Turning
Lemons into Lemonade
by
Mary M. Alward
Three months
before our 12th anniversary, we got word that my husband needed
open heart surgery. He’d been put on a waiting list and
the surgery would be sometime in the next three to six months.
When they notified us, he would have to be at the hospital within
24 hours.
Because of
the impending surgery we put off making any anniversary plans.
We didn’t want to be disappointed. Then, six weeks before
the big day, they called my husband to the hospital. Our hopes
soared. If he had his surgery now, he would be able to celebrate
when our anniversary date came.
The next
morning we reported to the hospital at 6 am. The nurses prepared
him for surgery and just before he was to be wheeled in, he was
bumped. An emergency bypass would take his place.
We didn’t
mind because the man who was having the emergency surgery needed
it badly. It was a life and death situation, but we had hoped
that my husband’s surgery would be over that day. Life is
full of little disappointments.
Four days
before our anniversary, the hospital called again. Hubby was to
report for surgery the next morning. The months of waiting had
been a roller coaster of emotions and we only hoped that this
thing could be over and done with. Missing an anniversary was
no big deal; or was it?
The surgery
was completed the next day. After six hours, my husband was taken
to the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) and I was allowed to see him.
He was hooked up to all kinds of machines, a heart monitor and
oxygen. Though he was heavily drugged, I was happy that the operation
had gone well.
Later that
day all of the heart bypass patients were sent to their rooms;
all, that is, except my husband. Complications had set in and
he was going to have to stay in ICU until the medical professionals
could find out what was happening. I was scared to death. Would
I lose him?
The day of
our anniversary arrived and when I got to the hospital there was
good news. The problem had been in a lung and it had been resolved.
Although hubby was still very weak and sleepy, he could sit up
and talk for a few minutes. The nurses told me that as the day
progressed he would be more responsive. The drugs he was on had
been greatly reduced.
At noon,
I left the hospital to run a few errands. On the half hour drive
home, I put my thinking cap on. I wasn’t going to let our
anniversary pass without some type of celebration. But what could
I do to raise hubby’s spirits and celebrate our big day?
As soon as
I arrived at home, I called the hospital and talked to his nurse.
I told her my plan and she was all for it. “Just what the
doctor ordered,” she laughed. “Go for it.”
I arrived
at the hospital later that afternoon, just before dinner would
be served. I entered his room with two bags in tow. My husband
was inquisitive and I could see that he wasn’t nearly as
drugged as he’d been earlier in the day. This was going
to be better than I’d planned.
I opened
the first bag and spread a tablecloth on hubby’s hospital
bed. Then, I took a small vase, put a little water in it from
the bathroom tap and place a rose and a rosebud from our garden
in it; next, an aromatherapy candle. Although it couldn’t
be lit because of safety reasons, the fragrance was heavenly.
Hubby was
still on a light diet, so the picnic fare was simple. I had picked
up two bowls of our favorite soup from a coffee shop down the
street, which was a real treat because we aren’t ones to
frequent coffee shops.
The soup
was piping hot and, since it was homemade, mouth watering good.
We took our time eating and celebrated the success of our marriage;
the mountains we had conquered and the dark valleys we had traversed.
We reminisced the events and special moments that we had shared
over the years and talked about his most recent triumph. For dessert,
we enjoyed some rice pudding I had made; something that we both
enjoyed on occasion.
As I was
cleaning up our picnic fare, the nurses came through the door
singing “Happy Anniversary,” in soft tones. My hubby’s
nurse carried a cake complete with fifteen candles. We were both
overwhelmed with their kindness and swiped at a tear. What a lovely
and generous gesture.
We shared
the cake with the nurses and when they were gone, we spoke of
their kindness and our love for one another. What really mattered
most was that this had been a very special day and we still had
each other. My husband’s health was on the way to a full
recovery and we’d celebrated our anniversary in a very special
way; by turning lemons into lemonade -- an ingredient for a successful
marriage.
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