A couple of months ago I went to visit my friend Robbi who was at home with hospice (and who has since passed away.) You can imagine how I was feeling. Sad doesn't begin to cover it. But when I got there, I saw a handwritten sign on the front door that made me smile. It said something like..."Door is open. Robbi's bedroom to the right."
Fast forward to a few weeks ago. Dave was in rough shape, in bed most of the time. We were expecting a cognitive therapist to arrive some time in the next couple of hours. In the meantime, I felt a vertigo attack creeping into my brain. What should I do? If I moved around I would become violently ill with all sorts of unattractive symptoms. If I stayed perfectly quiet I could ride it out.
But how could we receive the therapist and get him to the bedroom?
I quickly grabbed the Magic Marker and taped a sign to the front door that said: "Door is open. Our bedroom to the left." And then I got in bed with Dave and relaxed. Presently I heard a man's voice calling "Hello." I replied "Come on in." And he did.
Later, after he was gone and I was feeling a bit better, I got a phone call from neighbors who were out for a walk and wondering if we needed anything. By this time I was on a roll. I asked that they come in the condo, grab my laptop and a couple of other things and bring them to us in our bed. They arrived about three minutes later.
I've since quit leaving the front door open for strangers to walk in but that day turned out to be a good day to relax and go with the flow. And every time I think of that day I also think of Bill and Robbi. And how priorities sometimes need to be adjusted.
By the way, the cognitive therapist released Dave last week saying his brain seems to be functioning fine. We're not so sure about me.
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