Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Chemotherapy Round 2, Day 7 Hornet Party

Fighting for my life I am learning is about a growing dependency on others.

For a quarter century I have been my wife, Patti’s caregiver as her Multiple Sclerosis progressed through over 15 years of homecare and once in the care facility era I continued to be involved 3 – 4 nights a week with outings, dinner and above all always transferring her from her wheelchair to her bed.  … It is what I believed was right and share in Caregivingly Yours.

Since chemotherapy began and chemo fatigue and chemo fog tears me down day by day … I cannot risk visiting a care facility with my weakened immune system … I feel as much a failure as fatigued.

Housekeeping from lawn mowing to house cleaning are losing to fatigue … even received a ‘friendly reminder’ from homeowner’s association about my driveway pole lamp not working. …. I’m sorry but if I genuinely had a ‘friendly’ home owners association wouldn’t’ they fix it instead of sending a ‘friendly reminder’ … I can’t even begin to count the number of times I have mowed lawns, shoveled sidewalks for injured or recovering neighbors.

Then again I read through the blogs in my sidebar and realize how many are blessed with healthy and working spouses and companions. … Being able to ‘focus’ on my own cancer and treatment is unimaginable in My Lung Cancer Odyssey.

Thank God we each have a story to tell or else we would be statistics.

I am not without my own blessing, our adult daughter who has been transcendent since my cancer staging upgraded from Stage 1 to Stage 4, just 11 weeks ago in early May … but she cannot do everything … though she has been masterful when confronted with Patti’s Dad’s death, from informing her through keeping her Mom involved in his visitation and funeral … I cannot even imagine what that was like to navigate through her Mom’s dementia? ... plus look at me some days and not start researching palliative care.

Megan's first attempt at changing lights was rebuffed by a hornet party in the pole … 

… big mistake hornets … I may be  chemo fatigued but with a spray can of hornet whup-ass now there is a "friendly" pole full of "friendly" dead hornets which I found the stamina to change myself with a smile.

Patrick Leer
Health Activist:
Caregivingly Yours, MS Caregiver @ http://caregivinglyyours.blogspot.com/


4 comments:

  1. great post, my hubby does just about everything, thank you God for him and Patricks smily face!

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  2. Thank you Mel ... and thank God for your hubbby

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  3. Love your comment about the 'friendly reminder'...and your t-shirt!

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    Replies
    1. thanks Ruth... the concept 'neighbor' can be an eyeopener

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