I wasn’t sure how to title this today. First it was going to be something about the peg. Then it was going to be something about my oh so incredibly sweet neighbors. Then it was going to change to my experience with Enterprise. THEN it was going to change to my meltdowns with my car. And finally, I was going to change it to how aggravated I was with my husband and how it melted away with a smirk and a smile. I went with the peg since that was how my day with Bob started…
Here are the events of today in a not so quick summary. I called the hospital around 11 am to check in on how he was doing and to see how he was progressing with the move to Magee for tomorrow. I was informed by the case manager that Bob had removed his peg all by himself in the middle of the night. This involves him ripping his feeding tube (which was held in place by a balloon) out through the tiny incision in his stomach. That small hole is now a much larger hole then it was to begin with because the balloon was still inflated when it came out. He did inform me tonight that it was painful. REALLY? Ya think???
Now, since he no longer has a feeding tube in place, he must be placed on a diet of “real” food because he’s not getting the liquid nourishment that he was before.
“That’s great for him!” you think to yourself. “This means progress!” But instead, it means that Magee really wants him to be off of the peg for two days before they admit him. Its a precautionary thing to ensure that he’s not aspirating any food and isn’t running a fever. So right now (as of 5 pm Monday), his move to Magee is temporarily on a small hold.
They would like to see how he does with dinner tonight and breakfast tomorrow morning as well as how he maintains his body temperature overnight. After breakfast, his case manager at Acuity will contact the nurse liaison at Magee to report to her on his progress and hopefully at that point, the nurse liaison will give him the OK to be admitted to Magee. So the peg issue doesn’t mean that tomorrow is a no, it just means that we have to wait and see.
I also had to return my sweet rental today. I have some amazing neighbors. Elisabeth swooped in and was able help me move everything out of the rental car and into the Rav before following me to Enterprise in Hammonton. My new friend Jimmy at Enterprise really took care of me. THIS was one high point of today. The car was originally $1.95 a day out of pocket expense. Jimmy got it down to $.14 the day I picked it up and since the tax rate changed, it was down to four cents per day. So for 24 days of a rental, I would’ve paid $.96.
Jimmy decided that I had over filled the gas tank from when I picked it up and gave me a $.96 fuel credit. So my super nice Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited was at no cost to me for the 24 blissful days that we drove around in it.
Then I returned to the house and started the Rav. As I began to pull away, I realized that I had a flat tire. I called my other neighbors, Ann and Billy to help me out. Billy filled tires while Ann and I went into the house to gather a few more things that I needed. I talked and laughed with them for a while sharing Bob stories from the hospital that are just too inappropriate to post. Then, as they were about to pull away, my car wouldn’t start because the battery was dead since I left the lights on four 6 minutes. I frantically waved Ann and Billy down and Billy jumped the Rav and I was on my way to the hospital.
I was glad that when I got to the hospital tonight that Terry, Mike, and Bob’s Aunt Sue were all there. I was freaking out at my husband. Screaming and crying at him because I was just so frustrated with the way today had gone. I am so concerned about what will happen tomorrow because of the choices he made to pull the peg out. Even though I was steaming, steaming, steaming mad at Bob, all it took was for him to ask his Aunt Sue and Terry “What did I do? Why is she so mad?” Followed by “She’s in rare form” and “Marriage is really hard” to make me laugh at least a little bit. I don’t want to take out my frustration on him but sometimes that’s the only person that ever gets it. He’s not yet all together there to be mad as hell along with me at whomever or whatever has irked me.
So I’m not sure if it was the peg. Or the car tire. Or the car battery. Or Magee. Or Acuity. Or the hour long phone call with my car insurance. Or the uncertainty about tomorrow. Or just this whole situation that broke this camel’s back today.
We both usually take out our anger and irritation on each other because we both get it and we’ll always love each other. And even if we snap at those we’re closest to, they’ll always be there for us. And for me that’s Bob and for Bob, that’s me. He’s getting there, to that point when he will “get it” but after all of this, I want us to be a little kinder and gentler to each other.
I want to thank all of you who have been so kind and gentle to me, Bob, Michael and our foster son, Baby J over the past four weeks. I have a plan to write thank you cards to everyone who has sent us a meal, watched kids, driven kids all over, driven me all over, sent gift cards or money to help us, talked me off a ledge, texted or called to check on me, taken me out to take my mind off of this mess, jumped a car, or filled a flat tire. My community of friends, coworkers and family have been amazing. Thank you for hanging in there through this extra long post. It’s been an extra long day. Please hug those you love a little extra tonight.
