A few things running through my mind, not essential to Ben's health, or mine for that matter....
I finally spelled "McDonald" right in my last post, and then corrected my sequence of misspellings in previous ones. My apologies to Ronald. You'd think I would know better as many cups of coffee as I've purchased from him this week.
When Ben was feeling bad and we weren't quite so sure how things would progress, there was a lot of unspoken solidarity with other parents in the icu. Somehow, though, when Ben rose from the bed and took his walk, the solidarity for me turned to a more acute sense of sadness for those parents whose journey will be so much longer than ours, and for those who will never take their child home alive from icu. We know it happens, and almost know how much it hurts.
I think I could live in the city. Walking to and from the hospital each day has its own sense of freedom and a healing rhythm to it. The access to all the essentials for daily life within walking distance is nice. And we love some of these old row homes. Of course Lincoln Park is pretty nice of its own merit.
When people are in the hospital for a long time, it is expensive. I don't just mean the hospital bill. Not sure I want to see that, but do thank my fellow employees at the CoB for helping our family get healthy again. But it's expensive just to be here: parking, traveling back and forth, eating even when trying not to spend too much on restaurants, and just managing the day by day needs of life. Again, it stretches us and so it's not hard at all to see how families go "belly up" after any kind of extended medical care.
Exhaustion will set in. When? It's hard to say, but I know it's coming.
Finally for tonight, I just don't know how people do this without the love and support of family and faith family. The love and strength of God is available to all who ask/seek/wait, true, but it surely is felt most tangibly through the care and generosity of other human beings. Thanks to all of you who have been human expressions of Christ to us during this time.
Ben,
ReplyDeleteWe are thinking of you so many times and hoping that you will soon be at home and doing the things you love to do.
Our prayers and love are with you.
Joyce and Rich Bohn
Dear Jon,
ReplyDeleteI had tried to respond to your blogs several times, but with no luck for this "blog for dummies"!! Your Dad called me this morning to walk me through the process which was very helpful.
We were so glad to hear from them yesterday that they are getting some rest themselves. We hope it won't be long before you can do the same.
Rich and I both appreciated your honest, frank description of this journey. No verse holds more truth now than "when one hurts, the whole body hurts!" I, too, rejoice that the body of believers has been a tower of strength for you. You have learned some lessons about dealing with crisis that you will never forget.
Our prayers are with you!
Love, Joyce and Rich