How My Life Got Flipped Turned Upside Down

Memorial weekend we were moving my son and his wife and child out of their condo and into their new home, and moving my daughter and her husband out of their apartment and into a new one when, in the midst of moving both of them, we got a call letting us know that my father-in-law was getting taken by ambulance to the emergency room in Idaho due to a back injury. So before the weekend was over we had him on a plane to Utah along with my mother-in-law so we could help take care of him and to find a good surgeon to operate on his spine.

The first week of June was spent going from one medical office to another to get examined by a surgeon that could treat him, running him to physical therapy, going to the medical supply companies to get a wheelchair and a walker, and picking up medications, and hours and hours of making phone calls to his insurance company get all the authorizations needed for him to be able to have surgery the following week.

The start of the second week of June was spent making phone calls to setup the surgery with the hospital and to setup the home healthcare team that would need to work with him after surgery. Then Wednesday at 6:45am we arrived at the hospital for surgery and spend the day with him until that night when we went home to begin the work of finding and setting up an aftercare facility that could provide 24 hour assistance for him as he is recovering. Thursday we were back at the hospital until we checked him out late that night and we took he and my mother-in-law to get them settled into the aftercare facility.  It was incredibly late Thursday night when we finally set out for home only to get a text message saying that our daughter-in-law had just gone into labor and was going to the hospital to have her baby.  Sleeping was not an option at that point…

Friday morning we were back at the hospital to welcome my second grandchild but first granddaughter, Magnolia Rees Anderson (“Maggie” for short) into the world.  As we were at the hospital enjoying some time holding this sweet new granddaughter we got a phone call telling us that we needed to come back to the aftercare facility to get my father-in-law and take him to the Emergency Room.  So back we went to get him and bring him to the ER of the very hospital our daughter-in-law and son were in with their new baby and we ended up going back and forth from the ER to the maternity ward. The following day when my daughter-in-law was released from the hospital we headed over to help her family get settled at home and feed them dinner. Then we headed back to the aftercare facility to check on the in-laws. And finally I ran to my parents’ home to see my brother and his wife and four kids who’ve all flown in for a visit.

You’d think after all that craziness we’d catch a break but this week I’ll be helping tend my almost two year old grandson so my daughter-in-law can recover from having her baby, I’ve got a sister and her husband flying in to stay with me, and I have another brother with his wife and kids all coming to town for their son’s wedding this week that I’ve been helping to plan, and I’m in charge of hosting a big family get-together at my home. And, of course, we are still helping out witis h my in-laws.

Could my life be any crazier?!?!?  It’s literally been one thing after another after another non-stop and the scariest part is knowing I haven’t had two seconds to read or respond to any emails, or return phone calls, or go to the office since Memorial weekend when, as I shared before and in the words of Will Smith, “My life got flipped turned upside down!”

When will it flip back? I have no idea.  Soon I hope because I am exhausted… But maybe, just maybe, it takes everything being upside down for us to start to see things right….

~Amy Rees Anderson (get your copy of “What Awesome Looks Like: How To Excel In Business & Life” here )

2 Comments

  • Wes Powell says:

    Thanks SO MUCH for all you’ve done and are still doing to help facilitate a positive outcome with Boyd! You are truly a blessing in his life in this time of need!

  • ~~Diane Linford says:

    Oh Amy! That’s all I even know to say. What a great girl you are. Lots of love coming your way.

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