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Are There Angels Among Us? |
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Are There Angels Among Us? We're in the middle of the dog days of summer. It is hot. It is humid. It is time again for the State Fair. My wife, Paula, has multiple sclerosis and uses a wheelchair to get around. She can sometimes stand unassisted, but walking on her own is totally out of the question. And when she gets out in the heat and humidity, the multiple sclerosis really rears it's ugly head and takes over. But this is State Fair time. Rabbits and cows and goats and pigs to see. People to watch. Waffle cones and dumbo ears to eat. Cotton candy. Activity and excitement and fun. Paula will be a basket case after the fair - she always is - but she wouldn't miss it for the world. So we pack up, pick up our friend Patricia and her two kids, and head on over to the fair. This year, we make quite a sight - Patricia sprained her ankle just a day before the fair and can't walk at all. No problem - we have an extra wheelchair. I push Paula. Patricia's kids push their mom. Don't get in our way or you'll get run over! The morning rushes by, and we all have a great time. Around noon, Paula lets us know she has to use the bathroom. Some people with multiple sclerosis have problems controlling their bladders and/or their bowels. Paula is sometimes one of those people, so we hurry to a restroom near the rabbit display. Patricia's daughter makes sure the woman's restroom is empty. I wheel Paula in and help her on to the toilet while Patricia stands guard at the door. I leave the restroom and go outside to wait for Paula to call. And I wait. And I wait. And I wait. Finally, we send Patricia's daughter in to check on Paula. Turns out that Paula has passed out while sitting on the toilet. When you have multiple sclerosis, too much heat is a very bad thing. We spray her with water and fan her, and she starts to come around. She is disoriented and confused. Unable to stand up at all on her own. I lift her up and get ready to pull up her underwear and shorts. Remember what I said about Paula sometimes being one of those people who have problems controlling their bowels? Welp, as I'm holding her up and reaching for her underwear, she rejoins that group. And there I am - in what you could call a pretty crappy situation. As I'm struggling to get Paula back on the toilet seat without making more of a mess, the door to the stall opens and a gray haired head pops into view. "Excuse me," she says, "but the lady at the door said you were having some problems - can I help?" And help she does. We get Paula cleaned up and changed into a spare set of clothes, and while I clean up the restroom,she wheels Paula out to where a nearby fan provides a cooling breeze. And then that gray haired lady left. I don't know who the lady was, where she was from, or what caused her to stick her head into the restroom and say "Can I help?" I do know though, that if there are angels among us, one of them visits the State Fair and has a head of gray hair.
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