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45 days. Two hospitals. Three ambulance rides. Three collapsed lungs. Four bronchoscopies. Two intubations. One tracheostomy. A bowel infection and countless tube insertions, medicine alterations, litres and litres of mucus and saliva suctioned. And Deane is finally out of the Intensive Care Unit. What has this arduous, emotional and exhausting journey taught us? As much … Continue reading
There’s a lot of time spent doing nothing in hospitals. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll take that any day over hurried action. In a hospital, that usually means something is going very wrong. Obviously, the staff is not doing nothing, but as a support person you spend a lot of time waiting. Waiting for doctors … Continue reading
Deane was supposed to be at camp this week, hanging with his friends, chatting with the cute counsellors. He was going to be a junior “nurse’ this session. Instead, he is intubated and sedated in an out-of-town hospital. Five days ago, Deane woke up late at the cottage, groggy and definitely not himself. Checking his … Continue reading
“You are doing really well.” The words hung in the room. I wasn’t sure how to respond. It was a rather unexpected comment as the doctor was getting up to leave. It was the end of a three hour clinic visit – my son’s last clinic visit at the pediatric rehab hospital where he’s been … Continue reading
Deane loves dogs. He reaches over the edge of his wheelchair tray to pet any dog that walks by. He calls out to sit on the floor to try to snuggle up beside them. Years ago he became inconsolably upset after reading a Curious George book in which the monkey gets a dog. He wanted … Continue reading
People don’t say “Thank you” enough. I don’t say thank you enough. Stopping to acknowledge something someone has done for you makes the world a kinder and better place, but in the face-in-a-screen, rush-around society we live in, we seem to have lost this. So I want to take this time to say a huge … Continue reading
It isn’t a conscious thing. It’s just become a habit, a form of protection against disappointment. Walking by displays for service agencies, the first thing I do is scan the pictures for people with walkers or wheelchairs. It is surprising how seldom the displays meet my criteria. I recently attended a forum put on by … Continue reading
You’ve changed my world in so many great ways. Love you Dude.
It happened by chance. I’d love to say it was a thoroughly researched, well-planned and perfectly executed piece of parenting, but it was none of those things. As I have written many times, we have been struggling to help (or push) Deane to become more independent (Pushing recreation, Why am I doing this?). He began … Continue reading
Sometimes you want to go Where everybody knows your name, and they’re always glad you came. For people of a certain age, these lyrics immediately conjure up the TV show Cheers and an overweight man walking into the bar to be greeted by the staff shouting his name. Reminiscing about eighties TV shows is not my … Continue reading
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