Sometimes I wonder why some details fly by me unnoticed while there are others that I savagely latch on to with my two claws like raw bloody meat.
Unfamiliar Territory
In 2016, when a stroke had put Zen Master in the hospital for almost a week, Zen Mum and I were, emotionally and physically, on unfamiliar ground.
I can count on one hand how many times I’ve personally experienced heart shaking trauma or devastating loss. Lucky, I guess? I can’t tell if this bland background was a disservice or not.
Because what had happened with Zen Master had literally ripped me in half. I was stumbling in the shadows without the aid of the light of the moon.
I know that hospitals had visiting hours for friends and family, but Zen Mum and I had stayed with Zen Master 24-7 with absolutely zero threat of being thrown out. We would go home to eat dinner and wash up before returning to the hospital to stay for the night.
Angels in Our Lives
There were so many doctors who came to check up on Zen Master, so many incredibly caring nurses that flowed in and out of our room that I lost track of their names.
But I would always remember their faces.
I watched how they took such incredible care of my father. Unsung heroes, every single one of them.
ER was a TV show that I adored, especially when George Clooney was there, but in real life, the hospital was…the smells, the sounds and the cacophony of it all was surreal.
When Zen Master was finally moved out of the ER into ICU, when he was able to sit up in bed and, oh my God — able to speak…
I was hanging to coherence by my fingernails.
FOCUS, I had told myself every night in the quiet of the sleeping hospital. You will not break or melt down or become fucking dysfunctional. Because they needed you.
Post Stroke Instructions
Before we were discharged from the hospital, more angels came stopped by with various instructions that I burned into my brain.
- Where I was to stand behind him when he walked, to catch him in case he fell.
- To be patient with him as he adapted to the blow that he took bodily.
- How to outfit our house for the new normal of having a stroke survivor in our home.
And it was during one of these discussions that I remember with absolute clarity the lady’s instructions.
Don’t slant the safety bars in the bath tub.
And that became my mission.
Bath Fitters
When Zen Master was an inpatient at the rehab hospital, Zen Mum and I were finally home and sleeping in our own beds. It was during one of these nights where I sat mindlessly watching TV when a commercial caught my eye.
For a limited time only, get Bath Fitters shower interest free! A new bathtub over the old bathtub! No fuss, no muss!
But truthfully the selling points for me were:
- Lifetime Warranty
- Free maintenance, if needed, as long as you own the home
- Interest free
But the safety grab bars and bathroom seat installed directly into the shower had me riveted.
The Salesman
Jimmy “Jets” was my larger-than-life salesperson who became quite somber when he realized the reason for the purchase. I had asked if it was possible to have it all done by the time Zen Master came home.
At my question, Jimmy stood up from the kitchen table, excused himself and walked out the front door. I listened as he actually called his home office and ask if the order could be expedited.
It didn’t work but the fact that he tried utterly touched me. His compassion blew me away.
With a contract signed that day and 25% deposit down, I had an interest free installment plan for 24 months. From my first phone call to the final installation, all in all, it took a month and a half. I can look back now and breathe a sigh of relief that it only took that long. Admittedly, it felt like forever before I would see it.
Bath Fitters Referral Program
I believe in signs. I truly do believe that sometimes the universe sends messages, bits and pieces of details for our eyes and ears only. The trick is being self aware enough to hear it. To latch on to it as I had with the safety bars.
Or just sometimes we hear and see what we want to hear and see.
It didn’t make a difference to me because at that point in my life, I knew what I needed. And it came to me at that auspicious moment in a dark time in my life.
I will always recommend Bath Fitters to anyone.
Sally in the Zen
Note: Please understand that I am part of Bath Fitter’s Referral Program – referral ID# 017-322. All this means is that if you use my referral ID number when you sign up for an in-house estimate and ultimately purchase and install a Bath Fitter system, I will get a small commission. There is absolutely no pressure for you to use the referral ID and I thank you if you do. I recommend only stuff that we use regularly and love wholeheartedly.