This week, while Insta-stalking Fiona the hippo, I came across her elderly but still very handsome neighbor, Duke, a 30-year-old blind sea lion. It’s a young hippo’s world, but Duke is distinguished, dapper, and dare we say it, daddy.
Hope you survived your week with the vigor of a sea lion half your age!
DISCUSSION
In the space of a year:
I separated after a big blowup where I had a chair thrown at me.
Spent 4k on a car that then fell apart
commuted for 7 hours a day until March
Blew out both of my knees, damaged a nerve in my hip and lost an additional tooth
Moved my estranged husband out
Moved him back in and assumed full time care after his stroke.
Moving him back out to his own place since he has recovered enough to be on his own and refuses to do his PT, OT and cognitive therapy to fully recover use of his left arm.
Assumed medical, financial and legal care since January
Lost 3 jobs due to the complications of taking care of a dependent spouse.
exhausted my unemployment and have been without any income for a month
Sleep an average of 4 hours a night
Hit menopause
Fought multiple legal battles including getting back his cats after his ex broke in to his house and stole them, filed charges, had to prove to both CPS and APS that i am not abusive after said ex filed complaints, had to have her barred from multiple healthcare facilities and fought for his visitation rights without access to a lawyer
Arranged a care team of 9 different physicians, mental health, 2 occupational therapists, two physical therapists, outpatient sleep clinic and physician visits, in home urgent care, DME provider, rehab physician, botox treatments, primary care, multiple gastroenterology outpatient procedures/visits, neurology and in patient care in two separate facilities.
Spent roughly 30 hours a week at Harborview ICU and the skilled nursing facility for months
Probably averaged around 15 hours a week on the phone arranging care
spent months and countless hours fighting with disability and insurance to fix disability payments and get services covered.
Spent months with DSHS trying to obtain medicaid, obtain in home services (neither was approved) and fix the child support issues
Fixed issues arising from his business including fixing payment, shipping, paypal/etsy and state .
I am sure I forgot many things. I am exhausted reading this. I am depressed now. I am not able to afford food, rent, and heating oil. I can’t afford medical care. I have a disabled daughter that is completely dependent on me. There is no end in sight. My life is completely in shambles and I don’t know what to do next. I turn 50 in 6 weeks and am faced with starting over yet again.
Sorry for the novel. I just needed to get this out of my head.