I am grateful for good attitudes. Sam has one. I am not sure I would have one if I were dealing with all he has to handle these days.

My boss was a caregiver for her mom many years ago, and I am grateful that her mom experienced the same thing Sam is experiencing, because my boss told me stories before we experienced first-hand, so I was a little more prepared.

I am grateful that my boss shares so freely and doesn’t keep her experiences to herself. We should all be more like my boss. There’s no reason to keep things to ourselves. Our story may help someone else, just like her stories are helping us.

She shared that even after all these years, she can walk into a restroom and know that someone had to empty their ostomy bag. The smell is unique. It isn’t a bad smell, it is just different. Anyway, what empathy, and for something so private. But just that knowing look, that sympathetic giving of privacy and space…it could go a long way to making someone feel a little less awkward.

She shared that her mom had a closet full of overalls, and at her funeral, everyone wore overalls. Isn’t that COOL? Overalls hide an abundance of bulges. Sam has one pair – overalls, not bulges – but he really isn’t an overall kind of guy anyway. And ostomy supplies have advanced over the years, so they don’t bulge as much, at least not if you check them constantly.

However, they still crinkle.

My boss was walking to the restroom one day, right past my desk. She’s pretty funny, and she puts her lady supplies in a discreet location, but they were crinkling, and so of course, instead of pretending she wasn’t carrying lady supplies, she just blurted out, “Those are my lady supplies. Don’t mind my crinkling.”

Oh dear. I don’t think Sam will say anything like that; he’ll just crinkle on occasion and I will smile.

Most ostomy bags come with a built-in charcoal filter at the top of the bag. They are awesome. I am a huge fan of built-in charcoal filters.

We were visiting with a couple in the hospital and were fascinated with their experience with cancer treatments, so much so, that we lost track of time. Sam was in his hospital bed, I was sitting in the recliner. We were on Day 1 of self-care without having to push the red call light. The conversation was so fascinating, I didn’t notice Sam growing a balloon under the covers. Just in time, I got his attention. We scrambled to the restroom, as major surgery hospital patients can scramble to take care of emptying the bag, only to discover there was very little inside. It was mostly air.

Air that almost popped a bag.

This hospital-issued supply had no filter. And apparently, humans produce gas no matter where the exit happens to be.

We shall order built-in charcoal filter bags. No smell, no air trappage. We are grateful for built-in charcoal filter bags and for a beginner’s box of the right kind.

It has been a good week. Life goes on, and a crinkle here and there is nothing in the grand plan. I am grateful today for a husband who continues to heal, for God’s touch on his life, for these ridiculous experiences we are having together that make us laugh. Who woulda thought…