I've felt like this guy this week:
Each of those plates and bowls represents a child, a spouse, a work project, a household chore, an item on the to-do list. In real life, it feels more like this:
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This week I have tried to make sense of why Graeme's hospitalization bothers me so much more than Sara's did. Our preparations before Graeme's birth helped us cope with the many complications we faced following his delivery. We would function as a less-than-two parent household for several weeks but we had a plan. My parents arrived before Graeme's delivery and were able to keep the girls on their daily routines, well fed and rested (Thanks, Mom and Dad!). We had each made arrangements at work so we could focus on welcoming Graeme into our family. I scheduled a couple of weeks away from the office with my teammates covering essential functions (Thanks, Dawn, Mallory, and Lori!). Sara's former co-teacher came back to be her long-term substitute (Thanks, Ralph and Brianna!). Family, friends, and church members coalesced and took care of our day-to-day needs - laundry, vacuuming, sweeping, dishes. We still have meals in our freezer and unused gift cards. (Thanks again, everyone! Your generosity continues to both humble and serve us.)
As with Sara's lengthy hospital stay, friends and family have walked the mile with us, bearing the load and helping out as Graeme suffers through this illness. On Facebook, friends articulate our frustrations, our indignation about why we need another trip to the hospital. As I type this, my parents are traveling the 600 miles from their home to ours so they can help us at home and the hospital. My mother-in-law cleaned the house one day this week. Friends from church lent a vacuum when ours died. Friends and family have brought and bought meals, run laundry loads, and helped watch and feed the girls. Physicians, nurses, techs, and respiratory therapists in Grinnell and Blank have done their best to diagnose Graeme's disease and treat it while easing his discomfort.
Friends have even sent messengers: Erik, one of Blank's chaplains, knocked at Graeme's hospital door Thursday morning. "Tom read about Graeme on Facebook and sent me," he said. Tom, a college friend of mine, went to seminary with Erik. We traded parenting stories before praying for Graeme's healing and peace for Sara and me.
Despite all of this care, compassion, and support, I feel unsettled. I want a script, a plan even though there is little doubt in how the story ends. Eventually, his little body will make enough antibodies to defeat the virus. He will stop overproducing mucus and his tiny lungs will work without the help of Vapotherms, oxygen tubes, or albuterol. He'll take a bottle again instead of an NG tube. He'll sleep in his bassinet rocker (thanks again, Dan and Jenn!) and, perhaps, start sleeping through the night.
Routine. I crave it, yet it eludes us.
Each of those plates and bowls represents a child, a spouse, a work project, a household chore, an item on the to-do list. In real life, it feels more like this:
---
This week I have tried to make sense of why Graeme's hospitalization bothers me so much more than Sara's did. Our preparations before Graeme's birth helped us cope with the many complications we faced following his delivery. We would function as a less-than-two parent household for several weeks but we had a plan. My parents arrived before Graeme's delivery and were able to keep the girls on their daily routines, well fed and rested (Thanks, Mom and Dad!). We had each made arrangements at work so we could focus on welcoming Graeme into our family. I scheduled a couple of weeks away from the office with my teammates covering essential functions (Thanks, Dawn, Mallory, and Lori!). Sara's former co-teacher came back to be her long-term substitute (Thanks, Ralph and Brianna!). Family, friends, and church members coalesced and took care of our day-to-day needs - laundry, vacuuming, sweeping, dishes. We still have meals in our freezer and unused gift cards. (Thanks again, everyone! Your generosity continues to both humble and serve us.)
As with Sara's lengthy hospital stay, friends and family have walked the mile with us, bearing the load and helping out as Graeme suffers through this illness. On Facebook, friends articulate our frustrations, our indignation about why we need another trip to the hospital. As I type this, my parents are traveling the 600 miles from their home to ours so they can help us at home and the hospital. My mother-in-law cleaned the house one day this week. Friends from church lent a vacuum when ours died. Friends and family have brought and bought meals, run laundry loads, and helped watch and feed the girls. Physicians, nurses, techs, and respiratory therapists in Grinnell and Blank have done their best to diagnose Graeme's disease and treat it while easing his discomfort.
Friends have even sent messengers: Erik, one of Blank's chaplains, knocked at Graeme's hospital door Thursday morning. "Tom read about Graeme on Facebook and sent me," he said. Tom, a college friend of mine, went to seminary with Erik. We traded parenting stories before praying for Graeme's healing and peace for Sara and me.
Despite all of this care, compassion, and support, I feel unsettled. I want a script, a plan even though there is little doubt in how the story ends. Eventually, his little body will make enough antibodies to defeat the virus. He will stop overproducing mucus and his tiny lungs will work without the help of Vapotherms, oxygen tubes, or albuterol. He'll take a bottle again instead of an NG tube. He'll sleep in his bassinet rocker (thanks again, Dan and Jenn!) and, perhaps, start sleeping through the night.
Routine. I crave it, yet it eludes us.
1 comment:
You sure have had your share of medical issues. I'm pretty sure you've met your quota and can now be assured health (and routine) for years to come. At least I hope it works that way for you! Hang in there, Graeme!
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