Stories from Caregivers: Floyd from TEXAS
TX
Floyd
FROM TEXAS
My wife Faye and I were married 66 years, and parents of our daughter, Debbie. Faye graduated from high school in 1947 at Denton, Texas and employed at the age of 16 by owners as a label typist at a Pharmacy in Fort Worth, Texas. Within two years the two entrepreneurs had founded a corporation known for the treatment of eye problems. After selling the pharmacy to a new owner, eight additional pharmacies and three sick room supply stores were added and Faye became the Office Manager and personal secretary. Retiring in 2001 as editor and photographer of the Senior Sentinel Newspaper for Senior Citizen Services, I was aware of certain changes in her behavior particularly falling for no apparent reason. During our marriage life she had fallen several times, but now during the mid-2000's, she was hospitalized after breaking her fibia, tibia, ankle, and knee having earlier broken two ribs setting up double pneumonia and blood clots in both lungs. After several weeks of rehab she slowly recovered, however, after an estimated 10 years of falling and minor breakages, this time it was life threatening and at a point that she could not walk or stand and was wheelchair bound. In January, 2012, I was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Cancer after noticing a swollen gland on my right neck. Beginning chemotherapy two weeks later I also had surgery to remove nodules in my lungs, numerous scans, and a bone marrow scan. Losing my oncologist, I was fortunate to become a patient of the Fort Worth Cancer Center, one of nine clinics within the Dallas, Fort Worth metro area and finally coming to terms with our dual illnesses, was fortunate to experience minimal ill chemotherapy side effects, have had 43 infusions and have been able to be so blessed in being able to care for my ill wife, who weighed about 110 lbs to lift her, wash her hair, curl her hair, bath her, potty her, and best of all, knowing she loved me through it all when she passed away last December 2016 in a hospice facility. As a journalist, writer, photographer, artist, and musician, I am writing a book, painting, playing music, and taking digital photos, and the fondest, most cherished memories I have of my Faye, is the last five years I was blessed and physically able to care and love her each day of our 66 years of marriage. Before our illnesses, we had annuities, savings, life insurance, health insurance, and a beautiful home paid for. But during the worst of times, I was forced to take out a Reverse Mortgage, and only have one Social Security check to spend, due to losing my wife and the 20 years of illnesses and expenses, yet, the years I cared for her, I would not trade for millions of dollars. When we said, "I do!" at the altar 66 years ago, we meant it, and her love and the privilege of caring for her far outweighs any difficulty I have now at 86 years of age. And, in spite of the disappointment of our reverse mortgage, our beautiful daughter at age 61, a legal secretary and two failed marriages, and raising two fine young men, with little or no help from her ex-husbands, has remained my loving daughter. Our God is a great God!
