Eleventh Hour Rescue - Literally!

I have so many stories of woes with the home health aides that I must employ to help me care for Vince. However, for the past three years I've had the same two guys and I have been able to enjoy a modest amount of stability in my life and have been able to kind of "have a life" apart from caregiving. I can get out every day and I have been able to maintain my physical health.

Once in a while, though, the crisis happens - neither of my aides can come, and I have to get a substitute. Because I use an agency, I usually am able to get a sub. Yesterday was one of those days. I needed a sub for the day shift and evening shift. The day shift (9-3) was filled by a guy we had had once before several months ago, so it was not as bad as starting over with someone new, but I still had to do most of Vince's care, with the aide helping me to move Vince around. Invariably, when someone new is helping Vince to move around, Vince must feel the strangeness because he has more trouble walking. So this becomes way more stressful for me; yesterday was stressful! But after we got Vince cleaned up, downstairs, and breakfast done with, I went out to meet a friend for lunch. That was lovely - even had a small ice-cream sundae for dessert - I needed a treat (so did my friend who has her own trials!).

For last night's evening shift (6:30 - 10:30), we were supposed to have a female aide whom we'd never met. I was hoping she was stronger than me, and figured between us we would get Vince back up to bed one way or another (pushing him in his walker or transport chair if he couldn't walk - I have lots of methods, but I cannot do any of these by myself). At 6:45, I got a phone call from the agency saying that the aide's car was towed and she wouldn't be able to come, and they did not have anyone else available at that late notice. I did not hide my despair, saying that I would just have to deal with it, and we'd probably spend the night in the family room, with Vince sleeping in his recliner.

The only problem with spending the night downstairs, though, is that after I've stood Vince up from his recliner a few times to change Depends, I can't get him sitting back far enough in the chair (the aides can pull him up and back - I cannot, no way! - and believe, me, I've tried!). So he is farther down on the chair, with his feet hanging over, even when I lay the recliner down flat - then I put a hassock under his dangling feet - not a great position for an all-nighter. Not to mention my crankiness if I had to spend the night sleeping on the downstairs couch.

Meanwhile, I asked God "What are you thinking? How could you let that woman's car be towed when You know how I can't handle Vince without help?" I really wasn't being irreverent. Sometimes, though, I do think that I act a little too familiar with God; but I have developed a relationship of reliance on Him just like a wonderfully loving Father, which I have learned is what He wants from us. And I know He has a sense of humor. I know that God uses bad experiences to teach me lessons of faith, patience and endurance. So I did expect that God had a reason for leaving me stranded without help last night and I was still hoping He would pull the saving rabbit out of His hat. My favorite saying is "Nothing is impossible with God."

The agency lady must have felt sorry for me (and God was working wth me!), so she called back a little later to say that one of her male aides was finishing a job not far from us at 10 p.m., and he offered to come after that to help get Vince to bed. Normally the agency has a four-hour minimum for a shift, so I asked about that. She suggested he be paid for two hours. I declined that - way too much money for the aggravation I would have just explaining to the guy how to get here (I go through this routine with every new aide - and their English is bad so this is more difficult than you would think), and he would only need to be here for half an hour. So she offered one hour, and I accepted gladly.

So, in the 11th hour, at 10:20 p.m., a very friendly and energetic aide appeared at our door, and helped me get Vince to bed within half an hour. It wasn't easy, but we did it! I was SO grateful to the aide and to God for really pulling off this rescue!

Every inch of my body was aching, though, and I had a good cry, bemoaning that I had to be dependent on others to handle Vince's care. I took an ibuprofen, got into bed, and amazingly, was not hurting any more this morning. I went to Mass a very thankful lady, with my regular aide returned this morning.

And about God - He did hear my cries for help. Today's Psalm reading at Mass was Psalm 116, which is my favorite. It talks about God hearing our cries for help, and how much we need him, and how he rescues us! I laughed as I read it, because I felt God was really speaking to yesterday's trials, and I felt greatly relieved. Read it - it's all true!