Member-only story
My husband is sick, and I am not taking it well
Health Issues, Stress, and Exhaustion Lead to a Lousy Diet
Doughnuts, Chocolate Covered Caramels, and Sit-Coms on TV
You hear these stories about old people who are too lazy to get out of their lounge chairs, use devices to retrieve things, too lazy to get up and get a little exercise. Or drowning themselves in fast-food French fries, donuts, or candy. I could turn up my nose and remark that, of course, they get sick and die young, living that kind of lifestyle.
This past month has taught me a thing or two about this problem from the wrong side. My husband, Don, has been ill. He will go on dialysis as soon as his fistula has matured (1–3 months).
Meanwhile, his kidneys have been failing for several months, and the systems in his body are rebelling or shutting down one by one. He has experienced one nasty symptom after another:
My ankles are swollen, I can’t get my shoes on, my legs feel tight like the skin could split open; I can’t walk that far. My hands are swollen. I can’t peel this orange, button this cuff, put on my belt, put on my coat. I can’t walk at all. I can’t catch my breath. My stomach hurts. Would you scratch my back? Everything itches. I am cold, even with many layers of…
