Eighteen Months Later—by Denise

18 months ago yesterday (the 21st), life was humming along. Gilbert was busy with both of his businesses (cabinets and trees) and I was looking forward to a summer of freedom. After lots of traveling to help care for the newest additions to our family (our two special preemies—Hope and Davie), I was free to stay home and finally pursue the writing I’d left teaching to work on. I’d just turned 61, I was healthy and working a good weight-loss program; life was just about perfect.

All of that changed outwardly the next day, as we were in the midst of those pursuits. I was at a lunch with my writing friends, Gilbert was on his second tree-cutting job of the day. We were looking forward to relaxing that evening together with pizza. But, as often happens, life took a different turn.

If you’ve been following this blog long, you know the details of the events that followed. Gilbert fell, and our life since then has been a journey to our “new normal.”

If you’ve read our previous posts, you also know that our faith has been the foundation of that journey. We’ve struggled, but we’ve found a constant companion in our heavenly Father. In fact, when I get caught up in thoughts of the before/after contrast, He continually meets me with assurance that He is traveling with us. He knows the concerns and the challenges. And He enables us to meet each one.

Some practical updates: Gilbert was approved for disability this fall, so our financial needs are now met in this way. This frees him to only have to work as he feels able, under the limitations set by Social Security, of course. It also frees me to work, and I have a freelance writing position ready to launch doing some writing and editing for a former writing student.

Gilbert reached the end of his physical therapy appointments but continues to swim occasionally at a nearby pool. Water therapy was his favorite, and the facility we go to works well for him to continue with this form of exercise. It’s a challenge to get there in the cold weather, and the chlorine has not been friendly to his skin, so it’s not a process that works perfectly. But it’s a good option. And I often go along to swim laps—my preferred exercise as well.

The most common question we are asked is if he can walk on his own yet. The simple answer is, no. He still has a lot of numbness in his feet and legs, so that makes independent movement impossible. He gets around with a walker when he needs to walk; otherwise, he uses a scooter. He has three of them now—one on loan from Holland Free Methodist (technically it’s being stored here), one he bought used on eBay, and a brand new one provided by Medicaid. One stays at the shop, one stays here at home, and the other travels with him in his truck when he goes out on a job. He built a ramp and attached it to the back of his truck to enable him to take it with him. This is typical of Gilbert—create a way to make things work!

We’ve recently talked to several doctors about the continuing pain in his lower back. He’ll get a steroid injection at the end of next month to see if that brings some relief. We’ve adjusted our food, used essential oils, and added supplements in an effort to address his pain and digestive issues. We don’t have any clear answers, nor is there complete relief to either problem.

We continue the quest.