Notes from Maine - 2020/09/16
For those of you who are following the saga of my father’s recovery, he is back at his own home now, taking his first steps into the next phase. If you’re not familiar, here is the two-sentence version: My father had surgery on his back in March to relieve a completely impinged nerve that left him unable to walk. After infections, leaking spinal fluid, and stalling out in rehab, I brought him to my house for ten weeks until he was able to achieve some amount of self-sufficiency.
He has help at home. He had enough money to afford a short period of 24 support, so I set that up knowing that it would have to be reduced soon for both his sanity and his bank account. Dad has always enjoyed a solitary life. Having care providers in his house is a shock to his system. Insurance is very clear on what they don’t cover, and personal care—if that’s all you require—is one of the things that they don’t cover. I suppose they would rather see him in a facility. I’m not sure why. With the large number of people who will soon need assistance, that policy may have to change in the near future or our facilities (assisted living and nursing homes) will be overrun. I’m lucky that (for the moment) I don’t have to confront that situation. I’m also lucky that my brother lives down the road from Dad, so he has taken back the day-to-day concern of Dad’s wellbeing.
After all this time, my house is pleasantly empty. I’m free to reestablish my routines and make my list of fall chores to do before the snow flies. I have an emergency today. If you don’t hear from me again, it’s because the tree leaning on my fence crushed me when I tried to cut it down. That is what’s on my agenda for this afternoon. I’m reminded of the opening scene from my book The Claiming. Our protagonist has a mishap with a chainsaw. I’ll be careful.
I’m sending out a book today (After We Live Forever) that was a real departure for me when I wrote it. It’s a blend of science fiction and fantasy that I got lost in for months and months as the story poured onto the page. I wrote it as a sequel to Before We Die Alone, but it has very little in common with that book. I hope you enjoy it.
