THE PENNY PUB
Music is My Therapist
A family medical issue has my attention
Here I sit, as Guardian Grandad, with my grandson, who is in the hospital. We’ve been here three days and will probably be here another four.
He is no longer critical, but since he is a minor, I will keep the details of his illness confidential.
The doctors stabilized him and are telling us we need to bring him in for therapy three days a week after he is discharged. This causes concern.
The challenge is not the medical therapy; the concern is traveling logistics.
We live fifty miles from the hospital. Getting here requires driving through a major city that is always traffic congested, with ongoing highway construction, and during heavy rain, the roads flood.
Over time, we will get into a routine, and the drive down will feel as common as a trip to the grocery store. I make the drive once a month now; that increases to twelve times a month.
His mother and I will break up the responsibility, factoring in the occasional use of UBER. To lighten the experience, there is always the option to stay in a local hotel for a night or two. That gives me the chance to treat him to a nice dinner and a day at the museum or zoo, as his condition allows.
