A busy week ends with a baby shower, a stomach bug, and a lesson learned
Just because I go down for the count, the house doesn't go to pieces
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The week before school started was pure chaos.
We had only been home from vacation long enough to unpack and start the laundry before we had to go to open houses on Monday at two of the kids’ schools, and then close on our new house.
If that weren’t hectic enough, before the week was out, I caught a stomach bug. Thankfully, after a number of days on the couch, the big takeaway was that the house can still function without me.
Let me backtrack. I live in rural Nebraska with my husband, Jason, and our seven children. Lexi, 25, is adulting and lives in her own house, while the others — Max, 20, Chance, 19, Rowen, 17, Charlie, 15, Mary, 11, and Callie, 4 — still live at home. Max, Rowen, and Charlie have Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).
The house without me
The busyness of Monday continued when I took Rowen and Charlie shopping the next day for clothes and school supplies, and then on Wednesday, the girls got their nails done as part of our back-to-school tradition. (Mary loves a great set of nails!) School started Thursday, which was the same day I finished the final details for the baby shower we would host on Saturday for Lexi, who is expecting her first child in November.
But Saturday was also the day Charlie was to be in a parade with his marching band. Lexi and her husband joined us to cheer on Charlie, who plays a snare drum that’s attached to the footrest on his wheelchair. (Jason uses an attendant control to drive the chair while Charlie plays.)
Then we rushed home, changed clothes, and headed off to Lexi’s shower before the guests got there. We loved celebrating Lexi’s baby, and then after the shower was over, we all went to get a look at the new house before heading home for the night. Jason had worked all week to build a ramp so that Max, Rowen, and Charlie could be there with us.
On Sunday, we went to church, ordered groceries, and I did laundry. I went to bed exhausted, as if there had never been a weekend at all.
Except I couldn’t sleep. I was up sick at least once every hour, and woke up Monday with a headache and body aches.
I slept on the couch all day while Jason got Max, Rowen, and Charlie up, dressed, and off to school. I didn’t think I could roll them over and get them dressed in bed and, even with the help of the ceiling lift system, I also didn’t feel good about lifting them. But I did manage to switch over laundry, start the crock pot, take the dog to the vet, and pick up the kids from school. But that evening, I was back on the couch for the rest of the evening.
The next day, I woke up tired and weak, so after we got the kids to school, I returned to the couch to watch movies and rest.
I’m not sure the last time I was able to watch a movie and nap in the middle of the day, but getting sick gave me the chance to see that everything continued to function even when I was down. Jason was able to step in to keep everything going, while meal planning and a crock pot ensured everyone ate a warm dinner. While I napped in the living room, the kids all managed just fine.
It was a great reminder that I don’t have to do it all or push my body beyond what it can do. We have systems in place when I need to rest.
Note: Muscular Dystrophy News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Muscular Dystrophy News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to muscular dystrophy.
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