down” she is feeling much better. The Bell’s Palsy continues to be a traumatic consequence of the Lyme’s. Unable to close her left eye, she needs to tape it shut to sleep, and eating and speaking is difficult and somewhat painful. Despite the palsy, this past weekend Margaret braved a book signing and judged a chef cook-off at LL Bean’s 100th Anniversary Food Festival. This weekend, you’ll find us (and some of our baby goats) in a Ten Apple Farm booth, promoting our homesteading workshops and selling and signing books, at the Yarmouth Clam Festival Eco-Village (Friday, Saturday & Sunday noon-5pm).

So once again, a huge thanks to everyone who has helped out over the past several weeks. We feel truly blessed and inspired to have such great friends, many newly met, and to be part of such a caring, can-do, community. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.