A Difficult Week

It has been a difficult week for us.  Jane Lewis continues to weaken, and although we were able to keep her in her own home for 30 days, it now appears that she needs a higher level of care than we can provide there, even with the help of round-the-clock caregivers.  She is now having difficulty getting out of bed and going to the bathroom just a few feet away, and although Hospice can provide a wheelchair, the bathroom is not handicap accessible.  We suggested moving her to the Eckerd Living Center, a skilled nursing facility which is part of Highlands-Cashiers Hospital and less than three miles away  She readily agreed, and fortunately they have an opening; we will be transporting her there on Monday.

As she has thought and prayed about it, Jane says she is not at all afraid of what lies ahead.  Her faith is strong and she is still not in any pain.  The Eckerd Center is a wonderful place.  It has a five-star rating and is familiar to all of us from visiting friends there over the years, and she even knows some of the nurses and residents there now.  After a brief stay in the Hospital while she is tested for Covid-19, she will be able to have visitors outdoors in the garden, which she is looking forward to seeing.  Martha has been working hard making all of the necessary arrangements this week, and she and her sister are in the process of making copies of photos and gathering special items for her to take with her.

It has been difficult to find time to run during a time like this, but it is really what keeps us both going, as I have often insisted in this blog.  These days Martha is fielding phone calls and text messages constantly and faithfully making daily trips to Town to see her Mom, spending most of the afternoons there.  But this only makes us want to run harder when we do have the opportunity.  When I worked for the Town, I would go for a six-mile run when I got off at 4:30 p.m., and often go back to a long meeting after dinner.  Non-runners did not realize that, rather than wearing me out, that run would energize me and keep me going late into the evening. 

It is the same today.  We exercise every day in one way or another.  It is as natural as eating, or breathing.  Or praying.