Today was a new experence for me--clerking my first Meeting for Business. While it was thought at first to be a daunting task, I found it very easy and things fell right into place. I never doubted my ability to lead a meeting.
If I have one flaw when it comes to meetings, it is to sit in one and have it get off track and wander about. Being one who likes to keep focus on the subject, I was a little concerned that I might be too rigid in keeping discussions focussed on the topic at hand. However, that never occurred; the discussions flowed toward the end and concensus was reached on the topic which was being discussed. There was only one exception though: a discussion was underway relative to a topic which was presented by one of the committees. While it engendered a bit of discussion and questioning, we were unable to reach concensus. As is the Quaker way, the matter was held over for next month's meeting to discuss further and, hopefully, reach a decision agreeable to all.
It should be readily pointed out that, without the love and understanding of the others in the Meeting, I would not have felt as comfortable as I did. Several commented to me at the conclusion of the meeting that I did a wonderful job in conducting the meeting. Several have expressed to me over the past few months how much the appreciate my taking the reins of the Meeting and leading it in Rolf Hanson's absence. As indicated previously, I feel my leadership abilities are finally being recognized by a group of people who do not have their own agendas and who truly wish only the best to come out in me. That is very gratifying, especially when it comes from longtime Quakers who have a much longer experience, both with Quakerism and in life than do I. All I can do is continue to hope that I give my best to the Meeting and keep its best interests paramount.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Sunday, September 14, 2008
One Hectic Month
This past month has been a very trying one for me, but is one which I have been able to survive, nonetheless. For starters, I got a call from my sister, "Maggot" on August 12th that Mom had fallen in her apartment the night before and fractured her hip. Of course, it was quite upsetting to me and, as the morning progressed, I felt more and more that I should go up to Panama City to see and comfort her. I then decided to leave the next day after tying up some loose ends here in town. It was a long, but uneventful trip and I was able to get up there around noon. I went straight to the hospital where I saw her with her left leg splayed out to the left. It was in talking to the doctor later on that I realized it was not her hip but, rather, her femur which had broken. Apparently she was emptying her dishwasher and turned to the walker I had purchased for her a few years ago. Not having set the brake (she apparently never does), the cart took off on its own and she fell to the floor.
Having done some research on rehab facilities before I left home, I hit the ground running the next day, visiting several rehab facilities to assess them and how they would suit Mom and her needs once she was discharged from the hospital. However, that was not to be for some time, as Mom was on Coumadin and they had to let her blood thicken up enough to do the surgery, lest she bleed out in the course of fixing the break. She developed an erratic heartbeat which had to be brought under control before they could do the surgery. Came Saturday and she was still awaiting surgery, this time in the Cardiac Care Unit. Having to return to Bradenton, I left on Saturday to make the long drive home.
The next day I called Maggot before setling down for morning worship and found Mom had just gone into surgery. What a relief! She came out of it okay, but she had low blood pressure and oxygen, so she was then taken to the post-surgical ICU for a day or two. I was feeling more relief until I developed a toothache.
That got a bit worse through the week when I called my dentist to see if he could see me. I went in on Thursday only to find that the tooth, which had had a root canal done on it, was not the problem. Rather, there was an infection in the tissue below the tooth. I was given a prescription for Amoxicillin and made an appointment with the endodontist for a week and a half hence. However, the tooth was nagging so I decided to call back and have the appointment moved back. I saw the endo and he did what he did, removing the filler in the root canal and put in medication to supposedly kill the infection.
I went back to Panama City the following week with no problem, this time checking out assisted living facilities for Mom, should she need one upon her discharge from rehab (she had been discharged from the hospital by this time). All was fine and I returned home on Thursday, being cognizant of Hurricane Hanna which was loking at Florida that weekend. The following day my tooth started to feel a bit of pressure which increased over the following few days. As I had an appointment with the endo first thing Tuesday morning, I held off on calling him. However, at 4:30AM on Tuesday, I was awakened with an excruciating pain in my jaw. Pam took me to the endo, as I was in no shape to drive, and he was surprised the infection had returned, even with a vengeance. He cleaned the tooth out once again, and this time went into the gum and drained out even more infection. He gave me a prescription for an even more potent antibiotic which I have been taking religiously since then. The tooth no longer hurts but I have a persistent pain in the jaw and tissue which requires some pain medication from time to time. I cannot open my mouth as wide as I am used to, but it gradually seems to be getting better. I see him again this Wednesday and am hoping all is settling down and will be well.
The one image I have in my mind is what my dear mother-in-law went through over 30 years ago. She had an infection in her jaw which was diagnosed as osteomylitis. They theorized that when she had her teeth pulled, a fragment of one of the teeth remained and festered. The poor woman had to have her jawbone packed with gauze and even had a hole completely through the jawbone, from the outside to the inside of her mouth which had to be reamed out with strips of gauze, like one shines shoes. I am so fearful of that image, hoping and praying that I don't have to go through the same thing.
On the positive side, I am finding much joy and satisfaction in my duties of Acting Clerk of Sarasota Monthly Meeting. I have had so many people comment and write to me of the appreciation they feel for me and the way I am leading the Meeting. I am doing only what common sense leads me to do and wish only to bring to the Meeting my talents and abilities to help make it a better one. As I mentioned to one of the members, I see the glass as half full and am doing what I can to fill it all the way.
Having done some research on rehab facilities before I left home, I hit the ground running the next day, visiting several rehab facilities to assess them and how they would suit Mom and her needs once she was discharged from the hospital. However, that was not to be for some time, as Mom was on Coumadin and they had to let her blood thicken up enough to do the surgery, lest she bleed out in the course of fixing the break. She developed an erratic heartbeat which had to be brought under control before they could do the surgery. Came Saturday and she was still awaiting surgery, this time in the Cardiac Care Unit. Having to return to Bradenton, I left on Saturday to make the long drive home.
The next day I called Maggot before setling down for morning worship and found Mom had just gone into surgery. What a relief! She came out of it okay, but she had low blood pressure and oxygen, so she was then taken to the post-surgical ICU for a day or two. I was feeling more relief until I developed a toothache.
That got a bit worse through the week when I called my dentist to see if he could see me. I went in on Thursday only to find that the tooth, which had had a root canal done on it, was not the problem. Rather, there was an infection in the tissue below the tooth. I was given a prescription for Amoxicillin and made an appointment with the endodontist for a week and a half hence. However, the tooth was nagging so I decided to call back and have the appointment moved back. I saw the endo and he did what he did, removing the filler in the root canal and put in medication to supposedly kill the infection.
I went back to Panama City the following week with no problem, this time checking out assisted living facilities for Mom, should she need one upon her discharge from rehab (she had been discharged from the hospital by this time). All was fine and I returned home on Thursday, being cognizant of Hurricane Hanna which was loking at Florida that weekend. The following day my tooth started to feel a bit of pressure which increased over the following few days. As I had an appointment with the endo first thing Tuesday morning, I held off on calling him. However, at 4:30AM on Tuesday, I was awakened with an excruciating pain in my jaw. Pam took me to the endo, as I was in no shape to drive, and he was surprised the infection had returned, even with a vengeance. He cleaned the tooth out once again, and this time went into the gum and drained out even more infection. He gave me a prescription for an even more potent antibiotic which I have been taking religiously since then. The tooth no longer hurts but I have a persistent pain in the jaw and tissue which requires some pain medication from time to time. I cannot open my mouth as wide as I am used to, but it gradually seems to be getting better. I see him again this Wednesday and am hoping all is settling down and will be well.
The one image I have in my mind is what my dear mother-in-law went through over 30 years ago. She had an infection in her jaw which was diagnosed as osteomylitis. They theorized that when she had her teeth pulled, a fragment of one of the teeth remained and festered. The poor woman had to have her jawbone packed with gauze and even had a hole completely through the jawbone, from the outside to the inside of her mouth which had to be reamed out with strips of gauze, like one shines shoes. I am so fearful of that image, hoping and praying that I don't have to go through the same thing.
On the positive side, I am finding much joy and satisfaction in my duties of Acting Clerk of Sarasota Monthly Meeting. I have had so many people comment and write to me of the appreciation they feel for me and the way I am leading the Meeting. I am doing only what common sense leads me to do and wish only to bring to the Meeting my talents and abilities to help make it a better one. As I mentioned to one of the members, I see the glass as half full and am doing what I can to fill it all the way.
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