My Mother was up from GA to keep our kids so Randy and I could attend a Pastor’s Conference at the Billy Graham Training Center. In her words, “Well, I made it down 19 of the 20 steps.” And then she thought she was on the final step but wasn’t. She broke her ankle in three places and sprained the MCL in her opposite knee. She spent 5 days in a hospital where we live having surgery and recovering. Her insurance company wouldn’t cover any rehab services or after discharge support out of state so I was forced to drive her 6 hours to her home in GA where we spent a week trying to get in home services. The day in home health was approved she went into AFib and had to go to the hospital for 5 days and then Rehab for 12 days.
The good news is that she’s in her home now and getting settled with in home health services. I am back in my home now and my brother and sister are picking up where I left off in terms of care giving.
I learned a few things over the last four weeks of being on this side of the hospital bed.
- Caregiving is mentally and physically exhausting. You must take care of yourself in the process.
- Phone calls/ texts/cards from friends who are praying for you and your loved one infuses a great amount of encouragement at just the right time.
- Caregiving can be an isolating and lonely process. I only did it for 4 weeks. For those whose life is caregiving for a loved one I can see how difficult the battle of loneliness and weariness can be. I think of those who can’t afford or insurance doesn’t cover extra help to come in and relieve the primary care giver.
- Hope is the greatest thing you can give the person you are caring for. As a Christian I believe true hope at it’s finest can only come from one source and that’s through Jesus Christ. So encouraging your loved one with scripture and through prayer is a great gift we can give to one who may feel there is no hope.
Well, friends, I’m glad to be back in this new little home place of mine. I invite you stay a while and look around. Go check out Umbrella Prayers and let me know if I can help you with anything. If you find yourself in and around the Greensboro, NC area I dare you to show up on my front porch. The tea will be in the refrigerator and we’ll sit a spell and catch up.
I thought about you this morning sister. Your first morning back home in a long time. I wondered if it was too hot and humid to have a cupa on the front porch. I imagined you sitting in your lovely sitting room in a darling chair and just soaking in the sensory of ‘home’. You did a great job tending to our mom. I was so proud of you. You did an amazing job on all levels – administrative, nurturing, medical, encouraging, and still juggling contact with your family. And your man! My BIL did an amazing job being Super Dad and holding down the fort back home. He supported you all the way and sacrificially gave of himself. Thank you Randy Hester for being THAT guy.
Aww thanks sis. Your vision of my morning was not exactly on point but I’m thinking Monday morning that will be the case. This morning I was did 7 loads of laundry, got good food in the house and picked up from a home that looked like a bachelor pad. I’m not kidding for one second.
Thanks for sharing about what you learned about caregiving. It’s easy for me to remember people who are sick/hurt, but I forget about the people who are actually taking care of them. Your new site is beautiful. You are beautiful. I pray for UP every time I look at the sweet paper Umbrella you made for me. It’s hanging up right above my computer.