Saturday, November 13, 2010

celebrating national caregivers month


Surrounded in cheers and with confetti raining down all around me …  



disembodied voice: “Patrick, it’s National Caregiver Month. This will be your 21st year as a caregiver! What are you going to do?

Patrick: “We’re going to Disney World! Aren’t caregiver’s free?”

disembodied voice: “Uhhh, no, that offer is for overpaid athletes playing games.”

Patrick: “Ok, then we’re going out to dinner. Restaurants must have a Caregiver month special!”

disembodied voice: “Uhhh, no.”

Patrick: “Then it is the movies! Theatres must have a caregiver attends for fee deal for November.”

disembodied voice: “Uhhh, no”

Patrick: “Maybe free popcorn?”

disembodied voice: “Uhhh, no”

Patrick: “Free coffee at Starbucks?”

disembodied voice: “Uhhh, only if your birthday is in November.”

Patrick: “What a about Big Pharma? Free RX refills?”

disembodied voice: “Uhhh, only if hell freezes over in November.”

Patrick: “Respite care? What about you disembodied voice’, want to push Patti’s chair for a while?

disemobodied voice: “Uhhh, remember I am dis-embodied.”

Patrick: “Ah, yes, sorry about that.”

Patrick: “OK, Patti what about you? It’s National Caregivers Month and this will be my 21st Anniversary!”

Patti: “So?”

Sooo … I broke into my best Sam Cooke …

hooh! aah! hooh! aah! Well, don't you know
That's the sound of the men working on the chain ga-a-ang”
… and we headed off to the Warm Hearts Café for dessert, hot chocolate and the music of the Buc Hill Aces 

   Because of her level of Multiple Sclerosis symptoms Patti somewhat engages in a one woman food fight with herself whenever she eats or drinks, except when attending a Buc Hill Aces performance.

   I will never cease to be amazed at whatever affect their mix of ‘Old-Time music’, gospel, blues, storytelling, and humor have on Patti.

   Bottom line, it’s fun to have fun even if there are no perks for caregivers during National Caregiver Month.

   Wait just a minute, it was a wheelchair accessible coffeehouse and for National Caregivers’ “backs” Month - now that is a perk and a half!

Caregivingly Yours, Patrick Leer 

3 comments:

  1. Happy Caregiver's Month, Patrick. I'm sorry that your life took the turn it did with Patti's MS and your stepping in to be a care giver, I know you didn't "foresee" that when you were a young adult, but if I was to look in the dictionary for a definition of care giver, I would see your picture there. You are the epitome of one, as I have said before. You embraced it and took it and "ran" with it, no matter how difficult it was to do so and along the way, you continued your sense of humor or developed one, all you do you do it with dignity to Patti unselfishly. I hope the evening was equally fun for you.

    betty

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  2. What a journey it's been so far!! Congrats to both you and Patti, an incomperable pair of nutty folks who love life and drink it up, whatever flavor of the moment. Hey, did YOU break that kewl Sam Cooke record or did the dis-embodied voice? Tell Patti she should see ME dance with one dead foot - it's hilarious but I have a ball. I can't feel where my foot is in space, so it just flops around like a fish in a canoe. Love ya both :-)

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  3. From one caregiver to another- Happy Caregiver Month! Maybe I can send you a coupon for a free drink and you can do the same for me. Hugs to your Patti!
    Debbie

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