Embrace Your Destiny: Celebrate Life

My Mother and her new "buggy"

I have been reminded this month that we all need to celebrate life, everyday. My mother, Cathy McLean just got her new buggy in March midway into her 95th year. She lives at Carolina Village in Hendersonville, NC at the Care Center. As she says, she can't see anymore having Macular degeneration, and she can't hear very well either. She does love to walk though. She has friends throughout the Carolina Village Medical and Care Centers that she sees often on her daily walks. Her mind has been pretty good except for short term memory. Dementia is there but on most days, she is fun to take on outings especially going out to eat. Family and friends love to visit her. 

But, on July 2, Mama fell and broke her hip. As the nurse at ER said, she broke it good. On July 3, the orthopedic surgeon operated and put a rod into her femur. Since then she has been living in the Medical Center. Life is not so good now. She willingly does the Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy but it is painful and really taxing on her system. I am the point person in the family and Medical POA so her condition daily is my reality of the moment.



I've learned some lessons this past month about life and happiness. Maybe the most important lesson is that everyday is precious. The moments that define our reality happen in an instant. We can't take them back but we do have to deal with the consequences. In the hospital before the surgery Mama said, "I've gotten myself into a big mess this time, haven't I?"

Now on a good day with the bone halfway healed, Mama sits in her chair, does Physical Therapy or Occupational Therapy and listens to her music. In her fourth week now, she moves her foot in time with the music. Today she set a new goal to be able to use the toilette soon. She feels herself getting stronger.  

Lessons Learned

1. Movement is a gift that has to be nurtured everyday. Like Mama, I enjoy walking and moving. She is a daily reminder of why I do yoga and strength training on a regular weekly schedule. Accidents can and do happen to everyone. What we are realizing now is that the daily exercise she did before the fall are paying big dividends now in the healing and strength building process. At 95, she is making amazing strides in her recovery.

2. Being cheerful and cooperative makes everyone happy to be helpful. Other than being picky about what she eats, Mama is usually easy with the CNA's, nurses and other staff at Carolina Village. I can see how her positive spirit infects everyone she comes in contact with. Family and friends come to see her frequently. This lesson of cheerfulness in the moment is a really good one for me. With all the negative energy in life today, it's a joy to see Mama work so hard and still be cheerful and laugh. She got a big kick out of telling me how one of the male Physical Therapists had her standing up and dancing. While this sounds like pure fabrication to me, I'm thinking how wonderful for her to enjoy that moment whether it happened or not.

3. It's important for me to be available to the medical center staff and to Mama. In order for me to celebrate life with her, it's my responsibility to invest time in taking care of myself. I need to feel good about myself, have good energy, and not feel guilty about not being with her all the time. My job is to coordinate family times and communication. I use texting as a tool to send pictures and snippets of progress. Mama's recovery is a team project and I get to be the team leader by default. I'm here in town and can make time to do what is needed. 

What's next?

Keeping myself healthy and strong during this stressful time is my goal. I am keeping all my therapy appointments for massage, acupuncture, chiropractic, and physical therapy. I also do daily hot yoga and regular strength work at the gym. I've got new ambition to stay mobile, strong and flexible. If I do have an unfortunate accident, I believe all this effort will pay off. 

Going to Christmas Dinner 2017

As for Mama, she  improves daily. The Care Team are talking positive about her going back to the Care Center. As long as she's happy and feeling good about herself, anything is possible. Maybe she will want to go to her November birthday lunch. Then there is Christmas.