by BJ Beauchamp
On Thanksgiving weekend my dad fell and broke his hip. A day later he had hip replacement surgery. After a couple days in intensive care he was put in a nice room on the Orthopedics floor. By the fifth night he was transferred to a skilled nursing facility which is known for having one of the best rehab records in the area. The facility offered rooms with two or three beds per room.
First night my dad was put into a two bed room without any occupants. The next day he got a roomie – a big fella who at the age of 87 had suffered a couple of strokes. Neither of the gentlemen could sit up on their own.
Going to the bathroom was an interesting predicament, but at least my dad had control over his bowel movements, whereas the roomie’s stroke left him unaware when that function was to happen. It was a smelly situation for all including visitors, but of course that was nothing compared to the staff’s cleanup detail (urg and gag).
Two weeks out from the date of my dad’s surgery and he’s standing and able to walk using a walker. Unfortunately for the roomie the outcome isn’t as rosy as he’s made no improvements. Strokes trump hip replacements as for being harder to recover from.
The best way to describe my dad is to point you to the Clint Eastwood character in the film “Gran Torino” (hope you saw it, was a good movie), and then mix in some Alzheimer’s. Since his fall and I’m thinking pain killers may have some influence on this, dad’s become a cheerful chatty Cathy. His take on life in the nursing facility has been a riot. After two weeks of the roomie’s aroma tonight he finally asked me to bring Glade spay to mask the stench.
Living in Southern California means my dad won’t have to struggle with snow and ice on the ground while he is on the mend and that's a very good thing. In a week he'll be home and far away from bed pans, needles, nurses and feeling trapped in a prison (his words) with a roommate that reeks.
I wish everyone all the best for a wonderful new year, and may your blessings outweigh your woes. Peace. ♥