Dear Jim: Oh Boy
When Sally slipped on a piece of ice a few weeks ago and
badly broke her arm you were probably wondering how anyone with eyesight and
half a brain could be so careless. Although I didn’t say it out loud, “Bozo”
was on my lips more than once as we dealt with the consequences.
On Friday, as I’m crossing the parking lot downtown, I find
myself on a particular ice path and I remind myself to be extra careful. As I
come to the end of the path, both feet fly out from underneath me and I come
crashing down on my arm and hip. The arm and wrist immediately start bleeding
like a tap and I’m sure my arm is broken.
In addition, my hip is signaling excruciating pain and I’m sure it is
serious.
An attendant comes running over and asks if he should call
an ambulance. I said, there is no way I could endure the embarrassment of
breaking my arm and my hip slipping on the ice after my wife broke her arm
doing the same dance a few weeks ago. Just carry me to my car and point it in
the direction of the highway and I will go home and hide out until I heal from
natural herbs and teas, out of the site of anyone I remotely am acquainted
with.
Turns out my bones were not quite broken, and the bleeding
stopped in a day or two. I haven’t told anyone this story so keeps it to yourself
as I don’t want Sally to think she has the upper hand.
As for being a caregiver I have done quite well.
Sally’s arm is healing, and, in a few weeks, she can start
driving and washing my car.
If you are thinking of helping someone in the shower there are
a few problems, you have to deal with. Sally and I decided many years ago that
no one was going to see either of us naked again except for the operator of the
Crematorium when the time came. This makes it difficult to aim a hose when you
have to keep your eyes closed. Safety tip…. a power house is a bad idea in case
you were wondering.
Meals have been superb if I do say so myself and although
Sally has lost a lot of weight, I’m going to let her have solids again next
week when she can handle both a knife and fork herself.
That should be the
end of that issue.
All in all, not a bad experience. It didn’t bother me nearly
as much as I feared, and I can hardly wait until our last hospital visit.
After two hip
replacements and now a broken Arm Sally has been out of the stores for many
weeks in the past two years. This means I can extend her retirement program for
a year longer than I had planned for her. So, all good.
Next year I am told I have to buy boots with snow cleats and
anti skid nails. I will be sure to order a pair on the internet from my condo
in Florida and have them shipped to the house in case I have to come home.
Bill Meder
Billmeder.blogspot.com
