“You never really know a man until you understand things from his point of view, until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” … Harper Lee, ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’
As I sat on the bathroom floor from my first and only fall during
recovery (and with only my pride injured), I could hear echoes of my own voice asking Patti … “why are you still
trying to do things you can no longer do?”
Recovering from surgery has been eye opening. Through a quarter
century of caregiving for Patti’s Multiple Sclerosis and physical decline, I’ve
never experienced physical compromise myself.
Yes, my pain and challenges are only temporary and in less than a
month will be gone but daily I find myself feeling staggered by the seemingly
endless ripples of change.
Even riding in our car or our wheelchair accessible van as a passenger is so rough on my ribs it feels more like a roller coaster. Shoulder
harnesses may be safe but not ‘kind’ to ribs healing from being spread apart
for lung cancer surgery. Thank goodness for faux-down vests, the next best thing to
bubble wrapping yourself. J
Seeing, dealing with, and adapting to physical change from the
caregiver’s perspective is incomparable to living it.
Caregivingly Yours, Patrick Leer
videos: www.youtube.com/daddyleer
Love that Atticus Finch character. A very wise man. I wonder if I'd be less cranky about caregiving to Skip if I had more empathy or experienced a significant illness?
ReplyDeleteI can tell you Cranky that sitting on the bathroom floor after falling was more than enlightening.
DeletePeace from a person who stills tries to do some things she is told she cannot(or should not be able to) do. Real empathy comes from truly understanding, & sometimes it is just damn hard to truly understand unless you've gone through it yourself.
ReplyDeletePeace back at you, Mary!
DeleteDid anyone say how long it will be before the ribs feel normal again? I am trying to prepare myself for Ron's probable lung surgery. Empathy is an acquired trait isn't it?
ReplyDeleteI'm told every surgery is different and each person is different, however with that said my personal prognosis, "around 6 weeks"
DeleteThat's a major surgery, I can't imagine the challenges in the recovery.
ReplyDeleteDoris