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The Year That Changed My Life
I was living a normal life. I had a beautiful wife that I loved and that loved me (both sides of me). I had a good job. A nice home with 2 cats and 1 dog. Then at 6:15 a.m., Monday, July 4, 2011, my wife had a stroke. I called the ambulance and went to the hospital. After all the tests, the doctor told me that he could save her life, but that she would never speak again, never know anyone and would have to be in a home for the rest of her life. My wife and I had discussed this before and I knew that she would not want to live that way and I could not do that to her. I told the doctor to make her comfortable and determine if she was brain dead. I also told the doctor that I wanted to donate any of her organs that were usable. I made all of the needed phone calls and went home to an empty house. The next day, Tuesday, July 5, 2011, I was called early to the hospital, because they thought she might be going. They were able to stabilize her and I filled out the organ donation paperwork. I then left the hospital and went home. I looked in the phone book and found a funeral home. All during this time, I was in touch with my family and friends. I went to the funeral home and made arrangements and came home. On Wednesday, I went to work, because I couldn’t face the prospect of sitting in my house alone. I went to work on Thursday but not Friday. Her funeral/memorial service was on Saturday, July 9, 2011. She was cremated. I have her ashes at the Veterans Memorial Cemetery in North Georgia.
Life went on with me working and going home. In the beginning of September 2011, one of my wife’s sisters passed away. In the beginning of November 2011, the other sister’s husband passed away from ALS. My sister-in-law was always there for me and I was for her. We talked every day. At the beginning of October 2011, the place I worked at was sold to a new owner. On 12 December 2011, I was laid off because the new owner did not feel he needed a bookkeeper. From September 2011 to February 2012, I was seeing a psychologist, who helped me face my grief and deal with it. He also got me involved with a grief support group at my church. I was laid off from mid-December 2011 until 20 August 2012. I found a job, but it only paid half of what I was earning.
I am able to survive on what I make and take care of my animals, but my life consists of going to work and coming home. On Tuesday evenings, I volunteer at my church at the job networking group. I only work half a day on Friday’s, so I come home, do my laundry and watch television. Saturday’s I do my grocery shopping, come home, do some house work and watch television. Sunday’s I go to church, come home and watch television. It’s what I can afford right now, but I am a survivor. Maybe one day, my life might change. I pray for that every day. |
