"Did she die?" "No, she's not that old." "Does she have a new baby?" "Good grief no, she already has ten! And besides, She is too old for that." "Did she go to work?" No actually, she, meaning "me" actually quit work and have been full time care giver for my husband for the past three years. The first year after my husband's stroke, I mostly sat by his side and read to him, tried to keep his arms and legs moving by manipulating them, and tried to learn how to care for someone who had lost the ability to walk , talk , move his arms or body, eat , and stay awake for more than an hour at a time, except through the night. We made several trips to the emergency room and checked on or fixed several malfunctioning body parts.

The next year we acquired therapists . Physical, Occupational and speech(off and on). I got better at helping , and Bob got better at doing a few things, like his feeding tube was removed and he learned to eat again. I think he was highly motivated in this area. We still spent far too much time in medical facilities.

This year we are dealing with arthritis, making therapy more difficult. But we have become friends with a couple of pain doctors who make life more bearable. In general Bob has a bad reaction to most pain relievers and we avoid those like the plague. Sleeplessness and hallucinations are his most common reactions to pain killers. Thank goodness for orthopedic and anesthetic specialists.

This year I have also realized that I need more to occupy myself than voracious reading. I have restarted smocking, cooking, gardening, and various other interests from my past. Bob still likes me close at hand , so these projects take a miniscule corner in my day. Still, keeping the creative juices going helps me to curtail my desire to be out and going, going, going.
I hope all of my friends and family are well and happy today. Sorry for the long, long pause in blogging. I hope to catch up with those that I have missed seeing, and connect with friends, old and new. Thank you, Lord, for this day.