After months of wonder and awe, the last two weeks have
brought us back to reality. Having grown
up on Grand Island (an island between Buffalo, NY and Canada), the bulk of
Rob’s family still resides in the area.
We arrived in Buffalo to “spring” Rob’s mother, Ina, from rehab after a
month-long stint of pneumonia and following complications.
Ina’s usual residence is an independent living facility,
Asbury, with beautiful grounds and lots of activities. They welcomed the RV allowing us to be tucked
in the corner of a parking lot and we were set for our stay. Being parked right between rehab and her
apartment, we had easy access to Ina as well as the benefit of long, hot
showers and an exercise room which we took full advantage of.
A lovely, determined woman of Russian descent, Ina has
spirit. Stuck in a less than ideal
rehab setting, however, she’s a fighter!
Not physically ready for discharge on our arrival, we finally affected
her release four days later with the challenge of keeping her motivated and
distracted in the mean time!
With 21 family members in the area, we have had plenty of
family time. We’ve seen five of our nieces and nephews with
kids in tow and all of Rob’s siblings along with a spouse or two. We’ve visited Rob’s sister daily who suffered
a debilitating stroke last December and is in a specialized rehab facility
across town. Rob has taken special care
of Sue encouraging her during PT sessions and doing more massage and exercise
in between.
Additionally, Randy and Theresa, treated us to a magical
night at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Graycliff where they performed a reading of a
play Randy wrote on the grounds of the beautiful property. With cocktails, appetizers, theatre and a
perfect sunset, we finished the evening spotting shooting stars overhead.
Other distractions included taking Rob’s niece, Jill, out
for happy hour on her birthday. Jill has
three children all with autism. Jack is
7 and the twins are 5 and they’re full of energy! Jill needed (and more than deserved!) a break
so Rob took on the kids while Jill and I played. With a text string including pleas of “help!”
to “yikes”, Uncle Bob had a good run of it!
Excited to see Ina gaining strength and endurance over the
next week or so, we took our first big excursion and headed for the movies to
see Dunkirk. Not liking wheelchairs at
all, when she grew tired she sat on her walker and asked for a push. That’s how we were as we headed out of the
theatre when we hit a raised light strip in the way and took a spill head over
heels. Tragically, the fall resulted in
a cracked vertebrae and Ina was back in the hospital.
We spent the next four days in the hospital waiting for
tests and finally a procedure to repair the crack along with an older injury
that was found in the process. Kept
comfortable with the help of modern pharmacology, Ina was generally in good spirits. The procedure itself caused new pain and
frustrations but proved successful in the end and as we prepare to get back on
the road, she’s back on her feet and gaining strength every day.
Unaccustomed to the more sedentary lifestyle and the
systematic meals of this less-than-active life here, we’ve taken to the Asbury
gym, walks to the park and long bike rides on the extensive bike trails in the
area. With a bike trail system nearby
that connects to several more that stretch the length of the Erie Canal, biking
has taken on a new glimmer and inspired some “next adventure” ponderings. Who knows where that may lead?!
