The phone rings as Sally’s interview begins. She answers, “Jack, let me call you back in a little bit, okay?” She informs that Jack is her adopted brother. “We are very, very close” she says. Sally continues the beginning of the conversation telling numerous stories of her big, animated family. Her family is obviously a very close one with endless amounts of unforgettable memories that they’ve shared together. As she describes there never being a dull moment, Sally finally states, “I should write a book.”
69-year-old, Sally, is a Marshall County resident who learned about REAL Services through her neighbor who was receiving their home delivered meals. Ever since, she has been an appreciative client, with a great attitude, despite all of her health complications.
Approximately eight years ago Sally was sitting in the lounge of her apartment complex with a friend when she noticed her pants were wet. “Is the roof leaking?” she said to her friend, “my pants are really wet.” That’s when she learned that she had congestive heart failure and that her leg was filling up with water. Soon, she developed thyroid disease from her congestive heart failure, which then caused her to have a knee replacement. A few years after that, she began having double vision which she thought could be a side effect from her thyroid medication. However, once she went to the doctor, she learned that it was 6th nerve palsy. When her double vision did not improve, she went to a different doctor who concluded that she had developed Grave’s disease from her thyroid complications. “I had never ever been sick. So when everything hit me within a two year period, that really just took me by surprise,” Sally stated. She also suffers from COPD, emphysema, arthritis, osteoarthritis, diverticulitis, edema, and hyperthyroidism.
REAL Services has helped Sally adjust to her health complications. Home health care was organized through REAL Services for cleaning, vacuuming, and laundry assistance. Sally was able to receive a cane and a walker from REAL Services, and was also able to have grab bars installed so that she could shower safely. Additionally, Sally has received home delivered meals and she receives case management from her case manager, Allison, who provides advocacy and service monitoring. “I love Allison to pieces and I appreciate everything I’ve received from REAL Services.”
In her free time, Sally likes to read, play bingo, knit, crochets, and do jigsaw and crossword puzzles. She lives in a close-knit apartment complex and spends time with the friends she has there. She cooks breakfast for her church every Sunday morning, but her favorite activity by far, is spending time with her family. Although not all of them live close to her, she cherishes the moments she gets to spend with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
“I am so thankful that there is such a thing as REAL Services that help people,” Sally concludes with a smile across her face. Having raised five children on her own, being independent is important to her. She is thankful that the help from REAL Services allows her to stay independent in her own home. “I don’t know what I would do without [REAL Services],” she says. “Best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
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