Sam had a bit of a raw deal when he married me as regards the sickness bit – on and off for the last 12 years he’s had to help me through much unpleasant treatment for thyroid cancer, which he has done willingly and with a good heart. He has sat up with me all night in hospital, dressed my wounds, has done his share of bedpan duty, and has even tried to replicate the scene in ‘Out of Africa’ several times when Robert Redford washed Meryl Streep’s hair, although we weren’t on safari at the time and he’s somewhat lacking in quotes from the ‘Rime of the Ancient Mariner’.
Now it’s my turn. Sam works at home as Tech Support for an American company, and they have a week in July where all the employees get together in the US for Sales Week. When he arrived there this year, the first Sunday was set aside as a team-building day. Sam ran around like a 16 year old, playing what sounded to me like a game of ‘Rounders’. When he stepped up the pace to reach the last post he felt something ‘snap’ in his leg, and had to hobble off the field. He thought at first he had pulled a calf muscle, but the injury did not heal. The GP diagnosed a ruptured Achilles tendon a fortnight ago, and now he has to have a general anaesthetic, two hours of surgery and a muscle graft to correct the damage. His ankle and lower leg will be in a plaster cast for at least 6 weeks, and he’ll have to get about on crutches.
Sam revels in being the strong one, and he hates being dependent upon anybody. He’s already apologising for the fact that I’m going to be driving him to the hospital and sitting with him until he’s stopped circling the airport. I try and tell him that I want to do it and it’s the least I can do, to pay him back for all he’s done for me. However, I can tell he’s not happy. Oh dear – he’s going to be a miserable patient! He’s already sighing because he won’t be able to climb a ladder in order to turn the garden into a fairy grotto this Christmas.
When he broke his arm back in 1979 he wasn’t able to work. Apparently he wandered around the streets in his cast while I was at work, looking dolefully into shop windows. At least this time he can work to take his mind off the situation, sitting at his desk at home and talking to customers on Skype, although not travelling out to them. I tentatively mentioned getting Dot’s old wheelchair down from the loft in case it’s needed for the first few days, but the look on his face tells me that it’s never going to happen.
Any advice on how to deal with somebody who has never had a thing wrong with them in 60 years apart from a broken arm and the odd cold or sore throat, but who is going to be somewhat incapacitated until at least Christmas? As we get older, the ‘in sickness and in health bit’ is now starting to bite just a little bit. Any suggestions would be gratefully received!
Clive said:
The bright ideas already seem to have been covered, so all I can say is…..good luck!
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Stevie Turner said:
Cheers Clive, I’m going to need it!
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shootingforthemoons said:
Oh sam! Get him his favorite
Food. Let it cold. Let him warm it. Work like a charm, it does!
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dgkaye said:
Ha! My new book is full of ‘in sickness and health’, as those vows kicked in with us 5 days after we were married, and the hits kept on coming! So I hear you. Men are usually the worst patients, sorry to tell you. But I have to brag and say my husband is an excellent patient – no complaining or whining and does what he’s told, so I may not have the experience you need, lol. But seriously,. sorry to hear about Sam’s upcoming surgery and recovery time. Thank goodness he can still work on the computer. 🙂
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Stevie Turner said:
Yes, he has his little man-cave upstairs with all his wires and tools, computers and machinery. At least he’ll be able to work and take his mind off his immobility!
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dgkaye said:
Thank goodness for tender mercies. 🙂
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Darlene said:
My hubby just went through back surgery. He wasn’t happy about me looking after him either. I had to walk the dog on my own etc. Fortunately, he likes watching TV and movies so he filled his time OK. They don’t make the best patients but its what we do for each other. Just give him lots of TLC and share a few jokes!
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Stevie Turner said:
Cheers Darlene, will do!
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thejuicenut said:
Uh-oh! My hb has done more than his fair share of care-taking, in fact since before we were even married, while he rarely even catches a cold. In recent years he’s had two serious bike accidents and has been the worst patient you could ever imagine. I had to get my son and daughter to take shifts, he was so bad! The first time it was his hip, the second his arm. Although the hip wasn’t broken, the pain was unbearable, it affected his back too, so he couldn’t walk. Despite his arm being broken in two places the second time, this first was the worst in terms of him being miserable, bored and not listening to any advice I gave (having spent all my adult life coping with back injuries, immobility and boredom/frustration, of course I didn’t know what I was talking about!) I like board games, but he doesn’t, however they are a good way of keeping the brain stimulated while the body heals, I also like audiobooks and plays, dvds, jigsaw. My mum who spends a lot of time sitting, loves puzzle books and crosswords. Maybe he can catch up on box sets? Will he be able to get into the car? Good luck 😉
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Stevie Turner said:
Thanks. He likes Sudoku, so we’ll stock up on those!
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jenanita01 said:
Once he gets used to it, I’m sure he will appreciate the rest…
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Stevie Turner said:
Hope so.
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jenanita01 said:
Reblogged this on anita dawes and jaye marie.
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Stevie Turner said:
Thanks for the re-blog!
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OIKOS™-Redaktion said:
Reblogged this on Die Erste Eslarner Zeitung – Aus und über Eslarn, sowie die bayerisch-tschechische Region!.
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Stevie Turner said:
Thanks for the re-blog.
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fearlessinjesuschrist said:
Just love!
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