Sometimes it does take a village

[trales]

We are totally independent, do everything ourselves and NEVER ask for help kind of people. I just wanted to share b/c of all the recent threads on folks helping each other. I have had a nasty cold/cough for weeks (really over a month). The cough has been escalating. Yesterday at work (I am a professor at a local college) I started coughing so badly I was gagging got really light headed and tipped over. This of course was in the lecture hall in front of 32 chem students who are in allied health programs. I was sent to the local hospitals urgent care which happens to be next to our campus. I spent 4 hours there getting chest x-rays/ breathing treatments/ antibiotics and oxygen.

While I was there my coworkers figured out how to cover all my classes this week/ meetings/ clubs etc. I emailed a friend to pick up my kids and then she arranged kid care/ drop off and pick up for the rest of the week. I was shocked. I could not believe how many people jumped up and helped, without my even asking. It was so nice and reminded me just how wonderful people are.

I am home/ resting/ going stir crazy/ trying not to clean/ and coughing my brains out. The working diagnosis was reactive respiratory or pertussis. Those results will come in later, but they are treating it just in case. I have to say, the oxygen at the urgent care was amazing, everything else sucked, but I could get addicted to the oxygen.

Now I just have to keep myself from doing housework or raking leaves. . . .

[KpbS]

Oh my! That is scary! So glad you could get quick medical treatment and weren't at home alone!

Thank goodness for all of the great, caring people in your life. Rest up and don't even think of doing the laundry or leaves! :hug: :hug:

[Momit]

Wow, that sounds super scary. Glad you are ok. And thanks for sharing such a positive story, there is so much negativity in the world these days that you almost forget that most people are really great.

[wendibird22]

Wow! So glad you are on the mend and that people really stepped in. It's amazing when that happens, right?! When DD1 ended up with appendicitis and in the hospital for 3 days we were amazed at the offers to take DD2 overnight and for play dates and to offer to assist in other ways. I told my DH that it was the first time I felt we had "people."

[georgiegirl]

So glad you are feeling better. It's a great feeling to know others will go out of their way to help you.

[mackmama]

So sorry you are so sick. Coughing like that is truly awful. What a wonderful surprise to be reminded how great people can be. So glad you have a supportive community... which is also a huge testament to you and how much people care about you. Feel better soon. And RELAX! :)

[maestramommy]

Yikes! So sorry you are so sick. I had pneumonia this spring (first time ever) and that was when I realized I had a village of my own. <3

Feel better soon!

[squimp]

Yup, I agree 100% with that expression. I'm also sorry you are so sick. I had pneumonia earlier this year and wow it really knocked me back. Any time you start coughing till you can't breathe is very scary and eye opening. That must have scared your students as well. I hope you get better quickly!

ETA - And find some fun things to watch on Netflix. My guilty pleasures when I was sick was watching episodes of Nurse Jackie, Longmire, River and Broadchurch.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Feel better!

The other day, I saw a casual friend's teen in an unexpected neighborhood about a 30 minute walk from home. I debated pulling over to see if he needed a ride and decided if the shoe was on the other foot, I'd hope another parent would stop and check on my kiddo. I thought maybe that's where he intended to be but it wouldn't hurt to ask. I stopped, he'd taken the wrong public bus and had already been walking 30 minutes. Phone was dead so basically out of luck. So glad I went with my gut. I just knew that we are all in this together and should look out for each other.


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[trcy]

Feel better soon! So nice everyone was able to come together to help.


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[trales]

Thank you guys. I know I will be better in a few days, but it has struck me how rich we have in friends and community. I am always glad to pick up kids and help friends, I love doing it for them, but I HATE asking for help. I always feel like I am a burden when people help me. But this week, after reading all the threads here and just seeing how much my friends and colleagues wanted to help me, I realized it is okay to ask for and to accept help. We are all in this together and we are all better when we work together and help each other.

[bigsis]

I'm so glad to hear you're feeling better and that the community stepped up to help you. I, too, am very independent, but I try to help others when needed as much as I can. I'm happy you're very grateful for everyone!!! :)

[StantonHyde]

Yes, it is hard to ask for help. I will say that having children has humbled me greatly in this regard. Glad you got such awesome support---sound like you have payed "into the pot" for quite some time. Time to take some out.

[american_mama]

One thing I try to remember is that asking for help strengthens and grows a relationship. Being in this situation can lead a casual friendship or neighbor relationship into something much stronger, which is a great mutal long-term benefit of what seems like a short-term, one-side need. Accepting a favor leads to doing a favor, or vice versa. Showing your need helps others see you as human, not some Teflon person.

I say this because I have an old friend who never asks for favors; she's the type who would fly into a city to visit and say, "Don't pick me up, I'll take a cab." But if you are my guest, I WANT to pick you up. I will go out of my way because I care about you, and her independence can blunt my ability to show I care. So I try to remember how I feel being on the receiving end of her independence and remind myself that people like to help, especially in time-limited situations. And that NOT being able to help has made me a bit more distant from my friend than I would like.

[123LuckyMom]

Thank you guys. I know I will be better in a few days, but it has struck me how rich we have in friends and community. I am always glad to pick up kids and help friends, I love doing it for them, but I HATE asking for help. I always feel like I am a burden when people help me. But this week, after reading all the threads here and just seeing how much my friends and colleagues wanted to help me, I realized it is okay to ask for and to accept help. We are all in this together and we are all better when we work together and help each other.

I'm so glad you're on the mend and have had this opportunity to learn to be less reluctant to ask for help. I really think asking for help can be a true gift to those you ask. It gives them the opportunity to do something kind and helpful. We all want to have opportunities to be kind and helpful! Now you've received the gift of realizing how much people care for you and how much kindness there is around you, and your "village" has been able to feel useful, and kind, and helpful. It's a win-win situation, really!


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