7 1/2 years ago we got the call that we all dread, my mother-in-law had suffered a serious stroke, while we were at the hospital in Lexington, I received a call from Florida that my father had also suffered a stroke that morning. Talk about overwhelming! I drove to FL to help with my father, while my husband helped care for his mother. Both parents went to rehab and are now home and being cared for by family. I don't think that there is anything that can prepare you for something like this. A year and a half ago we moved my parents here to Buena Vista, so that we could help care for my father. My husband and I have both taken early retirement from the school system and while this is not what we had planned on doing during our retirement, we feel that this is what needs to be done. Unfortuneately, in the small Buena Vista/Lexington/Rockbridge County area the options for assistance are not as great as Roanoke area. Sometimes it can get really discouraging and we all get tired, but it helps to know that we are not alone. The article that was in your newspaper helps others to know and hopefully understand some of the decisions that we make.
Tania Wheeler, Buena Vista, VA