Candy Land

posted by Mary Lello, Tuesday, April 27, 2010, 6:15 PM

I've used this analogy to several folks I've emailed today. In the game Candy Land you move along an entire board with candy canes and ladders that, if you land on that special square, will catapult you several squares ahead. But you can land on a square that is a slide then you can slip all the way back to the beginning of the game.

We landed on that kind of square this week. We've gone back to the beginning of this C-game. ALL the way back, or so it feels.

Jim was not nearly as aware today, unable to walk without my assistance or do his morning bathroom routine without me there. I didn't dare brave the stairs alone this morning so he spent the entire day in front of the T.V. watching movies. OK, this could make any one not real "with it" ... but Jim has definitely lost some ground. Me too. I did not deal with this day well at all. If you called us today and didn't get a response I apologize; I could not, should not, would not .. answer the phone and talk to people.

But by the early afternoon I was concerned that Jim was retaining his urine. I called Jerry Sanders and asked for some help. He came right over. He worked on Jim for a long time but we still couldn't get him to urinate on his own so we went to the ER ... again ... sliding back another couple squares that we already passed yesterday. This time Weisburg's office suggested that we go to Brighten as it is "easier and will be much quicker". It was. But thank God Jerry was here because I felt that another ER day would kill me. Take my little game piece, my little identity, and throw it in the fire because I could not imagine going to ER again. And I needed help getting Jim downstairs and out to the car. Jerry did all this as well as sit with us at ER. You know what? No one should ever go to ER alone .. EVER! And if there is a care taker with an individual? Just know that care taker needs someone with them too. I'm blessed to be able to call people and they drop everything and arrive at my door and commit to being here for what ever is needed. Truly blessed and grateful.

I've got amazing clients in my practice as well. I've had to cancel all my clients for today and tomorrow and not only do they say "this is NOT a problem", they offer to help in any way they can. And they mean it. You know, people can just be amazing and I will never take this aspect of humanity for granted.

I am really (really, really really!) hoping that tomorrow is a better day.

And we are, loving you all back,

Mary