Tuesday, September 3, 2013

September 3, 2013

It Is My Husband's Turn
Tuesday,  September 3, 2013

My husband, Ron, has been an excellent care giver through all my hearing difficulties starting last January.  I don't know what I would have done without his patient help.  He has not always been this patient with my medical needs.  About 45 years ago I broke an ankle.  We had two toddlers at the time.  He left very early every morning for work and came home in time for supper, leaving me to take care of all the needs at home while hobbling around on crutches, in my cast.  Nineteen years ago when he broke his leg, he apologized to me, saying he had no idea what I had been going through.  He has learned.  He is being a great help.

Back to the leg he broke 19 years ago.  It was a week before Bob and Vickey's wedding and we were so busy.  He was trying to fix a light by the side door - a motion activated one.  The ladder broke and he came tumbling down, breaking his leg.  He had surgery for it and was in the hospital for the first time in his life (he wasn't even born in one).  Ever since that time, he has had trouble with that leg.  The problems have varied, but all involved pain.

Ron's leg had been giving him more trouble as time went on and then when he ran to my rescue when I fell and broke my elbow, it really intensified the pain.  I had been urging (read nagging) him for years to go see a doctor about it.  Finally the pain had become too much and he made an appointment.  That appointment had to be postponed when I had that unexpected, rush trip to Houston a few weeks ago.  So the new appointment was today.  He spent all morning at the doctor's office and when he returned to our office he said he is scheduled for surgery September 18 to have a nerve cut in his foot due to Morton's Neuroma and he is having the hardware that has bothered him for 19 years, removed from his leg .  The Morton's Neuroma is what has been causing the increased recent pain.  He also has a heel spur that is aggravating the nerve in question.  The numerous problems are creating a vicious cycle that keeps things painful for him. 

His surgery should be outpatient and he should be home late that day.  He won't be able to put weight on the foot for a week and recovery will be gradual after that.  What a pair we are!  We are in for some interesting times ahead!  He will run the office while I have a week and a half to recover from my surgery and then we will trade places.  Of course there are parts of the office stuff we each are better at than the other.  He does the lock work and I do the book work.  We both cut keys and sell merchandise.  He does the big stuff.  I do the little stuff. 

Around here these days, we never know what to expect next.  Thankfully, this has not taken God by surprise and He will take care of the details.  Hopefully this surgery and recovery for Ron will be much easier than the original break.  It should be.  He had  a rough time recovering from that break.  He doesn't like not being able to take care of himself.  I guess that is one of the reasons we get along so well; we are alike in that respect.  We do ask for your prayers for us for the next few weeks that we can both heal quickly and completely without any complications.  We are eager to feel good!

As for the rest of the day, I had to go in very early since he had the doctor's appointment.  I am so pleased with the way I can hear the customers.  There was one this afternoon that I turned over to Ron because I couldn't hear him and I could tell it was going to require his expertise anyway.  After the man left, Ron said he also had trouble hearing him.  Part of it was the security issue the man had, so he was speaking softly, but also, I think he was just soft spoken.

I left a little early to go pay a bill and then headed home to prepare for the quilt group to meet for the first time since before Christmas.  We took a Christmas break and then at time to start again, Ron had the flu and following that I went deaf.  So they all decided they just have a break.  This evening, several were not able to come.  Two had some physical problems, one doesn't get out when it is rainy, (and we did get rain today!!!), and one had a church obligation.  We decided not to try to meet again until mid-October.  One is going to be out of town for a month, Ron and I have the surgery issues, and there are things with each that just made it seem best to wait a bit.  It was good to meet with the two who showed up.  We had a nice visit and did some catching up and some sewing.   I got two blocks made for the bird quilt in progress.

With the Cochlear Implant, I still need to figure out who is speaking.  I can't tell what direction a voice is coming from and voices don't sound the same to me as they used to, so it takes concentration.  If someone starts speaking rapidly before my brain has a chance to figure out who spoke and where it is coming from, I end up missing the first few words of a sentence.  I almost want people to say, "This is Mary and I have something to say."  I am sure that would get old quickly, but it would help.  In the meantime, I will continue to try to figure out who is saying what and respond  appropriately. 

2 comments:

  1. Hands together for y'all's quick healing & recovery!! God will carry you thru as we all know!! Ron's surgery will not be fun but is so painful for anything to be wrong with your feet. Be sure to ask the surgeon about shoes (type, new, old, etc) that he will need to be aware of after the surgery. He should do better with the surgery this time simply because of his age & his, hopefully gained, wisdom about running around on his involved foot when the dr tells him to stay off of it!!! Yes, Ron, I'm talking to you this time!!! Thanks for taking care of Linda. I appreciate all you have done for her & cared for her so well, physically & emotionally, thru all of this. Without that, she would not have made such good strides, I'm sure!! Hugs to you both my long time friends. Keep us posted!! Hands together for each of you!!

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    1. We are praying that all goes easily with this surgery. He really did well staying off the leg after the first surgery. He had never faced something like that and it really knocked him for a loop. He was off 6 weeks as I recall. I am concerned he will have more trouble this time staying off it. But after years of pain, I think he will follow doctor's orders.

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