Tonight's picture was taken on August 26, 2009. Mattie was still home at this point despite the fact that we were managing his intense pain and trouble breathing. As you can see, Mattie (with the help of his art therapists) created a big roach constructed out of paper. In his hands was a big fly swatter. Something he got during his 7th birthday party hosted by Reptiles Alive. When I look back at this photo, I have no idea how on earth Mattie was able to smile. It really was a great feat, because any adult in his shoes would have been distraught, dejected, and depressed.
Quote of the day: It can be rough going to maintain both composure and empathy in these situations, but a doctor's failure to do that is probably the number one reason why patients feel dissatisfied with their physicians and end up doctor-shopping endlessly. ~ Danielle Ofri
It is day in and day out of the same routine. There is no room to talk about anything else other than bowel movements, exercise routines, and the list goes on. I am very aware that this is not a normal way to live, and yet this is my life. It takes a lot of inner strength to manage and cope without losing my mind or spirit.
Yesterday Peter was cleaning out parts of the garage. In the garage I have a corner filled with walkers! Like I used to have a collection of strollers for Mattie, I now have a collection of all wheeled gadgets for my dad. Literally in the house I have four walkers, one seated rollator, a wheelchair, and this upright rollator.
This photo shows the upright rollator. My dad's in-home occupational therapist gave it to us. One of her patients gave it to her because he no longer needed it. It was very thoughtful of Donna to give it to us. I had hopes that my dad would use it to walk up the block and back. Forget it. Getting him to move requires practically a miracle. He complains, says he's tired, and does whatever it takes to make me miserable while holding him accountable to his therapy routine. In any case, yesterday Peter and I made the executive decision to donate this upright walker. I figured someone might as well get use out of this good piece of equipment.
So I put a couple photos of this rollator on Next Door. I can't tell you how many things I have given away on Next Door. It is a great app and for the most part, everyone who commits to pick up items, does. In any case, after posting this free item yesterday, I got a message about thirty minutes later from a woman who said she knew a 79 year old woman who could really benefit from this rollator. So she picked up the rollator later in the day.
I have come to know that the lady who wrote to me and picked up the rollator is a primary care physician and she was picking up the rollator for HER patient! What doctor does this, and on a Saturday, no less??? I wrote back to her because I was beyond impressed with the level of care, compassion, and concern she has for her patients. Needless to say, we have been chatting back and forth and I have learned that the doctor is coping with ovarian cancer and her only son died from suicide. She has learned that what ultimately brings her happiness is HELPING OTHERS. This woman and I are on the SAME plane and we speak the same language. I have NO DOUBT her personal insights and loss make her an extraordinary doctor and through our conversations, it reminded that we made the RIGHT decision to donate the rollator. This rollator was meant to go to this 79 year old patient who herself is recovering from breast cancer treatment, which left her with osteoporosis. It is my hope that the rollator provides the patient a better quality of life.
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