Some days it is easy to overlook the things for which we should be thankful. Yeah! Even for me. Well, the past couple of weeks have been a little more than trying. First of all, my older son called to say that when he got home from his holiday visit he got really sick — almost to the point of where he thought he was going to have to make a trip to the hospital. Well, he’s young and healthy for the most part, so he recovered within a week. That is something for which I could be thankful. And, of course, I was thankful the grandkids didn’t get sick. My daughter-in-law escaped the illness and that was another something for which to be thankful. So far, so good.
I noticed that my mother-in-law who just turned ninety had developed a cough. Day by day it seemed to stay the same, not any better but not any worse. That was the first week of it. By the time the weekend has arrived she had begun saying that she couldn’t eat. If that had been me, I would have really been thankful! But, it was my mother-in-law and she needs to eat. By Tuesday I was calling the ambulance to take her to hospital. Once admitted I was comfortable that she would be well cared for.
That’s when I noticed that I had started to cough. I called my sister-in-law and asked her to come home. Suddenly I was feeling as if I couldn’t eat. Oh, sure! That was not my problem. My problem was that I also felt as if someone had taken me out behind the barn and beat the hell out of me. Coughing all day and night didn’t help any.
About a week into it my husband started with a small cough. Now that caused me a real panic. His health is shaky at best. In fact, he takes over 2500 mg of antibiotics every day of his life. Adding another antibiotic to his menu is out of the question. He began to say that he didn’t feel like eating.
So, here’s the real bottom line. Everyone here has been sick, and I mean sick! We have all been a little edgy and have decided that we are better off staying in separate rooms as much as possible, not so much to prevent re-spreading the germs as to make sure that no one goes rogue and finally decides to off the other. It has been touch and go and nerves have been frayed.
Sounds pretty miserable, huh? Well, it has been. That’s about the best I can say for the past couple of weeks. But, there is always something for which we can be thankful! Of course, I am NOT thankful for any of these illnesses but, at the very least none of us wanted to eat. So, while I was feeling so sick to my stomach, miracle of miracles, no one wanted much to eat! I am so thankful that I did not have to cook a big meal everyday. I really don’t think I could have.
So, here’s the upside. My mother-in-law is still in the hospital — not so good — but while she has been there tests have been run and she is getting care for some issues we were unaware of. In fact, she will be going to rehab in the nursing home for a couple of weeks before she comes back home. My husband and I lost a few pounds — without really trying — and we both are on the mend. And, my sister-in-law — well, she’s been a life saver, picking up the slack at every turn. Now, that’s something for which I can really have gratitude.
