Illness @ MindSay

Yay I am almost all the way back on my feet again from this illness! Thank God! I really didn't know if it would be the end of me. Had membership class today at church, which was fun. 3 more to go and then I can become a member if I want. My ministry starts on the 21st. I was talking to some friends online about how to lose weight, and the stress diet came up. The question was how to keep the weight off after all the stress that made you lose the weight is over. I still dont know. I went back up with about 1/2 of what I lost, I think. My pants got a bit tighter. That could just be the redistribution of my proportions. Ack! Who knows. I probably lost some weight this week with this illness. I was so nauseated I didn't even want crackers. Terrible! So I didn't eat anything for at least 2 days and then forced myself to eat at least once a day the rest of the week.

I haven't told anyone, but I have really felt lousy the past couple of weeks.  I kept having terrible pain in my belly, but I thought maybe it was a virus.  It's not....  Tuesday night, I woke up in such excrutiating pain, that I kept fainting every time I tried to stand up.  My daughter took me to the hospital and I was admitted.  A bunch of tests later, no diagnosis except for, I have "angry" intestines.  Some type of intestinal bacteria/infection that is kicking my ass.  No wonder I felt so lousy.  But, on the total upside, I haven't been able to wear a regular size hospital gown for years because I was too fat.  They gave me a normal person hospital gown!!  I wasn't even asked if I need a bigger size!  It fit, it tied, and was a little too big!  They even used a regular size blood pressure cuff!  So, yeah, I feel like shit, but the hospital gown fit!  I'm getting to be a skinny bitch!

My husband is a member of a large family.  Since his family lost their father last year they have made a concerted effort to help me with my  husband.  Especially since they have seen how bad it has gotten with him.

 

So since the spring we have had 4 of them visit for 3 days and up to two weeks. I am having my house cleaned today in prepration of  a fifth one visiting next week.  And I appreciate and love each one of them for their efforts to help.

 

But during all of these visits I have realized there should be rules for visiting sick relatives:

 

Don't assume that my level of home cleaness should match or exceed yours.  My husband and I are pretty much restricted to the main level of the house now, so my concern for cob webs and dust bunnies under beds in rooms I only open when visitors exceed the capacity of the one bedroom upstairs that I keep ready does not match your concern.

 

Please don't keep pushing the couches apart in the living room because you think they are too crunched together in the middle of the room.  Yes I know they are, but when I crunch them close together then it gives a bigger path to the front door for my husband to use when he is leaving the house in his wheelchair.

 

Please don't rearrange the furniture on the main level of the house. It is small and yes the setup looks strrange but it allows my husband to get from point A to point B to point C with out falling when he is not in his wheelchair.  Plus if you rearrange the furniture the way it "should be" it puts too much strain on the electrical circuit for a specific wall when my husband uses his lift chair and other items in the room are turned on or in use.  Then I have to wander through the dark to flip the circuit breakers in the basement.

 

I appreciate your helping with meals, but please don't stock our refrigerator or kitchen shelves with items that your family loves.  That is fine if you can eat all of it before you leave, but if not then it leaves food that my husband is not allowed to have or even likes to take up space.

 

And yes I know that dishes and cookware are sitting out all over the countertops.  I know it is cluttered but my husband cannot safely bend down or reach up to get those items, especially when he is home alone. 

 

And yes I realize that it is strange to have coffee mugs with the shelf he has his meds on, but it is right over the coffee pot and he enjoys making himself a cup of coffee in the morning sitting on the stool I keep there (so please don't move it out of the way) to take his morning meds.

 

Please don't correct the angle of the kitchen trash can.  The way I have it allows my husband to wheel his chair into the kitchen, back it up into the correct position to recharge it overnight.

 

And yes I know the house is dark because the curtains are drawn, he is supposed to stay our of the sunlight because of his pheresis treatments.

 

And yes we do go to bed early.  I sleep when he sleeps and still have to go to work. As much as I want to visit and catch up on everything, I know that while you are asleep upstairs I will be up several times during the night.

 

And I know a vase of flowers sitting around really brightens up a place, but all I see is a dirty stinky vase that I have to clean after you leave.

 

And  yes I know the end of the couch is not the best place to open mail and do bills, but at the end of all this at least I can sit down and be still while I am doing something.

 

 And finally we both appreciate all that you do while you are visiting and are very glad you got to spend some time with us. Please come again.