Hospital Experiences - Part I

This is the first post in a series with thoughts about my recent experience having an elderly family member in the hospital - focusing on how life continues on with that disruption.

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Our initial strategy was that we approach the hospitalization as an event that trumped anything else going on in our lives. Now that is has been ongoing for weeks, we are in the mode of developing ways to sustain that high level of support and stay healthy (emotionally and physically) ourselves. In retrospect - that should have always been the strategy.

Even with help from extended family - developing a ‘shift’ mentality for who is at the hospital - everyone is tired and somewhat frazzled. Tempers are frayed, requiring considerable will power to maintain. Everyone wants to behave in a way that will not cause later regret…but that does take energy.

As I write this - the family Christmas has been partially unpacked for the past 4 days. There are still boxes and bags of ornaments - ready to be hung but no one has time to do it. There were needles shed from the artificial tree as it was put up on the floor for days. Finally they were vacuumed up.

Everyone is achy because we are more sedentary than normal being in the hospital room. I am planning a walk to look at the building I worked in almost 40 years ago (when it was new) that happens to be across the street from the hospital.

Is this post a little disjoint? I attribute it to mild sleep deprivation!