hi, mary~ bless your heart, you've had a time of it! ol' scratch sure does try to beat you down, doesn't he? but as mama always tells me when things get hard~let go and let God~ sue (in cloudy, mild NE Florida) -- i believe i'm experiencing amnesia and deja vu at the same time~i think i've forgotten this before... -------------- Original message -------------- From: "Mary Sayman" <[email protected]> > Hip, Hip, Hooray for you, too, Sue. One really, really has to want to quit > before it will happen. > > Like you, my world sort of caved in all at once: I had my accident, > breaking my leg in 8 places (I had never had a broken bone in my entire > life); I quit smoking cold turkey after something like 35 years; I went > through menopause at the same time (damn those night sweats!!!); I had > always worked and there I was cut off from everyone and everything because > everyone I knew worked; I was on crutches for 13 weeks not even allowed to > touch my toe to the floor; and I had never had to have any one do anything > for me because I had always been the competent, able-bodied caretaker of > everyone else, but here I was dependent on the Medi-Van to transport me to > doctors' appointments, and later my fiancé to take me to PT. It took me two > hours every morning to take a bath and get dressed which included > maneuvering the tub seat in and out of the shower. It exhausted me, but I > did it all on my own every day. I hired a friend to come in once a week to > clean the bathroom and vacuum for me. My fiancé did the laundry and brought > me everything to fold then he put it away; I loaded the dishwasher, ran it, > and unloaded it by sitting on a 24" stool. I fed myself during the day by > putting things from the frig on the table, from the table to the stove, from > the stove to the counter, then back again when I was through. I used a > lunch bag to carry my food and drink mugs in because I could hang on to the > handle and still be able to grip the handgrip on the crutches. A year after > the accident, I had to have more surgery; then six weeks later, I fell in > the bathroom and broke my foot on the same leg that had been broken. I was > back on crutches for another three months because I broke the lis-franks > joint in four places and chipped the ankle bone on both sides. I was > beginning to think I'd never get back to work, but I finally made it after > 22 months. A year later, my fiancé told me he was leaving (after 14 years), > and I discovered that he left me for a married woman with small children who > was still living with her husband. Go figure that one out!!! > > Life surely is strange some times, and it can surely dish out the lessons in > a big hurry. I guess God never gives you more than you can handle. If you > think it is, He's right there to lift you up. I learned a lot about myself > in the four years after my accident; and I learned a lot about life. I > think I see the 'big picture' a lot more clearly now that I have 'matured'. > LOL God sent me Angels to provide strength and encouragement; and when I no > longer needed their services, He took them away. It has pretty much been > that way all of my life. I am so very Blessed. > > Hugs, > Mary >