I have been reflecting lately about a positive aspect of aging. I’m 69, and my pet family members are 13 (Sophie, the Shorkie) and 15 (Emily, our orange tabby feline companion). Anyone reading this blog recently knows that for the past six weeks, now in our seventh, I have been camping on a single mattress in our living room at home, helping Sophie to have an excellent recovery from cataract surgery. So far, so good! After the seventh week visit to Sophie’s ophthalmology team this Thursday, life should begin to return to normal.
Dear Sophie
Allow me to use Sophie’s cataract replacement process to segue into the topic here of Gratitude for Our Senior Care Team. I am so grateful for the Eye Care of Western New York doctors and veterinary technicians and assistants for helping me recognize the value of this surgery, for helping Sophie to be well prepared for it, and for supporting us every step of the way toward excellent vision for the rest of dear Sophie’s life. Also I am grateful for our regular vet team who have been helpful throughout as well. She is seeing well now! It has not been easy…many eye ointments daily, a UTI infection and then colitis and weight loss from dealing with the stress and all the extra meds… but she is doing better now and soon, after this Thursday hopefully, we will be on the path to lifelong vision and wellness.
I am realizing how in my own life since retirement, now with Medicare advantage insurance and social security, I have had a much more active health care regime than ever before. I am fortunate not to have had any unmanageable health problems to now, but there are several conditions I have had to treat and monitor. In addition to my general practitioner at a primary care facility nearby, I have acquired a team of excellent specialist doctors, including a gynecologist; a great, attentive dentist; a Roswell breast care specialist; dermatologist, podiatrist, and recently another dental specialist helping me diagnose and treat a persistent gum inflammation. A few months ago when I broke a glass bowl into my palm while doing dishes, needing 13 stitches, the ER team, a PA later, and an orthopedic surgeon later yet took me through that recovery process including cleaning an infection that formed.
This network of care providers functions as a team I can rely on to maintain my and my pets’ health overall as we navigate the ups and downs of health issues as they arise.
When I moved back to my high-school hometown three years ago, I was thinking maybe I would form some new friends in this village community. I am fortunate and grateful to my lifelong friend Barb, who lives around twenty-five minutes away, and for my dear sister who lives an hour twenty minutes away, and a good older friend who lives not too far away, too. Also I am grateful for my other siblings as we stay connected via social networking, and for some friends in the region who share my spiritual interests.
But honestly, I have not found it easy or even likely to forge new ‘good friends’ here, though the local people and neighbors are friendly and welcoming enough. I guess by this point in life most of my generation have already established their core relations and they are focused largely in maintaining their family and long-term friendships (as indeed I am too). I am well settled as things are, with many projects and responsibilities to attend to daily and with my dear Sophie and Emily as my home family. Renting rather than owing a house, I have the freedom to eventually move on from here to a somewhat larger community. I am in fact now actively beginning to plan for another move in two years or so, paying attention to my inner guidance and supportive nudges along the way.
When I zoom out (no modern pun intended) to appreciate how I and my pet family are well ensconced and cared for with our current senior care network, I am grateful and happy to see how the gradual process of aging blossoms into this expansive network of service providers whom I have found to be generally highly skilled in their professions and genuinely caring people. I recognize and accept this as a beneficial gift of divine providence.
images (except Sophie pic) are from pixabay.com
Life is good. I am grateful to each and every relation for their gifts of love and expertise, and I am curious to see how this network of unconditional service will continue to unfold.
Better Endings 