If you’ve found your way here, you likely already know that I’m in the process of fighting to get back on my feet - quite literally - from a pretty over the top medical fiasco that I am lucky to be coming out the other side of. On October 8th, instead of waking up to my alarm as planned, I instead woke up several hours earlier to the uncontrollable chills & soon-to-follow 103+ fever that I knew from the start was sepsis. Over the 3.5 weeks to follow I ended up with a total of four bloodstreams infections which, even after additional evaluation at Cleveland Clinic, don't have a clear answer of origin beyond "something microscopic in the GI tract" (which is of course less than reassuring as it means no one can guarantee it won't keep happening). And while the onslaught of new infections finally stopped right around the time I transferred to Cleveland, some of them unfortunately found their way into my spine & in turn impacted my mobility pretty significantly, initially taking me from walking without issue in the morning to unable to unable to walk by afternoon & barely able to lift my arms or head off the bed by that night. The difficulty walking has been complicated by the fact that, prior to the admission, I was mid-evaluation for some lower leg/ foot weakness that was believed to likely be due to an autoimmune response to LAST year's sepsis (because yes, for those of you who think much of this sounds oddly familiar, last year's emergency GI surgery also resulted in multiple bouts in sepsis that also found their way into my spine. It's truly like a REALLY bad remake of the Groundhog Day film.) Without getting into details, the rest of the past several months have also been filled to the brim with not only other medical challenges but an onslaught of failures of the health care system, including both brazen care gaps at respected medical facilities & repeated, obvious failures of insurance to provide the treatment unanimously stated to be necessary by numerous medical professionals at multiple institutions. But nearly three months after the ordeal started - & after a few weeks of inpatient rehab - I’m finally heading home Monday (December 29th)!! While there are still a lot of unknowns in terms of where things will go for me medically down the road, I'm currently improving by the day & looking forward to getting back to as much of my life as I possibly can for as long as I possibly can. But while I'm moving around far better than I've been, it’s not pretty & I am still needing forearm crutches, a chunky back brace, & leg braces to get around, so there’s a lot I can’t do myself (which stubborn, independent me hates SO much). So many of you have been beyond amazing throughout these past months in ways I could not have even fathomed were possible, collectively providing ongoing support in so many ways for which I will never be able to express sufficient thanks. And while asking for - and accepting - help is still one of my least favorite things, you all have made it abundantly clear that you are going to continue to step up regardless, so I figured the least I could do was do some of the organizational legwork now that I'm able. So here we are. There’s a calendar for anticipated needs though the first week or so. Any questions/ concerns, feel free to text or call. I appreciate you all so, so, so very much. 🫶🏻 ☀️ Melissa 419.350.6402
Location (unless otherwise specified) is my place: 113 Amherst Drive Toledo 43614 (near the zoo & Walbridge park; okay to park in driveway or on street) **This is a work in progress but for now I needed to get something up. Stay tuned. **Re: timeslots, I had to start somewhere, but aside from appointments they are largely meaningless, so let me know of any needed adjustments & we'll figure it out. (And after the first day or two it shouldn't be necessary for me to have someone there all of the time) **Exact timeframe re: how long I'll need certain things for, ie 24/7 coverage (in person & then on-call), is an educated guesstimate at this point that will become clearer once I'm actually home. Needs in general will evolve/ clarify over time as I continue to recover & as appointments get made, so thanks in advance for your patience & understanding for changes along the way. INITIAL NEEDS: Someone around 24/7 (likely for 2ish days). will include help with settling back in, making sure I can get to what I need independently (so that I can safely kick out the 24/7 help), & other things listed under "day to day potential needs" below For the two sleepover shifts I unfortunately do NOT have a spare bed; regrettably getting my spare room together is one of things that had not yet happened post last year's move. I have what I find to be a pretty comfy, albeit low, couch, that is relatively firm with removeable back cushions (thus making it relatively wide). It is in the main/ living room. I do have plenty of bedding. Chances are I won't have to bother you once I am settled in to sleep for the night. DAY TO DAY POTENTIAL NEEDS : Transportation to appointments Small errands (further out potentially with me) Food/ grocery shopping/ delivery Basic help with "little things" I can't manage Collecting/taking out trash/ recycling Taking/ getting things to/ from basement &/or garage (nothing large) Laundry Light cleaning Changing bed Light cooking Food/ pantry clean-out/ organization Litter box (once the cat is home) POTENTIAL EXTRA NEEDS ONE-TIME PROJECTS: (many related to the fact I had just moved before last year's 3 month hospitalization & am still not fully settled in) -Unpacking/ organizing -Hanging things on walls -Repairing bottoms that fell out of built-in bathroom sink/ vanity drawers (cheapo particle board that was just stapled in; I’m guessing the right kind of glue + perhaps some tacks may do the trick?) IMPORTANT NOTES: -I have one friendly cat that will likely be returning soon after being wonderfully well taken care of by a friend (Dog is currently at his other home; he has two🙃) -I have quite a few TBD medical appts so the potential exists of my having to adjust as those are scheduled - I’m managing a lot medically at home, ie IVs, feeding tube, etc so while - with the exception of one or two things (that I will clearly specify on the sign up description) - there’s no need to be directly involved in any way, just wanted to give a heads up in case anyone is particularly uncomfortable around all things medical to the extent that having supplies around will be an issue FOOD INFO: -No strict allergies but have some dietary limitations due to my GI disease (& was on tube feeding for most of this stay so my system is still a bit finicky than at my best) -Some things that are healthy for most are limited for me, most notably high fiber. -Protein: No beef or pork. Chicken, turkey, & tofu are go-tos. Despite my fiber limitations I do okay with beans. -Veggies: Most things raw - beyond toppings on a sandwich or something such as like salsa/ bruschetta - are nos. I can do salads as a side but not a main dish (that may evolve as I get back to my "norm"). I can do most veggies in reasonable quantities, though well-cooked is better for me (and mandatory for heartier veg like broccoli/ cauliflower) -Carbs/ grains: Most are safe bets, just nothing stuffed full of unprocessed grains/ nuts/ seeds. -Drinks: no carbonation, no coffee/ coffee-flavored anything