It's hard to believe it's June, and that we are closing in on the official start of the summer season. The year has really gone by so fast already, especially spring. Then again, the older you get, the more time flies, as they say.
It's funny. For many people, including me, getting older and on up into middle age and beyond brings along with it thoughts about making sure to try and do the things that really matter in life. The reason is that even if you are blessed to live a long life, you don't want to be consumed in your golden years with regret over experiences you wanted to have or things you wanted to do that you kept backburnering until your circumstances prevented you from being able to do them anymore.
I've been having such thoughts recently, which have centered around the possibility of making a drive to the beach with mom.
READ MORE (VIP): Southport, Sweet Southport
Though we have taken many trips as a family to the North Carolina beaches over the course of my life, the last one was shortly before my dad went from using a cane to having to use a walker. I wanna say that was around 10 years ago, but I'm not completely sure. While I recall him grumbling in true dad fashion about going, he talked the very next week after we returned about how the technicians and his fellow patients at the dialysis center had enjoyed hearing the stories of his walk on the pier and the good seafood he ate.
Another #sunrise photo from #Southport, NC from last weekend. I just love that place. #VisitNC pic.twitter.com/0xQ3hc2ffj
— Sister Toldjah 💙 (@sistertoldjah) September 23, 2017
Needless to say, a lot has changed since that trip. My dad is no longer with us, and my mom has had her own health challenges, including a colon cancer diagnosis in October 2022 at the age of 79, and just four months after we had to say goodbye to dad.
Fortunately, the lab work and scans she's had to have periodically since she completed chemo in the spring of 2023 have been encouraging, supporting her medical oncologist's belief that she is in remission. Brief life update: She has her next round of both in a few weeks, so any prayers, good vibes, positive thoughts, etc., are most certainly welcome.
But though those visits and reports, praise Jesus, have been good overall, her mobility and stamina challenges persist (she uses a walker), and that makes the logistics of planning anything like a vacation that involves driving more than an hour or so a bit trickier, thanks in part to the pit stops you have to make to stretch, go to the bathroom, etc.
Not to mention not knowing the layouts of the restaurants and other places one might go on such trips, once you get there. Will it be crowded? Will the wait be long? Will the bed in the hotel room be too high? Too low? What if she has a serious medical emergency and requires a hospital visit?
RELATED: Caregiver's Diary Part 25: Stepping Out of the Caregiver Comfort Zone
A road trip like this (which would probably be a weekend trip) would require me to step outside of the Caregiver Comfort Zone more than I already have over the last year or so. It's very important that I get past my fears/worries about what such a trip would entail, because it's something that both mom and I really would enjoy, as it would bring back a lot of good memories. Plus, it would be good for our mental health to get away from our usual scenery for a little bit and smell that fresh beach air.
Thankfully, I know one of my sisters would be able to join us on the journey, which would give me more confidence to go forth.
So anyway, I'm in the very early planning stages of working through the typical caregiver worries, the logistical parts of it, etc., with hopes that such a trip will take place in late summer or early fall, Lord-willing. Anyone who has taken a long trip with a loved one who has mobility issues, I would love to read your thoughts on how that worked out and any tips you may have on what to do and what not to do. Thanks, as always, in advance. :-)
DIVE DEEPER: To check out my previous Caregiver's Diary entries, please click here. Thank you!
