A strange thing happens when you are no longer the only person in the house who is sick. Allow me to explain. My husband of nearly 20 years has just learned that he has a tumor the size of a dime in his maxillary sinus cavity. It has been determined that this is the cause of the reoccurring sinus infections, blinding pain and possibly even snoring. That’s the good news. We won’t know the extent of the bad news until Monday morning. Until then, keeping my head in check has become very difficult.
In addition to the worry, I now realize how entirely selfish I’ve become. You see, I’m the one who is sick! Apparently, that means that nobody else in the house in somehow entitled to become ill. Ridiculous reasoning; I know. But it only seems fair. If one person has a life-threatening disease, nobody else should have anything remotely close to it. Right?
Shifting Focus
We’ve only begun this process and already I feel a shift has taken place. Instead of the patient; I’m the caregiver. I no longer have the luxury of pining away, lamenting my pitiable condition. There’s no time for that. It’s time to shift my attention to my husband and son. Of what benefit to them would it be if I simply crawled into a fetal position and cried. Although that sounds like a really good idea right about now.
Facing The Unknown Together
The beauty in all of this, though, must be in the fact that we have each other. My husband has been my most ardent companion for over two decades now. To be sure, we have faced all sorts of obstacles together. This is one more to add to the list I suppose. Still, what is good about this situation is the realization that others need and deserve the attention and care due to them when it’s their turn to be sick. Sometimes as a heart patient I forget that. Heart disease doesn’t trump all other illnesses nor can I allow it to monopolize my attention. Apparently the whole world doesn’t revolve around me. While it’s not the best instance in which to learn this lesson, I’m grateful to have learned it nonetheless.
Rebecca Fortunato
http://rebeccasheart.wordpress.com/