Thanksgiving Day

From Elaine:

To all my friends and family - near and far - just know I love and appreciate you soooo much on this Thanksgiving day! I am dealing with chikungunya still and in the past 24 hours some new virus has found my depressed immune system so it's been less than pleasant to say the least. And I don't normally post this kind of personal info but there are people I have wanted to write, call, talk with, be with and reach out to who may wonder where I am. And, well....I'm here and just trying to get through what's directly in front of me, and being very very grateful for all the help I have received from my love, John Cosby and friends who have been so supportive, shared in my pains, given me many moments of humor, and helped me see rainbows when it just felt like rain.

(Chicungunya is the latest tropical mosquito-born virus to hit the Caribbean. It was first discovered in Tanzania in 1952 but was mostly confined to Africa. The first confirmed case in the Caribbean was in St. Thomas in 2013. Since then, in a little over a year, it has swept through the Caribbean and most of Central America. Estimates are 800,000 to 1 million people in the Caribbean have or have had it. It is rarely fatal but is incredibly debilitating. Although the fever phase is relatively mild and short, other effects can last for weeks, months or even a year. The disease mostly affects the joints. Descriptions range from "having ground glass in all my joints" to "being pounded by sledge hammers every time I move." Elaine is in her ninth week of this crap.)

Still, there is so much to be grateful for - family, friends, our home, our animal "family." From here on our little island we wish a very happy and grateful Thanksgiving.