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FRIDAY – MAY 16, 2008
It’s 2:25 p.m. on Friday and I’m in a panic! I’ve just started Norma’s update
and I feel a huge obligation to report to all of you who are still “checking
in”…which is much better than “checking out”…for the time being anyway!
So this will be short and sweet and more to the point. Why? Because Norma’s
speech therapy ends at 2:45 p.m. today and we need to “hit” the road…and I’m
still the only “vehicular” driver here today.
Norma has completed her three, two-hour assessment sessions with Jill Robb.
Next Tuesday she will see Dr. Walsh so that we can hear how she is doing overall
on her road to recovery. (See…she is technically driving to her destination)!
Due to insurance limitations, occupational therapy ended yesterday so Norma
has been given some web sites to check out so she can continue to strive to
improve on her areas of deficit. Speech therapy will continue to at least mid
June or perhaps longer. She must also complete an actual driving test – driving
instructor, car and all – by June 15. She passed her vision test for driving
yesterday.
I keep attempting to explain to Norma that she is in “boot camp”. She doesn’t
like boot camp!!!!! Then again, most peo
ple
don’t. Before we were married, I spent six months at Fort Polk (Fort “Puke”) in
Louisiana. I had drawn number 60 out of 365 in the draft in 1971 and the army
said they were calling up to 120 or higher. So seeking “higher ground”, I opted
to enlist in the army reserves for a six-year commitment. From February through
July 1972, I was ordered to infantry training school for basic and AIT training.
It was six months of drill sergeants, hot sweaty weather, and no freedom! I
still miss the open air bathroom with eight toilets in a row…no stalls…no
doors…NO PRIVACY!!! On the bright side, it was very convenient if you needed to
pass a roll of paper to your “butty”. I’ll never forget boot camp for all the
good, bad and ugly reasons. As much as I (we) didn’t like it at the time, a lot
of good came out of it…some as follows:
We had a sense of pride for serving our country!
Since we lost our “freedom” for six months (and part of the next 5½
years…one weekend/month and two weeks every summer), we had a new appreciation
for what freedom was and is all about…and why it is still worth
fighting for!
Two of our very closest friends today, Jim (Sue) Chesney and Dan (Carolyn)
Dial served in the reserves at the same time with me…and they also stand by my
side working for Northwestern Mutual as we strive to protect families and
businesses from financial catastrophes caused by death or disabilities…just
like Norma is going through.
In addition, some of my favorite clients and our good friends also came out
of this mutual experience. You know who you are…thanks for serving…and thanks
for being our friends.
So with Norma…I’m simply telling her that her doctors are “ordering” her to
protect herself so she can make a full recovery. If she returns to work too
soon, she can do irrevocable damage to her healthy brain cells that are being
retrained to do the work of the ones that were eliminated by her aneurysm. It’s
going to be at least a six month boot camp (maybe longer…maybe shorter…time will
tell) – very limited “freedoms” during this time (i.e. no work…no driving).
What’s the upside?
Her toilet at home…is private!
The food is better.
The air conditioning works.
She can see friends, family, and associates any time she pleases!
She can go shopping, go out to eat, see a show…just about any time she
wants to – on her schedule with a designated driver (I like her boot camp
better than the army’s) and she can concentrate all her time and energy on
getting better. That is supposed to be her full time job for now…to get
better...and we all believe she will.
In the last update, I left you with a song from the musical play “Wicked”
entitled “For Good”. We strongly believe that people do come into our lives for
a reason. At the time, back in 1971, I didn’t think boot camp was a good reason.
In looking back and reflecting, I thank God my lottery number was 60! It turned
out…for the good!
Be good…’til next time.
Love,
Norma & Ken
kenireland2@aol.com
P.S. Sorry I misled you about the “short and sweet”…I convinced Norma to do
45 minutes of self-led physical therapy while I finished this.
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ple
don’t. Before we were married, I spent six months at Fort Polk (Fort “Puke”) in
Louisiana. I had drawn number 60 out of 365 in the draft in 1971 and the army
said they were calling up to 120 or higher. So seeking “higher ground”, I opted
to enlist in the army reserves for a six-year commitment. From February through
July 1972, I was ordered to infantry training school for basic and AIT training.
It was six months of drill sergeants, hot sweaty weather, and no freedom! I
still miss the open air bathroom with eight toilets in a row…no stalls…no
doors…NO PRIVACY!!! On the bright side, it was very convenient if you needed to
pass a roll of paper to your “butty”. I’ll never forget boot camp for all the
good, bad and ugly reasons. As much as I (we) didn’t like it at the time, a lot
of good came out of it…some as follows: