Mom home from Rehab

Every year around Thanksgiving, I start to inventory all the blessings in my life. This year I feel more moved by them all. Perhaps it is because my family has faced our share of challenges recently, and coming through it still standing feels fantastic.

My folks are experiencing the challenges of living a long life. Time and gravity are starting to wear them out. Over the last year, they have gotten rather sedentary.  Depending on the day and how he feels, my Dad uses a walker or wheelchair (and does very little for himself around the house). In August, my Dad finally got a home health aide to help him a couple of times a week. Because my mom continued to take care of most of the chores still, she didn’t like to leave my Dad home alone very often. As a result, my Mom had also gotten sedentary. Due to lack of exercise and movement, they both have lost a great deal of muscle mass and weight. It’s true – if you don’t use it, you lose it.

Then on November 1^st, my Mom fell and broke her hip sending her straight to the hospital and leaving my Dad all alone. I know this must sound crazy but I am actually grateful for this event. It created a set of situations that forced both my parents to put their best foot forward and re-evaluate how they wanted to live the last years of their lives.

The first miracle was that though, my Dad could call his aide, he actually started to do things for himself again. This was the first time in years my Dad has been alone and needed to feed and care for himself.  This was very difficult since he barely knew where anything was in the kitchen. Nevertheless, I am happy to say, he rose to the occasion. One day, he even drove himself to the hospital. That meant he left the house all by himself, took the walker to the car, folded it, put it in the car, and then made his way to the driver’s seat and drove. At the hospital, he was able to request a wheelchair and an aide to help him get to my Mom’s floor. This was quite impressive and no small feat for my Dad. It truly moved my Mom. Without a doubt, he really missed her. (By the way, he made it home safely in the dark no less).

The second miracle was after the surgery it was very apparent how physically feeble my Mom had become the last couple of years. She could barely hold her body up as her arm and stomach muscles were so weak. Nevertheless, after Physical Therapy 3 to 4 times a day for three weeks she can move as she did years ago. This past month she has done more exercise than she’d done in probably ten years. At the beginning, she didn’t think she could do it, and it looked like she was giving up. Thank goodness she didn’t.

Yes, as my Mom has said over and over again, breaking a hip is very inconvenient (she also said stupid, but it was simply an accident). However, I think it was the kick pants they both needed to regain some control over their lives and I believe it will bring more quality to their lives. It has definitely given them the confidence they needed to live life again instead of watch it go by.

I am overjoyed that my Mom has been discharged from Rehab just in time for Thanksgiving. I can’t imagine anything better than to share this holiday with my folks, Mike and Mathew (well, of course more family members would be wonderful too). I am so thankful and feel so blessed for everyone and everything in my life.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!