I’d had a LONG-delayed task on my mind. It was SUPPOSED to be completed in mid-March, but:
My husband slipped in January, tore his left quad. After 3 futile days at home (he’d been to the ER, they sent him home with no assistance), he saw his Ortho guy, who had him admitted immediately. He was operated on within two days.
After hospital discharge, he was sent to a skilled nursing facility. The whole first week, he was crabby and depressed - well, the facility also housed a nursing home wing, where the patients were mentally ailing. Not the most cheerful place to be.
After he got over his funk, he threw himself into rehab, and was able to return home by the 3-week mark (when Medicare no longer pays the whole bill). He still had PT, at first at home, then traveling to rehab.
All that traveling took a LOT of my time. Also assisting with dressing, bathing, putting on socks/shoes, and trotting and fetching.
Around mid-March, he got a call from his sister-in-law, that his brother had apparently had a heart attack (not his first). It was heart, but also a stroke, which left him incapable of using his right hand/leg.
He was not a fun patient - cranky, abusive to staff, unrealistic about his ability to go home - “I plan to be out of here by the end of the week”. To be fair, it was an emotional upheaval - he had to use a bedpan, be fed, and follow directions, which he was not having.
We ended up doing a lot of traveling to visit - 1.5 miles from our house. I needed to accompany my husband each time, because he wasn’t up to long drives as yet. Figure around 4-5 hours on the road.
We still had our dog at that point. I was responsible for all walking/feeding/care throughout most of that time. Formerly, we’d split it.
I was doing the housework, dishes, laundry, bill-paying - everything, at first. My husband gradually picked up tasks as he improved. Good thing, too, as my joints and respiratory system started to malfunction.
Silly thing, but I had switched side on the bed - more room for him to manage his leg brace, closer to the bathroom - and I wasn’t sleeping well.
My husband decided to schedule home repairs - needed, but the construction noise and confusion made it impossible to work at home. And, the basement waterproofing apparently kicked up some mold spores, that left me breathless for months. I’m only now recovering, after an antifungal med and more antibiotics/steroids.
All of the steroids left me with laryngitis - lasted around 1 month.
In early August, my husband decided to take a job out of town (he still picks up work on a short term basis). I had to drive him there, and fly back. Then, reverse the process 3 weeks later. Lots of fun.
And, I experienced a stress fracture in my right ankle. Had to be put into an aircast for 4 weeks. Which left my knees in pain, due to change of gait and stress on leg of lifting up the ‘boot’.
Reading all of that makes me realize that I wasn’t procrastinating (making a choice to avoid the task), but unbearably overwhelmed. I read the post at this link, and finally made the connection.
Now the long delayed task is complete as of yesterday. Another task, dependent on the other task being done, is approaching completion. My FL relatives checked in this morning, minimal problems from the hurricane, and everyone is well.
I slept the sleep of the Just last night, and feel like a new woman today.
Life is getting GOOD!