Ch.93 We’re Ready to Accept Help.
June 2021
Pat came home today. She’s only partially recovered from her urinary tract infection, though, meaning she is still physically weak and a little confused. In the past her coming home would have meant we were now back on our own. Not this time, though. Tomorrow we have an appointment with a home health specialist; she will arrange for a physical therapist, an occupational therapist and possibly a nurse to come here regularly.
Pat and I might have grudgingly accepted such help before, feeling more invaded and imposed upon than nurtured. However, I think we both realize that we do need this kind of help, as well as active support from our children, to be able to continue living at home. Hopefully, physical therapy will help Pat gain strength and mobility while the occupational therapist might offer some good ways for us to increase home safety. And I will certainly feel less anxious to the extent these goals are realized.
Up to now I have recognized “logically” we could use help and that we didn’t have to do everything ourselves. But now I feel this need for help. I don’t want help, I need help. This need feels guttural, emotional, physical. The miracle is that help is there; in fact, it’s been available for quite a while if I (or we) would have accepted it.
I suspect that many Lewy Body individuals, couples and families have gone through this process from resisting help to grudgingly accepting help to gratefully accepting help. It is quite an emotional journey.
Pat’s comments on “We’re ready to Accept Help.”
I am ready to accept help, given that people have indicated that they want to help.