Message from the President
Greetings friend, and welcome to the December Comfort Connection!
I am a mother of three, wife and home care owner of a significant company. That qualifies me as both a personal and professional caregiver!
But on October 25th, 2018, in a matter of minutes, everything changed! In an attempt to light my wood stove and using alcohol to get some wet wood going, the flames jumped out of the stove, and came at me instead. After what felt like an eternity of enduring flames licking at my face and hands, my son drove me to St. B Emergency, barefoot and burned himself. Anxious family members, friends and employees waited many hours while the hospital staff attended to me. I woke up in HSC SICU with many bandages, a breathing tube, and drugged to the max. I had suffered horrid burns to 10% of my body - my face, chest, hands and right wrist. Thankfully, later they determined my lungs were okay.
I stayed in the hospital for the next 12 days. I was dependent on others for almost EVERYTHING. Because my hands were wrapped in bulky bandages and pretty painful, there was very little I could do for myself. This was truly a turn of events. I went from a full life with too many "irons in the fire," to not even being able to respond to texts. I was mentally, physically and emotionally not just exhausted but traumatized. Usually fearlessly forging ahead, I was truly shaken to my core.
Perhaps because I was truly "undone," it made accepting help much easier. I had no pride, no preferences for male or female, only grateful humility for people who cared for and about me. I was happy to be alive. I knew I would be okay when my adult son declared he was quitting his seasonal work early to be my full-time caregiver. What a blessing he has been!
I was told I could leave the hospital if I had home care nurses in three times a week for dressing changes. I have to say, I was pretty apprehensive. My worst fear is that they wouldn’t show up. Not only have they not missed one day, they phone me ahead to let me know what time they can come. This gives me a chance to slowly remove my own dressings, and soak my hands without rushing. I have no complaints!
I know it's hard to accept help and care by someone else. That is the ongoing mantra we hear in the office. Many of our clients do not want "help." I get it. I had to shift my whole mindset.
I have truly had a chance to re-evaluate what matters and what’s important. I can’t "do" much. But I have discovered I can "love" much - my family, my friends, my employees (who truly deserve a gold star for all they have done), and my Lord Jesus – who protected me from what could have been much, much worse.
I hope you can take some time to be still and reflect about what is important even in this busy month. I pray this month will bring you both peace and joy.
