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| Snowflake lights for the holiday |
This will be short. My wife fell Friday and broke her
upper arm. We were at a cabin in the pine woods around Idyllwild, California,
celebrating our 49th anniversary. She slipped on a frost-covered porch step.
Because the effects of cancer make it unsafe for me to drive, the fire
department was called, and she was taken in an emergency unit to a hospital
in Palm Springs.
Two wonderful friends who live near us and happened to be
home from work not only brought my wife home from the hospital that evening but drove up the
mountain to retrieve me the dog, and our car. My wife is passing her second day
at home, sleeping OK with arm in a sling and managing the pain with meds.
I’m fortunately coming down off my last round of chemo and
have the energy to be chief caregiver—a role I’m happy to take. But being
unable to drive, I’m a little less than adequate for the job. Public
transportation is sketchy, though I’ve been studying the bus schedules, and
getting around is not impossible. We can
have meals delivered from restaurants in town, as long as it’s pizza, pasta,
Mexican, or Thai.
A convenience store is located about a 5-minute walk away, so
we shouldn’t run out of milk, bread—or beer, should it come to that. We already know that the hospital
pharmacist will deliver prescriptions to the door. And just about anything else
can be ordered for next-day delivery from Amazon. Material needs will be taken
care of.
Monday morning, I’ll be on the phone to the social worker
who is on staff at the Cancer Center, to see what she can do for me to get to
my own doctors appointments, as they will be starting up again after the
holidays. The irony is that this new development has forced me to become more
self-reliant, while at the same time, showing me how interdependent our lives are with others.
Even my dog Zoe, who watches us and registers every wave of our concern, is
quick to offer loving company.
Meanwhile, a pot of vegetable soup is simmering on the kitchen stove. And so life goes on.
How long will she be incapacitated?
ReplyDeleteWeeks.
DeleteIt may be more than useful to have someone in the house with you and a more, or less, regular basis, for awhile.
DeleteIt is amazing what we learn to do, the adaptations we make, when we must. My regards to your wife, and may her pain go away.
ReplyDeleteSo very sorry. How about contacting the local senior center to ask for volunteer drivers when needed? And we don't even know your wife's name, though we've felt her presence all these months in your blog. My very best to her . . . and to you, Ron. Thank goodness for a sympathetic dog, which can make all the difference in the world.
ReplyDeleteRon, I hope your wife recovers very soon. We have a lot of convenience stores around our place, from food grain shops to cold storages, and they are more than willing to home deliver right up till 10.30 late evening.
ReplyDeleteOh, dear. I hope your wife has a swift recovery, and that you'll be able to have a comfortable holiday! Merry Christmas to you both.
ReplyDeleteOuch! So sorry to hear that. Glad you are feeling better to help care for her. Hope she heals quickly.
ReplyDeleteHope your wife recovers well and that your unexpected role as carer doesn't exhaust you.
ReplyDeleteAll the best to your wife; may she heal quickly and painlessly. Merry Christmas wishes to you both.
ReplyDeleteHope you both will feel better soon.
ReplyDeleteHi, Ron,
ReplyDeleteHow is your wife's arm healing? Dick and I were down in the Mojave Desert for a few days. The temps were in the 45-55 range with rain and wind. I told people if we'd wanted a Seattle winter we'd have gone to Seattle. We went to Hoover Dam, but turned back for various reasons, then to the Grand Canyon where a snowstorm came in to remind us of Montana. So we didn't see that either.
We'll try again. I'm not complaining, mind you, but hoping you both will find a smile after you read this. If I can make blogspot post the comment. But I'll keep trying.
Thinking of you both, praying for you, and admiring your courage and resourcefulness.
Carol
Thanks, Carol. It's been a rainy, snowy winter in California so far.
DeleteI am so sorry to hear this; and I hope it's the kind of break that heals quickly and without complications.
ReplyDeleteMy boundless admiration goes out to you for dwelling in the solutions available to you.
ReplyDelete