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 in South Toledo/ Harvard Terrace Neighborhood, near the Zoo & Walbridge Park (address provided when you sign up for a slot, or feel free to text if you'd like to know before committing) -6 steps to entry -last house fully facing my street before reaching Broadway -okay to park in driveway or on street - my door is the one on your right when facing the house **This is a work in progress but for now I needed to get something up. Stay tuned. **There are a LOT of bugs going around right now. My immune system is technically just fine (thank goodness), but it’s not safe for me to receive the flu vaccine for the time being, so please don’t feel bad canceling if you’re sick. If unsure, ie a cough lingering on & on, feel free to touch base w/ me to help decide **Re: timeslots, I had to start somewhere, but aside from appointments (& associated transport) 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 so filling a partial slot would also be just fine) **Exact timeframe re: how long I'll need certain things for is an educated guesstimate at this point that will become clearer once I'm actually home & as my first days/ weeks home transpire. Needs will evolve 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 nights/ 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 super comfy, albeit low, couch, that is relatively firm with removable 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. For the first several days especially, ie when I need someone around, I won’t necessarily have things that need to be done all of the time (and won’t have the energy to be in full on interactive/ people mode all day), so if you have things you need to do online, calls you need to make, or just a book you want to read that’s totally fine & can almost certainly happen for at least a good chunk of the time. 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, ie paper goods, food, medical supplies (nothing large) Laundry (all on 1st floor) Light cleaning Changing bed Light cooking Dishes Food/ pantry clean-out/ organization Litter box (once Pumpkin the cat is home) POTENTIAL EXTRA NEEDS/ ONE-TIME PROJECTS: (Some b/c 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?) - Going through shoes for potential sale/ donation (b/c many I can no longer wear b/c of my now troublesome legs/ feet) IMPORTANT NOTES: -I have one friendly cat (Pumpkin) that will be returning soon after being wonderfully well taken care of by a friend (aside from short visits, Metro the dog is currently at his other home; he’s fancy & has two🙃) -I have quite a few TBD medical/ therapy appts so the potential exists of my having to adjust as those are scheduled (& there will for sure be more ride requests) - I’m managing a lot medically at home, ie IVs, feeding tube, etc so while there’s no need to be directly involved in any way (beyond perhaps handing me something that’s out of my reach) I just wanted to give a heads up in case anyone is particularly uncomfortable around all things medical to the extent that being in an environment full of lots of medical happening would be an issue FOOD INFO: -No allergies except raw fresh pineapple, but I 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 more 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 sandwhich toppings or sides like salsa/ bruschetta - are nos. I can do salads as a side but not a main dish (though that may evolve as I hopefully get back to my "norm"). I can do most cooked 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