By Sue Staton

My husband Eric has been feeling bad for about a year now.

In fact, it was getting to the point he could not walk more than 50 feet without extreme pain in his legs and having to sit down.

After a diagnosis by a cardiology surgeon, he learned he had 100 percent blockage in his left leg. The doctor told him two and possibly three surgeries were needed to take care of the problem.

The first surgery in late July seemed to go well with an overnight stay in the hospital. Eric had stents put in his stomach and he recuperated well after surgery.

We knew there was to be another surgery and maybe two more. Two weeks ago on Tuesday, another surgery called an endarterectomy was performed on Eric. This procedure cleaned the arteries in his leg.

Because there was 100 percent blockage in the legs, this took some hard work on the doctor’s part, he told me afterward.

Thinking he would bounce back like he did after the first one, it has been really rough on Eric. Nothing has gone the way the last one did.

Even though he was on oxygen, his oxygen level kept dropping and the pulse in his feet was practically non-existent.

It looked as though he may have to leave the hospital on oxygen, but he finally was able to get his oxygen level up and went home.

A while back, I found this little saying that I thought was so cute that I made a trivet out of it because it reminded me of when I had cancer.

It is two little bears with the daddy bear putting his arm around the mommy bear. It says, “A strong marriage doesn’t always have two strong people at the same time. It is a husband and wife who take turns being strong for each other in the moments when the other feels weak.”

That is true, but it is not a good thing when both of them are sick at the same time. That happened after Eric’s second surgery.

I have had a sinus infection for nearly a month now. I have been on an antibiotic and still can not get over it.

I know about half of Clark County has had allergies or sinus infections also. I am not alone. It is just that I have had a hard time waiting on him while I feel badly myself.

You see, I have learned that when a man is sick all you get done is running back and forth to check something out and just about the time your butt finds a seat, then you hear, “Honey, can you get me some ice cream.”

No sooner, than that happens than something else is needed. Men want you to hover and be within earshot of them when they are sick.

Unfortunately most women still have to continue on when they feel bad, they just exist until it is all over and they feel better. They still have to worry about running their households and cooking and cleaning up after the meal whether they feel bad or not.

While I am not trying to downplay how this surgery has affected my husband, I have to admit I have been worried about Eric getting over this surgery. I have never been around anyone who has had an endarterectomy. The incision and stitches area alone are pretty scary looking.

I do not know how much pain he should be in or if it is normal for him to be going through all he has gone through. I just know I will be so happy when he gets to feeling better.

We both have doctor appointments again this week, so hopefully life will be looking up pretty soon. We have joked that we probably ought to just purchase a hospital bed for the future if this past month is any indication of the way our life is going to be.

Sue Staton is a Clark County native who grew up in the Kiddville area. She is a wife, mother and grandmother who is active in her church, First United Methodist Church, and her homemakers group, Towne and Country Homemakers.