Cabin Fever ~ Hospital Edition

Because we live near the beach and so rarely see snow, my family was delighted when a couple of inches fell Sunday night and Monday morning.  I had spent the night with my dad at the Rehabilitation Hospital and loved watching the snowflakes falling with him.  While we enjoyed the beauty, it led to THREE days of school closings.  Just those three days were enough to make me appreciate my friends who live in colder climates, (I'm looking at you Sarah!) Three days were enough for all of us to experience a little cabin fever which made me think about the way I feel at the hospital.

I am so grateful for all of the people who have been helping to care for my father in the hospital, but I do not like to go there.  For a while I had to go because Dad was too weak to even push the call button for the nurse.  Now he is SO much better, but I still go to make sure I know what's going on and help him pass the time.  Plus now that he will be coming home next week we all have to be trained to help him move from his wheelchair to the bed and bathroom.  I will be so glad for him to be home for so many reasons not the least of which is I am so over the hospital. Over.  Done.
I'm tired of his room even though they have done everything they can to make us all comfortable.  I'm tired of all the noise even though I know it distracts Dad.  I'm tired of eating out every day and not being able to cook for my family.  I'm tired of leaving in the morning when everyone is asleep so I can be there when the doctors come by.  (But thank you to Dr. Warshauer for that reassuring and only slightly disturbing pep talk this morning, Dad loved it) I'm tired of trying to make sure we have help when we come home (a huge thank you to Vance for subtly nagging my mother for me)  I'm tired of existing in this loop between Dad's room and the therapy room (shout-outs here for Allen and Patrick who have helped Dad improve EVERY day) I am just tired of the hospital.
Last night Dad started worrying that he was never going to get home.  As much as I know it's irrational, I also understand it.  He's tired of the hospital, too.  We are all ready to go home.

On Conquering Fears

I am hot and sweaty and tired and gross and really should be in a shower right now.  (how's that for a sentence?)  I just gave a horse a bath.  Specifically, this horse.

This is "Country Come to Town" or, Country.  He is big and old and acts like a dog following you around.  He is my mother's horse and his skin has been itchy, he needed a bath, and someone needed to do it.  Have I mentioned that I have always loved horses but been terrified of them up close?  I think they are beautiful, but they are so darn big.  My brother and sister had riding lessons when we were kids, but by the time I was old enough they were bored with it.  My mom had grown up on a farm but had not had a horse for 45(?) years when she got Country.  My husband worked with horses at a camp in Colorado.  My sister-in-law rides, two of my sister's kids ride, my daughter loves to ride, I am surrounded by it.

My daughter started acting a little hesitant around the horses recently.  I do not want my scaredy cat ways to be picked up by my children.  So I resolved to get more comfortable with the horses.  Country is a great horse for this experiment because he is so gentle.  Little by little I have been increasing my confidence with him.  Today, by myself, I went in the pasture to get him, put his halter on, led him through the barn and hooked him up outside where I gave him an oatmeal bath followed by a medicated bath for his skin.  Do you know the problem with giving a horse an oatmeal bath?  They really like the smell of the oatmeal.  Country kept trying to get into the bucket and kept trying to steal the sponge.

So I DID IT!  I bathed the horse, turned him back out into the pasture and put everything up.  Then I practically skipped home.  I have such a feeling of accomplishment.  It's like a huge box has been checked off.  I had to sit down and write when I got home.  (after I washed my hands, of course!)  So now I need to take a shower, and possibly a nap! Then I will think about what to conquer next!

**Update** Today, I had to hold Country's head while the Vet cleaned his teeth!!!!  Combine a fear of horses and a fear of dentistry and I was weak at the knees.  The tool the Vet uses was actually on a power drill!!  but I survived yet again, (and I thought giving the horse a bath was a big deal, phew!)