Message from the President
Greetings friend, and welcome to the August Comfort Connection!
Have you ever noticed how much easier it is to endure something when you have an end date?
My girlfriend ripped a ligament in her thumb (trying to catch a pig, but that’s a story for another day). She had to get surgery to reattach the ligament. First, the doctor said she would need to wear a cast for six weeks. By the time she was home with the cast on, her doctor had reduced that time period to only four weeks.
At first, she was dreading the sentence she received, but being the positive person that she is, she adjusted quickly, and kept smiling!
Nine and a half months ago I burned my hands, neck, and face in a horrible accident. When I was in the hospital, I thought I would be all better in about 6 weeks. I’ve never had any injury that took longer than six weeks. I’m so thankful for the relatively quick healing on my neck and face... but these HANDS! It took 3 months just for the last of the open wounds to close.
The first timeline the doctor gave me was, “In nine to twelve months you will have some relief from the tightness.” WHAT????? NINE TO TWELVE MONTHS? Then I learned I would likely be wearing compression gloves for eighteen to twenty-four months. Two years! You have got to be kidding me!! Will it take 2 years for my hands to finally feel better? Will that really be the end, or will there be more after that??? No one can give me a date!
Are you presently caring for a parent? Are you wondering how long this will go on for? It would be so much easier if you had an end date, wouldn’t it?
Back in the day, I was a social worker at a personal care home. I spoke to an eighty-year-old daughter who was admitting her 100-year-old mother. She was lamenting to me about how long this caregiving role was going on for. Because, gosh, darn, she had been counting on having that China set for such a long time now! Haha!
I am a person who makes decisions and gets things done. Waiting, patience, and being still was not in my vocabulary. This experience is changing me. I am learning to W A I T. The 1-2 hour process of changing my gloves each evening forces me to relax earlier than normal. I am learning to B E S T I L L. I am learning to cherish the precious moments with family and those I love, instead of rushing through life, too busy to take note of those around me. P A T I E N C E has taken on a whole new meaning.
I know caregiving can be stressful, and seemingly never ending. But what are the gifts you are receiving? How is this experience changing you?
