Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans. ~ John Lennon
Long time, no see! I had great plans for my blog. I had an editorial calendar completed and was putting together a social media plan. But then multiple sclerosis decided I needed a deeper understanding of Reinvent Chronic so real life suddenly, drastically changed.
Going Off the Rails
I was already trying to figure out how to handle summer break with my teenage boys while my husband was in Italy for 3 weeks on business. I blamed my moodiness on stress. Each day, I took fewer and fewer steps. I snapped at the family members trying to get me to see how I was declining.
I started freaking the day I couldn’t stand up on my own. That night, my husband tried to help me walk from the family room to the bathroom, and I ended up in a heap on the bathroom floor. Hubby and teenage sons couldn’t get me off the floor until they grabbed the rolling office chair and pulled a MacGyver to get me into the chair. The next morning, we were at the doctor’s office, where I explained how my first period in four months had triggered a debilitating MS flare.
Long story short, I was admitted to the hospital that night. After a week in the hospital, I was transferred to the rehab hospital for 3 1/2 weeks. During the month since I’ve gotten home, I’ve had Home Health therapists come to my house to help me get out of my wheelchair and take care of myself.
But Wait, There’s More!
I just summarized 2 months into 3 sentences. Anyone who deals with chronic illness knows there’s nothing short and sweet about flares that earn you a hospital trip. The long version of the story includes:
Insurance – Emergency Rooms are more crowded than they should be. Doctors are handcuffed by pencil pushers. Medical professionals and patients roll their eyes as they are wrapped up in an ever-increasing pile of red tape.
Treatment or Torture – When you leave the hospital, what do you want your nurses and therapists to say about you? Do you want them to smile, or do you want them to roll their eyes and mutter how glad they are that you’re gone? It’s easy to cross the line in either direction.
What’s It Like? – Wonder what you should know about getting admitted to the hospital? What can you expect in an inpatient rehab program? How does Home Health work?
I’ll fill you in!
