Big Moves

Dad’s in the hospital and we’re moving, y’all!

Yeah, things have been a little wild. Let’s rewind a little and take you back a couple weeks to Dad being hospitalized again. Without giving away too many details that he might not exactly want out on the world wide web, Dad has had a recurring issue with his legs that cause him some severe pain, open sores, swelling, inability to walk, and some other health problems. A couple of weeks ago, this issue flared back up, resulting in his regular wound care physician recommending that he go to the emergency room instead. He stayed in the hospital for about a week as they not only got his leg issue but also his respiratory system (he had been neglecting using a CPAP machine) back under control and now he’s at a rehabilitation facility regaining strength so that he can walk again. Considering the very terrible shape he was in when he was admitted to the hospital, he’s doing much better now and is going to be just fine. I want to make that emphasis for anyone who might be alarmed that they didn’t know this was going on at all. He will need to wear a BiPAP machine whenever he sleeps, likely for the rest of his life, but he should be fine otherwise.

This is actually the second time we’ve been through this routine, the last hospitalization and rehab trip having taken place in late 2020. As Dad gets older and my brother and I cannot properly care for him by ourselves, we’ve all decided that we’re going to move to southeast Kansas in the spring once he’s doing better and winter and the holidays have passed. That’s the other important point to this writing; not only letting any readers know that Dad’s doing okay but also making the formal announcement that we’ll soon be leaving Indiana. My older sister, brother-in-law, and nephew all live in a small town out there and rather than trying to scrounge to find the money to put Dad into an assisted living facility (which none of us want to do anyway), we’re going to move to an area where we’ll be bolstered by additional members of the family. It’ll probably wind up being better for all of us, not just Dad, since we’re also living in a place right now that needs multiple repairs that we also can’t afford.

My sister couldn’t be more thrilled — she’s basically been trying to convince us to move out there near them since the moment they arrived themselves — but I’ve got mixed feelings myself. A big move such as the one we’re facing definitely has its pros and cons. With the exception of the brief time Dad’s job had us living in Wisconsin for a few of my younger years, central Indiana has always been my home. Although I do both online these days, I have a job here and go to school here. Though I rarely see them anymore, I also like to think that I still have several friends here, too. But while Kansas isn’t exactly the most interesting state in the union, I’m excited to be near family again and for the complete change of scenery. I’m beyond ready for something new and different. So hopefully, by this time next year, I’ll be living that new and different life! The whole family probably will be! Besides, I can always come home to Indy and visit, right? Not to mention I’m always a text message, video, or phone call away!

In the meantime, I’ve created a money pool that we’re going to contribute toward moving expenses and things since it’s going to cost a whole bunch of money! While it’s mostly just for the family to throw our extra money into to get things going (so no pressure whatsoever), feel free to help us out by contributing here if you’re feeling generous!

Until next time…