[mommieswamie]

As we spend our last few days here (but remember friends, we are not selling the house here and I may turn up again sometime) I would like to share a little of our journey here in The Villages. It has been an adventure and a good one in spite of illness, doctors, appointments, OT, PT, home health care, CNAs, medical equipment, hospitalizations, many many tears and so much physical pain and suffering.

Five years ago close friends in MD bought their retirement home here. I decided we needed a little vacation so off we went to The Villages for a five day vacation. We returned home five days later, homeowners complete with furniture from Southern Lifestyles. We had bought a villa. My husband was not sick yet and we thoroughly enjoyed our villa, entertaining family and friends. Well after one visit from family when we had 5 adults, 2 babies and 2 dogs in the villa for a week, we decided we needed a bigger house.

So - we built a premier house, the largest floor plan offered by The Villages. During the building of this house my husband was beginning to experience the neurological problems that are so difficult for him now. We moved into the house 2 weeks after his surgery at Mayo Clinic. We lived in the premier house for two years. We thoroughly enjoyed it, but his health was seriously declining and he was on home health care toward the end of that time. When it was apparent that just getting from the bedroom on one side of the house to the kitchen on the other side of the house was very hard for him, we decided to sell the house. As we had so much medical equipment and medical support people coming and going, I thought we should move out in order to sell the house. So we moved to a furnished villa, but amazingly we got a phone call in the car on the way to the villa. Friends of friends wanted to buy the house and the next day it was a done deal. We had already moved out, so I did not want to move my sick husband back in.

At this point the caregiving stress was becoming very obvious and I absolutely could not wrap my brain around buying another house at that point, so we rented a designer house for 6 months. At 4 months, I began to see my way clearly to buying another house here, so we bought a designer house with a beautiful pool which is where we live now. Some of you may remember my posting requesting help with personal business. I did find someone and she has been very very busy and so helpful.

Notice friends, not once did I consider moving closer to family and my husband was just too sick to make decisions.

Anyway, I just thought some of you might be interested and besides that - I think we hold the record - 5 different houses in The Villages. I think most most people live in 3.

With your permission, I will probably post a few more times. At some point this thread should conclude. I know that all of you have helped me. I hope in some way that I have helped you all. I feel that our journey really does not end until next Monday when we pull into our new home in SC where we will be met by 3 adult relatives and 2 beautiful baby granddaughters.

Once again, friends, peace reigns. Across the board, my friends and family are all saying that I seem so much more peaceful and sound so much better. My husband is working hard at the rehab hospital so that he will be whatever his personal best is for this trip.

Thank you all for listening and for caring. We will take every good wish that you all send with us on this trip as we go toward family, warmth and peace.