Remember when we had our water heater replaced because the old one was leaking? Well, the plumbers who installed it are trained to set the temp to where you can’t accidentally burn yourself so for 7 ½ months, my hot baths have not been hot enough and when I rinse off, the water is already lukewarm. I want the temp raised to where it was before and Ed promises to get to it and doesn’t. So today, on the phone with him while he is languishing in rehab and going nuts with boredom, we fought about it and he said I should call the plumber and that is, to him, a big deal, because it will be $100 just for showing up.

My mother had a saying for when one is mired in an endless nightmare of sorts – “You have eaten the cow, now you can eat the tail.” Ed will see the surgeon tomorrow and the facility’s van will take him and I will ride along, leaving my car in the lot. The doctor will tell him if he is now allowed to put weight on the leg that had the surgery. Ed is doing really well but he is eating himself alive with impatience because “excellent progress” is not enough.

I have several physical issues that don’t need to be explained. Suffice to say, I am exhausted, I am in pain, and I have to run constant errands for Ed. He isn’t getting enough to eat, so can I bring him food. And can I please get there by 10 or 10:30 and the answer to that is maybe, because my mornings are hell.

Gulf Coast Village is the facility Ed chose because they have an excellent rehab unit. He works with them on behalf of his guardian clients. It offers independent living/assisted living/nursing home. It is huge with many buildings. surrounded by woods and paths, and it took me forever to find the rehab unit. When I was leaving, I noticed a quiet little exit road that leads straight to the main street and you have to know it’s there and you can drive right by it without even seeing it. But I have trained myself to find it and I am using that instead.

Some time ago, Ed suggested that if he goes first, I would do well to sign myself into Gulf Coast Village for $130,000, and you get a refund if you leave. If your money runs out, you are not evicted. They take care of you till da end. I have been there with Ed, attending functions and whatnot, and my thought was “kill me now.” Yes, it would be comfortable and secure and the grounds are nice and you may not even notice that you are living in “Brain Dead City”.
xx, Teal