Respite and Recovery

I have been at home now for about four weeks, and every day my stamina and thought processes seem to improve. The insurance company arranged for a weekly home nurse visit and a physical therapist twice a week which has vastly improved my condition. I can now walk about 200 yards, and I no longer feel dizzy each time I stand, although I periodically have moments when I do feel a bit light headed, especially when I leave out the front door for my walks around the yard. Somehow gazing out at the spectacular Catalina Mountains to the north disorients me somewhat and it takes a moment to steady myself.

All this time I have only left the house once, to visit my primary care doctor about three days after I was discharged from the hospital. This was not as difficult as it seemed since the clinic arranged for an Uber driver and, once the visit was over, the nurses themselves gave me a ride back home. How’s that for service! The rest of the time I have spent doing the many exercises that the physical therapist has taught me, watching television, and reading. Lately I have felt well enough to help with some household chores like the dishes and taking out the trash, too.

One thing a serious illness will teach its victims, I would hope, is a sense of gratitude for things we often take for granted. The beauty of a fall morning in the desert, the night sky with its bright moon and stars, the loving concern of friends and family are all things I now hold so dear. Jayne’s careful nursing of my shattered body has been a godsend, and she monitors my medication with a careful eye. My brother has helped take Jayne to her own doctor appointments and grocery store runs, and our good friends have also pitched in to help with these things. It is quite humbling to consider how dependent we are on such freely given mercies, and again, gratitude is an overpowering emotion when considering our good fortune in this regard.

My brain is working again. I am able to read, which is something during the early days was impossible, and I can follow conversations with ease. This new found clarity has allowed me to reach out to old friends on the telephone and either inform them of what happened to me, or to give them an update. I suppose that is what I am doing with this entry to the blog as well, and I am very glad to be able to compose and post what I feel is a milestone on my way to full recovery.