This afternoon I made my way to the nursing home to visit the saints. There is a delightful married couple there. They have been married for over 60 years. I have been honored to walk with them through some major challenges. Four and and a half years ago I walked into the OR waiting room as a medical person was telling Wife that Husband was coding on the operating table. I sat with her through a long night. I called their son and told him what was going on (they hadn't told him about the surgery because they didn't want him to worry.) Anyway, I love these people, and we have a special bond. Husband survived his heart stopping and 10 minutes of CPR. Because of bladder issues, he has a catheter, and has been struggling with a number of bladder infections. So when I walked into the room today, they were both asleep. Husband was in his bed in a hospital gown. Wife was dressed and napping in her recliner, with an open book in her lap. I woke her up, and she told me they'd both been up all night. Husband is sick again, and they have sent out urine for testing, suspecting another infection. He was sound asleep, and wasn't wearing his hearing aides, so Wife and I had a good conversation.
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We talked about that day he almost died, and she called my arrival at the key moment a miracle. We talked about how it was a sign of God's presence with them, and it gave them confidence for the future. We talked about how amazing it was that he had survived 4 1/2 years in the nursing home. She talked about how he still had a sense of humor, which amazed her. I told her he was still the same man she had married. She agreed, and then offered me proof that he was still the same man she'd married. He keeps telling her he wants to have sex. She keeps reminding him that's impossible because of the catheter. Her son was horrified when she told him. I told her it should give him hope for his future vitality!
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It never ceases to amaze me the stories I hear as I spend time with people. I was hoping to go to all 3 nursing homes today, but headed home after that first one, since I needed to be home before Daughter got here. Daughter usually gets home about 3:45. I was about 2 miles outside of Tiny Village when she called me. The bus route has changed, and she was home 25 minutes early. The bus aide wanted to talk to me. Daughter started having tremors on the bus, and told them she felt like she was going to have a seizure. They weren't comfortable leaving her alone. I assured her that I was less than 2 miles away and Daughter would be fine until I got there. As I approached home, I saw 2 school buses in front of the house-- 1 was the one that had brought Daughter home, and was waiting for me. The other was from one of the schools, and was trying to pass Daughter's bus.
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I brought Daughter into the house and put Kitten in her lap. The tremors were gone almost immediately. When she (and other people) focus on the tremors, they get worse. Shifting her focus to something else (like a cuddly cat) stops the tremors. Now she's sleeping beside me, with Kitten sleeping on her legs.
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Monday I will go to the other two nursing homes. Communion will wait until after Christmas. A visit will be enough for now. I may hear some more stories....
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