Sunday, October 15, 2017

Milestones

We are going to the movies today. For my husband and me, this will be our first outing to a movie theater since July, when he got sick. Ever better, we are going with two dear friends, a couple who have just come through their own health ordeal. In fact, the husband of that pair went into surgery on the same morning, at the same hour, as my husband.

A few days before his own problems arose, our friend had volunteered to go with my very ill husband to his MRI appointment, as I had to get my niece and nephew, who were visiting from Jamaica, to the airport. I got a text from our friend the afternoon before the MRI saying he was being admitted to the hospital and was sorry he would not be able to accompany my man the next day. I told him to take care of himself and not to worry, we would figure things out. As it turned out the next day, my husband, too, was admitted to the hospital. They had very different diagnoses, but both required major surgery and extreme healing.

Since we all live near one another, both men post surgery happened to be assigned the same visiting nurse and the same physical therapist. Their wives, who like to sit together on a bench some evenings, have been in intense caretaker mode, and we've leaned on each other. We both understood that neither of our men wanted many visitors while they were at their most frail, and so the two men haven't seen each other since their hospital odysseys began. But this afternoon we will all walk to the movie theater together. I'm so grateful we have arrived at this place. I think we're even more closely bonded now than before.


12 comments:

  1. All of this is so good. Have you begun to let your breath relax a bit yet? I hope so.

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  2. Caretaking takes a toll on a person. I know the patient has it worse, because it is his life on the line, but the caretaker is under incredible stress also. It's like you are worrying about two people, not one; your loved one AND yourself.

    Of course, maybe the patient is worrying about you and himself also. That didn't occur to me until this second . . .

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  3. Have fun, Angella! What movie are you seeing?

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  4. Goosebumps. So glad you had each other to lean on. Enjoy the movie!
    Xoxo
    Barbara

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  5. Quite a coincidence to have both men experienced serious health emergencies, then, happily, both recover so nicely. This shared experience creates a mutual bond of friendship, understanding and support. Your movie night together sounds lovely. Strong friendship is to be cherished. Susan

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  6. I love your community of love and healing. What a grand reunion.

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  7. Oh, absolutely! I can see how sharing that experience would be a bonding experience! Thank goodness everyone is on the road to healing.

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  8. Lovely, and I hope you celebrate that bond for a long time to come!

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  9. Oh my goodness. I had no idea. Sending you hugs! I have to go back and read all that is happened.

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  10. I’m just sittIng here listening to the chant that I posted on my blog and started thinking about you. Today, I hope you are welll. Love, Peace, Harmony my friend. Thanks for being a part of my life.

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  11. That's terrific! What movie did you see?

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  12. I have been having trouble posting on blogs. I hope this works. I’m so glad things are coming along and both men are recuperating well. It means so much not to be alone. Sending you a big hug. BTW, you look beautiful in your makeover pic but I always thought you looked beautiful!

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