But of course that was a ridiculous fantasy -- I'm no good with free time & relaxation! I have to be busy, busy, busy all the time. The true glory of having nursing for Jordan is that now I can be busy with other mundane things, like, cleaning the house & doing yard work (including loading 15 yard debris bins worth of leaves into nana Noma's "work" truck for disposal at the local composting place on Sunday). It was so wonderful for Devon and I to work on that as a team. We haven't been able to do things together in ages -- even if it is just yard work. Avery is growing up & more mature & self-suffient, but Jordan is still stuck in "newborndom" and can't be left alone at all -- so one of us was always on Jordan duty. Starting & stopping feeds, keeping up with her medicine shedule, and catching barf & secretions with the sucko is enough to keep one person busy full time. Then, add to that all the exercises and therapies Jordan is supposed to get each day (to teach her to use her mouth, to try to straighten her scoliosis in her spine, to keep her feet from stiffening in the wrong position, and to keep her bones from snapping, just to name a few), and it's a full time job plus. 
It was glorious that I worked so hard in the yard this weekend -- it felt good! I'm almost caught up on my never ending list of things to do, thanks to 2 weeks worth of nursing care, and the best part is that the nurses all LOVE Jordan and really do their best with her! They get to focus on her foods, medicines, and exercises, and ignore the vacuuming & the demanding almost-4-year-old Avery. And when they leave at night, or before they get there in the afternoon, I feel like I can just sit and hold her & "play" with her like I've never felt before, because I know that while the nurse is around she's being well cared for, and I will have time to do the other things I need to do for the day. It's really a win-win situation for our family all the way around, and I couldn't be happier or more thankful than I am right now. In-home nursing rocks!
3 comments:
You know, that's funny: we use our in-home care for the same thing---work! It was almost impossible for Chris and I to tackle any of the projects around our house because someone always had to keep an eye on Michaela. Now that someone else can do it, it's so freeing! The rest of my life can be dealt with, and that makes me feel a whole lot better. I'm just not stressed all the time with all the things I can't get accomplished.
It's really a quality of life issue for US, isn't it? :)
I really am so happy for you and what in home nursing means for your family.
When my parents first learned about respite care for Scotty, it was like a whole new world for them. Finally they could go out on a date together, or even just to the Home Depot without bringing Scotty. The freedom did wonders to help rejuvinate them.
Yay! I'm so happy when I see the nurse's car parked in front of your home. It means Jordan's getting cared for while the rest of you are doing stuff you need and want to do!
Blessings to you all! jaynie
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