Welcome to Susie's CaringBridge website. Susie has been facing many health challenges in the past year and this website has been created to be a central place for keeping all of her family and friends updated regarding her progress. Your support and words of encouragement are sincerely appreciated. Thank you for visiting.
To bring everyone up to speed--In August 2020, shortly after returning to her job at Twin Lakes Elementary School in Rathdrum, Idaho, it became evident that Susie's school district and many patrons were not taking the COVID-19 pandemic seriously. Susie decided that enough was enough, and she officially retired on October 14, 2020.
Susie was looking forward to a retirement that was supposed to include hiking, traveling, and doing just whatever she wanted. She and Doug were thrilled at the arrival of their first grandson, Cassian Chin Jones, born to Trevor and Brittany on December 16, 2020, in Greenville, South Carolina. Susie set her sights on meeting Cassian in early 2021. Unfortunately, even before Thanksgiving, she started feeling not-so-great and began a series of medical appointments. By Christmas, she was having serious breathing problems and she was put on oxygen 24/7. It wasn't until January 2021 that she was finally diagnosed by her rheumatologist with Limited Scleroderma (also known as CREST) and Interstitial Lung Disease resulting from the scleroderma (thus the need for oxygen). Limited Scleroderma is a relatively rare autoimmune disorder.
Subsequent to her diagnosis, Susie's rheumatologist referred her to an interstitial lung specialist in Seattle, Dr. Raghu. Regrettably, her appointment wasn't scheduled until July 28th. But in the meantime, Susie was feeling well enough to travel to South Carolina (with Doug, of course) in early May to meet Cassian for the first time and to celebrate Mother's Day! She and Doug and all the Jones clan also traveled to Buffalo, NY for July 4th for a Jones Family Reunion. In spite of having her luggage lost for 4 days by Southwest Airlines, Susie had a great time!
Several weeks after returning from Buffalo, Susie finally got in to see Dr. Raghu in Seattle. That's where Susie's Journal begins. Keep reading her story by scrolling down or by clicking on the "Journal" icon above.
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