When the shoe is on the other foot...

My husband and I have been experiencing a role reversal today. We were both suppose to work picture day at my stepson's school. Tim found out a few days ago that his mom was having a procedure done today and needed him to drive her to the hospital. So we found someone to take his place at the school, but I still planned to be there all day. At 7:35 AM today I was spraying my hair, the last thing I had to do before walking out the door to go to the school. Tim was already in Little Rock with his mom. All of a sudden I had a hot flash, started sweating, but also got extremely dizzy, light-headed, and felt like I would pass out at the same time. I sat in the bathroom floor hoping it would pass. It eased enough to move, so I made my way to the kitchen to get some food thinking my blood sugar might be low. As I was getting something to eat I realized I was going to be sick, so I made my way to the bathroom. Finally I went back to the kitchen, ate, sat for a bit, and still felt horrible. I contacted my sister who is a CRNA (but might as well be a doctor because she is so knowledgable) and asked her what I should do. She suggested I hydrate well, prop my feet, and do not expect to leave the house anytime soon. I knew this meant I would have to tell my husband because he was expecting me to be at the school. I figured he would check our security cameras from his phone as we often do when we're away, and he would see me sitting here. Then he would be upset that I didn't tell him. So I texted him to let him know that I was just having a minor pregnancy spell, I was ok, and I would let him know when I made it to the school. He immediately called. I explained to him what was going on, and he got so upset that he was away and could not be here for me. He felt helpless, and he was so worried. All he wanted to do was take care of me and make me feel better. He sent me a text a bit later and said, "We are both seeing how it is to be on the other side, aren't we?" Usually he's the one at home having a rough day physically, and I'm the one stuck somewhere doing something and can't seem to get home to him quickly enough. He also mentioned how long he was going to have to wait in the waiting room for his mom to finish. He said he didn't remember it taking that long when he had that procedure. I told him it always seems longer when you're the one in the waiting room. He said, "You're always having to wait in the waiting room for me and you never complain. I never realized what a big deal that is. You're the best wife ever! Thank you!"

I don't think about the things I do for him the majority of the time. Yes, my life is FAR different than I ever imagined it would be. I expected to live the happy little life where my husband and I would both get up and go to work, then come home in the evenings, I'd cook dinner, we'd eat and then enjoy the rest of the night together before going to bed. I figured we'd go on adventures together, hike, jog, rock climb, and do all kinds of other cool things together. Instead, I wake up at 5am to make sure he takes his meds. When he wakes up a little later in a lot of pain, I do what I can to ease it. I fix his breakfast and take it to him (although he ALWAYS returns the favor when he wakes up having a low-pain day). I spend my day caring for him. Seldom does he leave the house without me because of his dizzy spells. If he needs to go somewhere I typically drop what I'm doing and go with him so he won't take a chance of driving alone. Yet, when you truly love someone the way I love him you look at it as a privelege. I feel priveleged that I get to be that person who cares for him. I feel priveleged that I can be the one to make his bad days a little better. I feel priveleged that I'm the one he leans on, turns to, confides in, and relies on. So, while I'm glad that he can experience my side for a day, I don't think he'll ever realize how little of a "hassle" it is for me and how much of a "privelege" it is.