Saturday, March 9, 2013

My neighbor & friend, Johnny

I am so drained, I feel like I went around w/ Dracula!, I kid you not! ...Look - finally getting out of the snowbank I was plowed into today, I did make it down to the hospital to see my next-door neighbor & friend, Johnny, and feeling bad I hadn't gotten there earlier in the week - after all, they pulled him outta here last Sunday! - and knowing he wasn't good -- but not realizing how bad was bad, either --

The very short form is that he had untreated pneumonia which led to BOTH  a heart attack & a stroke -- a stroke that has taken his ability to talk, to walk, and to control his bowels ...He's 61 years old, had a rough stretch of the last few years between an on-the-job injury that ended his working career and a divorce he was gobsmacked by, and just last week, we were having a conversation about -- well, it was just last week, after all! and NOW ;-

I was able to coax a smile out of him (several, in fact) and even got him to work with the physical therapist in trying to regain his ability to sit up on the side of a bed ... and I saw on the whiteboard nurses notes - he's not eating much and practically has to be hand-fed - apparently he has use of his hands and arms - he's just too sick, overwhelmed, and depressed, to want to do feed himself ...

On the QT, I was told he'll never be able to live independantly again, drive his truck -- I imagine the person would have put playing his banjo in there, too, if he knew about it! 

Then again - very dire predictions were made about my mother when she had her stroke - and she lived another 12 years! and did regain some ability - alot more than they said she would!!! 

I'm looking at this, and I'm praying about it, and here are my thoughts right now:  I took care of my Dad, and it about finished me - not that I wouldn't do it again! - for my Dad.  I don't think I have it in me anymore - and, honestly, if one visit (which yeahhh comes w/ a 32 mile drive) makes me this tired --

-- but I tell you what:  I can time it better and get it around his mealtime, and maybe I can encourage him to eat like he should. 

And, even more importantly than that,

remind him he's got a friend in this world

yeahhh, I can do THAT!

1 comment:

  1. a sad but heart warming story, we all need a friend and a lil love!!

    you are a kind soul and it shines through here, people will often forget the things you say but they will never forget the way you made them feel!!

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