Where's the Silver Lining?

Catch up time

So much as happened over the past few months. I don't want to forget anything that's happened to us. We've endured a whirlwind of a life.

Robert finally came home November 14, 2005. He lacked two days spending two months in the hospital. Home health care sent a nurse to the house three times a week to dress his foot and reattach the wound vac. Everyone kept saying that he had another three months before he would be released.

The nurses didn't know how to attach the wound vac so that no leak appeared. Robert taught them how to do their jobs.

Amazingly, less than six weeks later, the week after Christmas, home health care dismissed him. That huge wound that took nearly half of his foot had healed until only one "cut" remained. The doctors and nurses couldn't believe how fast and well he had healed.

Then January 5, Robert started the new year with a bang, literally. He went off a curb in his power chair. He flew through the air, but he didn't land with the greatest of ease. He landed on his right knee. Within twenty minutes, he agreed to go to the emergency room. The pain shot through his leg every time he tried to put any weight at all on it.

The doctors at the ER sent him to the specialty hospital, his home away from home. The doctors and therapist said he was their guest until he could put weight on that leg and could walk 150 feet with a walker. Robert had been an impatient patient for five days when I became so ill I couldn't crawl out of the house.

I didn't visit him five days, but he needed clothes. On Saturday, I forced myself to the car, driving to the hospital as if I were in a fog (flu does that). I left his clothes and crept home. I drove myself to the doctor on Monday. When I took the prescriptions to the pharmacy, I hit Medicare Part D head on. I went home without my medicine.

In the mean time, the physical therapist who had cared for Robert's foot for two months couldn't believe that it was completely healed.

The doctors didn't want Robert to come home even when he could walk the 150 feet with a walker. They were afraid he would get the viral infection I had. I kept getting sicker.

Finally Robert told them he was coming home. It was time to care for me. Yesterday I drove to pick him up. The nurse who escorted him to the car told me that I looked terrible. No joke. Robert drove me home, stopping by Wal Mart to pick up some Musinex D for me.

By the way, that stuff does work.

Robert has to be careful not to get overtired. Sitting too long makes the knee hurt, but he's spoiling me.

I finally got part of the medicine the doctor ordered, and with the Musinex and the prescription, I think I may yet survive.

Whew, what a life.

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