Although caregivers complete a variety of assignments, I feel that driving someone to a medical appointment is in a rank of its own. Keeping track of the time, picking up the patient, driving to the correct destination, and carefully listening to the doctor seems so minor but it can feel like climbing “Mt.Medical Everest”. I breathe a sigh of relief when it is over and feel like a student, completing another part of the class syllabus. I am thankful for my sister-in-law’s medical training when I need to decipher a term.
Driving my father to his medical appointment this past Monday included many miles. I drove to Zeeland to pick him up, drove him to Wyoming to attend the appointment, transported him back to his condo in Zeeland so we could complete his laundry and cleaning, and then drove him to Holland so he could see my mom. Needless to say, I will be at the gas station soon again.
Another part of medical appointments are the additional tasks still needed to complete such as an eye exam, flu vaccine, and shingles vaccine. It could be termed ” Part a, b, and c” since each task is rather different. On Friday, I will drive him to an eye appointment. The shingle vaccine, on back order, will require an additional visit. Last, the flu vaccine, will take place in October. I need to add all of these notes to our shared Google calendar because sometimes it is too much to remember.
When these details overwhelm, I think about the many caregivers who complete these tasks on a regular basis: stay- at- home parents, parents of special needs children, parents whose children with cancer or another type of challenging illness, and grandparents who graciously take care of their grandchildren on a regular basis. At times, it becomes exhausting to remember the paperwork, the list of medicines, and anything else. It’s a wonder that I am somewhat keeping track of the rest of my family- a daughter leaving for semester abroad, a son beginning the university, and another son starting a new high school. I definitely have a new appreciation for a caregiver in any situation.
Yet, through it all, God shows His almighty hand. Esther 4: 14 comes to mind again and again. ” And who knows that you were placed in Michigan for such a time as this?”
A Journey Worth Remembering 