How I Was Prepared

We never know what lies ahead of us do we?

It wasn't until I was talking to my Home Teachers that I realized how I had been prepared for the things ahead of me. I believe I have mentioned before that my Grandmother Hall was a confinement Nurse. I suppose she had worked with another who had given her some great training and prepared her in advance of the needs that would come into her life. Looking back I can see just how incidents that had occured in my life was leading me to the training I would need to confront the cituations that were to come into mine.

When my parents were in an auto accident that caused my Dads death, and my Mothers severe
injuries, I hadn't had any training to speak of. The need to care for someone seriously ill had not
entered into my daily life. Oh, my children had had illnesses that took time and loving care, but not any real confinement conditions. Those were to come much later.

My Mother-in-law had surgery that caused her to be confined for sometime. She was alone during the daytime, and Jay asked if I could go over and take care of her while her husband was a work. Everyday, I would get the kids up and off to school, then I would drive into Bell, CA and look after Itha Zimmer. She had worked for years at a job that caused her to stand most of the day on cement floors. This had caused her varicous veins to become a problem, and she had the surgery to "strip" the veins in her legs. The surgery was pretty extensive so she was laid up for quite awhile. Her legs needed to be bandaged which was quite a job for a novice. I learned how to do it however. While I was caring for her, I noticed a spot on one of her legs that was a concern to us. We watched it all day, and noticed that it was moving up her leg rather rapidly.
We called the Dr. and he wanted her back in the hospital because it was a blood clot. Nothing we
had neglected or done had caused the problem, it was serious all the same, and she was put back
in the hospital to have medication and hope they could stop the movement before it got beyond
the point of more difficulties.

What was to be a short time of care, turned into an extended care in her home. She progress well. In the time I was there, I thought how much easier it would have been had I known a bit more about what I was doing. It wasn't long after this that my Father-in-law was hospitalized and when he was released he came to our home to be cared for. It was while I was caring for
him the accident my parents were in happened. I took Gower Rosenberg to his daughter Afton
Cowles to complete his return to full health when I brought Mother home to care for her.

Once this was behind me, Jay was out of work and needed to find work for his Transit Mixer.
He and few other independent drivers drove the distance of California looking for work. Jay
and Mac McCann were fortunate to find work for their trucks in Taft, CA. When it turned into a long term job, our home was sold in Pico Rivera, CA and we moved the family to Taft. Jay was able to find a new home that was being constructed. The original buyer was a Pastor who had
a falling out with his Congregation and left Taft. We were able to take over the building contract
and finished the house.

I will tell you more about this, but for now, on with the progression of my training for the future.

Next to the High School in Taft is the Community College. After we were settled for a time, I read they were offering a course on Home Health. I signed up and found that it was a basic nursing course. When it was completed successfully the class members would be certified as
California Home Health Aides. I enjoyed the classes, and was successful in completeing the course. I did register with the State, but did not follow through with any kind of a job. The Instructor was much impressed with my natural ability and encouraged me to go on to complete the training as a LVN - Licenced Vocational Nurse. The course was offered in Bakersfield at
one of the Hosptials as a continuation of what I had just finished. It would have ment that I could work in a Hospital and qualified to give shots as well as other duties. Jay would not let me go as it was 50 miles to Bakersfield one way, and much of the training was at night. The area
was bothered by Toole Fog and danger in driving was more than he wanted me to be subjected to. Soooo, I never finished. I have had mixed feeling about it, however, I respected Jay and would not go against his advice.

Some years later, the work was poor in Taft so Jay moved his truck to Orange, County and we
sold out in Taft and moved to Anaheim. We were "empty nesters" then and decided to take up
night school classes to do things together. You might say this started a pattern for us while we were in Orange County. Eight years later Jay decided to sell his truck and retire. It didn't take long to sell the business, however getting Jay to move again was a problem. He didn't want to start over, and I didn't want to stay where we were. After some heated discussions Jay decided to look at property I had found while visiting with Our Daughter in Atascadero, CA. He finally gave in. We bought a lot and contracted the construction of the home I now live in.

As we had attended many classes in Orange, County we started again in San Luis Obispo, County. The continual learning of new things was fun and helped us get acquainted with the area in which we now lived. One day I noticed a Class by Hospice that was being offered on a Saturday Morning. I decided to sign up. I finished the course as it was outlined and was Certified as a Hospice Partner. Something I never did, but the training was valuable in more than one case.

Little by little I had been led to things that would train me for the time when my Husband would become serious ill and need care. Because I had the training needed, I was able to keep him home instead of putting him into a care facility. With Paul at home, and with the medical training he had in the Service, we were able to take care of every need that would arrise. When the time came to face the end of that care and the release of Jay from a body that no long was worthy of his Spirit, I was able to slip into the Hospice part of my training and take care of the needs that arose at that time. I believe it was the Lord who moved me to undertake all of the
necessary classes that led me to the capability needed to fulfill my calling as a wife.

I have found when we follow the promtings of the Spirit we are moved along to where we are needed to be. It was not that the training would have been helpful long before I had it, but that I had it because I felt a real need to be better prepared when any cituation presented itself. Life
does not always come at you in perfect order. Somethings are given as preparation. Whatever
we can do to improve ourselves for lifes challenges the better we are able to endure the rough spots that come our way. And come they will!

Written this 4th day of May, 2009
by: Eileen C. Rosenberg