The "Joys" of Moving

As a person who likes to have everything organized and neatly arranged (even though I procrastinate about such things and had an efficient crew to unpack my worldly goods after my move), I still have had a few uncomfortable moments.

1. I discovered that I don't have enough wall space for my wall decorations and art collection. My carefully-wrapped pictures and mirrors are still filling my bathtub and one of the shower stalls.

2. The three large boxes of books intended for The Clare library turned up in the shower stall, too.

3. I have a few extras to go to my storage compartment, but there's a catch: I can get those things carted away, but only if I can provide a padlock. I don't have one, and haven't been able to go out shopping for one yet due to the weather. These large items are still cluttering my living room.

4. In my office, the cable connection turned out to be on the wall opposite my computer desk rather than the wall behind it. My computer cables and other gear were jumbled in a box in the closet. No wonder I had to hire a technician for more than four hours to get me on line again.

5. I'm an avid reader of the Chicago Tribune, so of course I called to transfer my home delivery subscription to The Clare. For days, it didn't show up. Thanks to the building concierge (yes, we have one) I finally got a paper yesterday, and today's arrived at my 35th floor door early in the morning without incident. I'm turned in to the world again. Despite my computer, I still like to sit down and read a newspaper every day.

6. Since I didn't put my own things away, there are still a few things I haven't found, but that means I have surprises every day. I still haven't found my little booklets of postage stamps, for example. I seem to recall writing earlier about the tyranny of "stuff." I have too much of it.

As you can see, my annoyances have been minor. My lovely apartment and magnificent lake view (see a previous post) make living here a joy. The dining is gourmet quality; there's a weekly cleaning service. This is high-end senior living. Now if the economy will just improve, I'll be better able to afford it. I'll take more pictures later.

Moving Memories: Six Days Later

Moving is traumatic. No matter how many hired or volunteer helpers one has, things will be confusing. Here's how my packing and moving days, January 8 and 9, went:

On January 8, bright and early, the packers came, the charity pickup men came later. The packers did their job, although there were a few absurdities, such as their careful wrapping and labeling of the toilet plunger. In fact, everything was padded and wrapped and labeled, and believe me, there was a lot of "stuff."

The charity pickup, arranged by Mature Transitions, didn't work out quite as expected. The driver refused to take my gigantic entertainment center cabinet: it was too big and heavy. Only after the driver had left did one of the movers point out that this heavy item came apart (not easily) into two sections. Next day, that "white elephant" was finally hauled away.

The packers were not finished by 3 p.m., when I had to leave for The Clare to sign papers--no signing and the movers would be sent away. This last-minute closing was not my choice. I just left, trusting the mover-packers to lock up.

I finally got back, tired and hungry, to a condo jammed with boxes and wrapped items, but with my bed fortunately intact. I ate some junk food and went to bed. During the night and in the morning, my stomach rebelled. I needed to stay close to the bathroom. I was sick, sick, sick, and it was moving day. It was also a very snowy day in Chicago.

Mature Transitions representatives, who were in charge of unpacking and arranging, came early to haul away my two plants and the sparse contents of my refrigerator and freezer. Those things magically appeared later in my new residence.

The movers, who had loaded certain boxes the day bewfore, braved the snow to deliver them to The Clare early. They were back to pick up the furniture by 10:30. A crew of four from Mature Transitions was on hand at my new place to unpack and arrange.

By mid-afternoon, my condo was empty, the van was loaded, and I was ready to put my suitfcase and a few papers into my car and drive the short distance to The Clare.

Some positive moving moments:

1. The movers agreed to bring me a nutritious lunch when they went out for their own. Some sensible eating seemed to cure my stomach problems.

2. One of the movers agreed to buy my exercise bike, which was about to be given away. It wouldn't fit in my new place, and The Clare provides such things anyway.

3. The movers also agreed to dispose of my sofa bed mattress, which was ruined years ago by my late cat, Lyon. This was a relief; I hesitated to buy a replacement mattress before I knew how to get rid of the old, stained one. Problem solved.

4. The Mature Transditions crew worked long and hard to find a place for all my worldly goods in my new apartment. I would have been overwhelmed had I faced that task myself.

Next: Problems after the move and how I'm doing now.

Moving Day Minus One

Have you ever thought of the logistics of moving large numbers of people into a new highrise city building in a short time? Add to that the economic downturn, and you know that there will be serious problems.

Tomorrow is my long-scheduled moving day; today is packing day. It almost didn't happen. I spent all day yesterday eagerly awaiting a phone call telling me whether or not I had to call off the move. It would be easy to blame the staff of The Clare for the problems, but perhaps I took their assurances that financial matters could be worked out until I sold my condo too literally.

The Clare, a very expersive and beautiful senior lifetime care building on Chicago's Gold Coast, was designed some years ago on the premise that affluent seniors would have plenty of money after selling their rapidly-appreciating homes and condos. I foolishly believed that the real estate boom would go on forever, so I signed up in 2004. You know how things have been going lately; my condo has not sold, even though the price is now listed at slightly less than I paid eight years ago.

This week, moving week, after many weeks of seeking information and a meeting with the staff, I was finally told to come up with the entire large sum of money before moving, or else. I'm not seeking charity, and on paper, I have the money. However, withdrawing my tax sheltered annuities all at once would bring so much income tax that I'd virtually be wiped out.

To make matters worse, my financial advisor was out of town until Tuesday, and I couldn't get in touch with him. Eventually, a lot of good people helped, but I'm still unhappy about the delays and run-around I got--perhaps unintentionally.

Now I'm moving in, but I face a large debt. Within sixty days, my condo must be sold or I must withdraw my annuities. If there's a message here, it's to get everything signed well in advance, hope for improved economic conditions, and be especially careful about committing to a senior building before it's built. It takes a long time, and conditions can change.

Don't feel too sorry for me. I was naive, and I've not missed any meals or lacked shelter. It was my choice to move into a very expensive and luxurious place (more pictures later), and I still believe I made a good decision. As someone says, "The devil is in the details." Wish me luck!

Hospital Survival Guide: A Book Review

A review of Critical Conditions: the Essential Hospital Guide to Get Your Loved One Out Alive, by Martine Ehrenclou, M.A. (Lemon Grove, 2008).

No one likes to think about being hospitalized, or of dealing with the hospitalizaation of loved ones. This is a book that answers those questions that you probably were afraid to ask or never thought to ask.

Based on interviews with nurses, doctors, social workers, and families, this is a serious book well worth reading for anyone facing the need to deal with any personal or family hospital experience.

According to Ehrenclou, "Hospitals today are institutions struggling to survive in an environment where authority is in the hands of insurance companies rather than patients and their families. Rapid advancement in technology makes ever more expensive treatments in wide demand. Nurses are more expensive and harder to find and retain. . . . Serious infections, which are often treated in hospitals, are inadvertently spread from one patient to another. All of these factors are serious impediments to the compassionate care and good outcome we all desire when hospitalization is necessary."

Every patient needs an advocate or an advocate team, especially if he or she is elderly and impaired. The advocate serves as his or her "loved one's eyes and ears," establishing contacts with doctors and nurses. Responsibilities include keeping track of the patient's medications, allergies, symptoms, treatment plan, diet, and a myriad of other things.

It is the advocate's duty to catch patient name errors (to prevent similarly-named patients from getting someone else's treatment or medications), insist on pain management, and speak up if something appears wrong.

Of course the problem is doing all these things without insulting or seeming to second-guess the doctors, nurses, and hospital administrators. Infinite tact and understanding are required. Yet hospital personnel do want to avoid unfortunate or even fatal errors, and many are willing to listen.

This is a very detailed book, containing interviews, tragic examples, hospital staff and medical terms glossaries, and spaces for patient advocates' lists and notes. It also includes a list of useful websites for information on medical conditions, medication errors, and hospitals.

It would be comforting to think of hospitals as efficient, caring institutions that can take care of us and our families, but the economic realities and unfortunate errors pointed out by Martine Ehrenclou ring true.

Read this book if you or a family member faces hospitalization. It is filled with valuable information and useful suggestions that we can't afford to ignore.

Copyright 2009 by Marlys Marshall Styne
Photo of book from Amazon.com. Go to that site for a look inside the book.

Views From The Clare, 12/30/08

Yesterday I entered my new apartment at The Clare for the first time! I loved it. Here are my first pictures; I'll wait until the furniture is there before posting any more. Of course the place still looks empty.

The top picture shows part of my view to the east: a bit of Lake Michigan, the Water Tower Place shopping mall and Macy's on Michigan Avenue, other buildings. Had I been able to venture out on the balcony (not a good idea on the 35th floor in Chicago's winter), I could have shown the old Chicago Water Tower and other buildings closer to The Clare. It's a fine view, and there are others to the north.

The second photo shows part of my kitchen. The refrigerator is off to the right. It's not a very big kitchen, but I have my usual stainless steel appliances and granite counter tops. I learned to love them in my condo. Since I don't cook anyway, the size of the kitchen doesn't matter.

There are big floor-to-ceiling windows everywhere, with blinds to cover them, of course. I think I'll like living in a high-rise building. Perhaps that's because I grew up on a Wisconsin farm. Anyway, moving day is creeping up (January 9), so watch for further reports.

A move to a senior building is a big event for anyone, but I'm glad to do it before I need assisted living or nursing care. It's comforting to know that those sections exist in the building should I ever need them--and I probably will.

Photos by the author.

Holiday Reflections

I'm happy to report that I am now back home. It was an easy trip, quite unlike my snowy experience on December 23. As I look back on my holiday excursion, I have come to a few conclusions:

1. People are basically kind and helpful. Drivers, wheelchair attendants, even security screeners went beyond their basic duties for this temporaarily handicapped traveler and remained cheerful. Strangers offered help on several occasions: offers to get food and water as I waited hours in my wheelchair at the gate in Chicago; early boarding help when the plane finally arrived.

2. Having family is wonderful. Childless as I am, I often forget how nice it is to have relatives invite me for the holidays, even when I am far from my best. I guess relatives accept one in any condition. Many thanks to my niece Cindy, her husband Scott, and their daughter Lauren. They kept me comfortable and too well fed, and even pushed me around during a museum visit.

3. Holiday travel is filled with difficulties, including crowds and bad weather, but it's worth doing. I'm very glad I opted not to spend Christmas alone in my condo worrying about my problems. I've come back rejuvenated and ready to face whatever comes.

I'm happy to report that I'm walking a bit better (I still have four weeks of therapy to go, and it was interrupted by the holidays). Today, I visit my new residence at The Clare for the first time. A report will be forthcoming.

Merry Christmas to All

Here's hoping that Santa Claus brought you everything you wanted, including health, happiness, and peace!



Marlys Marshall Styne (Seniorwriter)

A Bah Humbug Day--But All Turns Out Well

As anyone in or near Chicago knows, Tuesday, December 23, was a day of snow, snow, snow. News reports revealed that 400--or up to 700, depending on the report--airline flights from Chicago were delayed, and my flight to Tulsa was one of them.

It was snowing lightly at daybreak, and the weather news was not good. However, I had faith that the limo service I had engaged would get me to Midway Airport. The driver came as scheduled, and he was very helpful. Picture me trying to maneuver my walker, pull a suitcase, and carry a small travel bag and a purse. Having four hands would have been useful. The driver, a tall young Italian, had to carry the bags to the van and escort me through the ice and snow and help me get in. I avoided falling.

On the way to midway, we saw a lot of emergency equipment, including fire engines, and saw a rollover accident. Meanwhile, the snow kept falling. I arrived at Midway in plenty of time, and got the help I needed: a wheelchair and a boarding pass. Security was time-consuming, due to my recent knee replacements and my lack of agility, but I got through that too with the help of the wheelchair pusher.

As things turned out, our plane could not get in because of poor visibility and was diverted to Columbus, Ohio, and the airport was soon shut down, as I sat in the wheelchair and watched the windows turn white with snow. Eventually, the airport reopened, and I could see long trains of snowplows going everywhere, as well as de-icing trucks working on the few planes in sight.

As it turned out, we eventually got on the plane, only to see the snow begin falling again. I was afraid the the airport would close down again, and that we would be stranded overnight. But thanks to a truck labeled "Iceman 14," the plane was deiced and eventually took off for the first stop, St. Louis. It was raining there, not snowing, so there were no further delays on the way to Tulsa. However, the plane was at least five hours late.

I was so happy to see my niece, my grandniece, and my brother at long last! They kept track of the Chicago airport saga on line, and avoided a long wait at the Tulsa airport. My niece's husband has still not arrived from Texas, where he was on a job assignment. Apparently, the national air system hasn't quite recovered.

Christmas season travel can be brutal, but I'm happy to say that all turned out well for me. I hope that all of you who dare to travel this season have equally happy outcomes. I still love Chicago, in spite of the weather. And spending the holiday with family is priceless.

Happy Holidays to All!

To friends, relatives, and those who read my blog:

I want to wish you all joy during the coming holidays and for the coming new year. For the first time in many years, I haven't mailed out my usual Christmas letters and cards. If you've been reading about what's going on in my life, you know that I've been busy and distracted and sometimes depressed, so an account of my year would not be much fun to read (except for my spring trip to South Africa and my little book of poetry).

I assure those of you on my official holiday list that I'll be corresponding in January, hopefully to give you my new address and a progress report. Meanwhile, I've enjoyed all the cards and letters I've received. I'm off to Tulsa, Oklahoma, tomorrow, weather permitting, to spend Christmas with my niece and her family, as well as my brother. I hope to return rejuvenated on December 29. Then January 9 is moving day, if all goes well.

I may or not post blog entries while I'm away, but of course I'll write my usual holiday report after I return. Meanwhile, enjoy food and family and good books. May 2009 be a better year for us all.

Visiting The Clare Again

Yesterday was The Clare's holiday party. I decided to load my walker into my car and head for the building's valet parking service, even though a coctail party is not the best environment for anyone using a walker. I felt awakward and clumsy, but I'm glad I went.

The food was great! I met the head chef, whose size reminded me that if I tried to eat all the available food, I'd soon be as large as he is. At least his size suggests that he's an appreciator of food, if not of the low calorie variety.

The staff was friendly as usual, even bringing me food and wine (did you ever try to carry buffet food while using a walker?), and I talked to several of my future neighbors. I discovered that quite a few of us are still trying to sell houses and condos. I seem to be the only one in that situation who's gambling on a specific moving date. Just daring, I guess.

We were serenaded by Christmas carolers in historic garb. They were very good. The decorations were beautiful. It was a festive occasion.

Toward the end of the party, I decided to take advantage of a partial building tour. I saw the chapel, the gym (not yet equipped), the small swimming pool, various dining rooms, and one model apartment. It was a one-bedroom apartment not much like mine will be, but this was my first chance to see actual living quarters. Again, I was impressed.

It was at the end of the short tour that the only snafu happened: the working elevator suddenly was not working (of the three in the elevator bank, one was out of order at the beginning; another was still being used by the construction crew). For a moment, I paniced; I was in no condition to walk down nine floors. Fortunately, the staff came to our group's rescue and led us to the freight elevator. I got down safely and drove home safely.

Having been pretty much a recluse since my operation, I was tired by this experience, but happy that I ventured out. The Clare is a beautiful building, and my move is only about three weeks away. Will I be ready? Probably not, considering my coming trip to Tulsa for Christmas, but after the boredom of a nursing home, some excitement should be good for me. Wish me luck!