Thursday, June 09, 2016

FREE AT LAST!

The room was somewhat small for the large gathering of people assembling in it. The conference table, although long, was just not long enough! As I sat there between the two staffs, if seemed to me that they blended in in their resolve to release my daughter from the rehab center to her home, her convalescing over after 4 months.

It is one thing to want something badly, or in earnest, but another thing to finalize it into a concrete plan. As Her father and legal guardian, I went for 4 months almost daily to visit her, going through the same routines of bringing her water, (She loves drinking water) and feeding her, taking her down to the lobby to people watch and great the many friends she made, walking the different levels of the building, exploring the different wings and seeing the many rehab residents that sat in the hallways around the nurse’s stations.



It seemed like an eternity waiting for this day to come. It was a long drive every day into the Hamptons' to arrive at Southampton, finding parking and greeting the same faces every morning. Carrying a blue insulated bag: I would weigh-in at the front desk, talk about the weather or traffic, or the effects of weather on the traffic and head for the elevators. I would sign the guest book, receive my visitor pass and so my day began.

Negotiating the hallways of a rehab center can be a little inconvenient, as the residents are scattered around the nurse’s station, under the busy and watchful eyes of the staff for the safety of the residents, all in wheelchairs.

Many days I would bring a book with me to read to a woman who has no legs, no family, and friends that took a liking to Ellen, my daughter. Reading to her was my way of saying how much I appreciated her kindness, and so I wanted to extend a kindness to her too. My future will still involve the rehab center as I will go once a week and read to this kind lady.

But the business at hand was the discharging of Ellen, the plans, and needs that both the rehab and agency staff had put together. As the questions and answers flew around the table, finally the words came: “Tomorrow at 11:00 AM?” “Yes, that’s good.” came the response.

Suddenly I felt so good I just wanted to feel the sense of liberation and go home!

No comments: