The Return Of Normalcy

So after the great break, life has been a little crazy. It's been my complete responsibility to bathe, brush, and dress my boyfriend. In addition to that, I have been in control of all the household matters like taking out the trash, doing the laundry, the cooking, the grocery shopping, the cleaning, mowing the lawn, and picking up dead chipmunks the cat brings in (true story) all while wearing a smile and saying supportive things like, "Yes, I know it hurts honey, how can I help?" My usual responses are "Sure, here's some vicodin" and "I think a nap is a good idea." This prevents me from saying things along the lines of "More water? No problem," and "Of course I can move that fan a little to left and bring an extra pillow." If he's sleeping, he has no idea he's uncomfortable and thirsty.

The first week was really tough. He's been bed-ridden from the beginning but recently he's been able to brush his own teeth, give his own sponge baths (trust me, these are NOT fun), and shampoo his own hair (for the first time today!). During the first week, none of this was possible. His bottom half of his leg was "un-hinged" and he was in a lot of pain. There were several curse words with some towards me but not because of anything I said or did. Furthermore, this was the week that I started my job at an advertising agency so I had some serious stress. Luckily, I work from home so I could tend to the patient as much as he needed.

The second week was even more stressful due to the surgery which happened a week ago today. It was an entire day of me waiting in the hospital, praying he didn't die. The night before the big cut, we had the talk about what to do in case something DID go wrong... I still have all his financial information, you know, just in case (wink wink). After the surgery, we worried about fevers, which are a sign of infection, and blood clots. I would go to work at the shoe store and call him ever hour on the hour. If he didn't answer or call back right away, I was convinced there was a blood clot and a dead boyfriend, in addition to a dead chipmunk, on my hands. Lord, that was scary.

This week, however, things seem on the up and up. I received my second assignment from the ad agency, the boyfriend can do a lot of things on his own (funny how he can get the snacks on his own but can't put them away...), and I have more time on my hands to run, study for the GRE's, and plan my diet. Being in charge of the food buying and cooking has been beneficial for the diet but there have been a few care packages that included cheese doodles, candy, and gift cards for chinese take out. It's a nice thought but horrible for my waistline. Now that we've gone through most of it, however, it's back to items like Leek and Potato soup, Lean Pork, and salads. Lots and lots of salads.