Monday, February 27, 2006

Doctor's Orders

Today Hubby had an appointment with the Neurologist. My job during these visits is to describe any seizures Hubby has had, and what preceded them. It just so happened that Hubby's most recent seizure took place last night, while we were arguing. So, I posed the question to the doctor, "Could the argument have caused the seizure?"

Never ask a question you don't really want the answer to. Because of course, the answer is, "Yes."

Now, I really, truly love my husband beyond belief, but there are times I want to strangle him. Many times. And now I'm not supposed to argue with him? Not fair. Not fair at all.

Let me tell you a little bit about living with a person who has had a Traumatic Brain Injury. What a head injury does is takes a person's existing personality traits and multiplies them times ten. You hear about people getting violent or abusive, but usually that's only if they had some of that in their personality to begin with. Fortunately for us, Hubby didn't. But, he did have many little annoying traits that are now BIG annoying traits.

For example, most people can make their point in a conversation in, say, 3-4 minutes. Hubby was always one of those guys who talked in a more roundabout way, so it would take him 6-7 minutes to make the same point. Mildly annoying, but not a big deal, right? Until the head injury comes along, and turns that into 60-70 minutes. Actually 60-70 minutes is just an estimate. It's kind of like that commercial with the owl trying to figure out how many licks it takes to get to the center of the Tootsie Roll Pop. I don't know how long it takes because I usually zone out after a half hour or so, and therefore have never actually encountered the spot where he makes his point. But you get my meaning, right?

Okay, so now think of your spouse/significant other, and picture all of their little annoying personality traits. Now picture the same person, with the same traits, intensified times ten. You'd want to strangle them, right? Or at the very least, have the occasional all-out yelling and screaming kind of argument?

Last night's argument concerned the closet in the spare room, and how it would be remodeled. We agreed to put up a shelving unit/half-pole, so we can store some kitchen overflow (paper towels and such) and hang up the winter coats instead of draping them on the dining room chairs. However, Hubby wanted to remove the sheetrock walls and replace them. Why? Because that's what he does. Every single home improvement project the man has ever done, he has taken the walls/floor/ceiling down to the studs. And sometimes he even replaces the studs. When we replaced the bathroom shower enclosure, the dog actually jumped through the bathtub into the backyard. Several times. Someday I will have a brand new house, because every single piece of wood/sheetrock will be less than ten years old.

Anyway, back to the closet. I want to leave the walls as is. I mean, it's only a closet, right? Who cares if there are marks on the walls where the old shelves used to be? But, in the spirit of compromise, I offered to paint the walls first, so they'd be the same white as the shelving unit. Okay, okay, maybe it wasn't exactly the spirit of "compromise", maybe it was more the spirit of "Why can't we for once decide on a project and then just DO IT, without making it a bigger deal than it has to be" and the spirit of, "Just for once I want to do it MY way instead of yours" followed closely by "Take the closet and shove it up your &*$#@%!"

Have I mentioned that one of Hubby's previously mildly annoying traits was that he was a tad bit stubborn? Can anyone guess what he's doing right now, in this very room, as I type this? Yep. He's ripping the sheetrock out of the closet. Have I ever mentioned how much I dislike sheetrock dust? Particularly UNNECESSARY sheetrock dust? Unnecessary sheetrock dust that I can't even ARGUE with him about?

Spring better get here quick. Otherwise I might be tempted to replace the closet doorknob with one that locks. Which might, just, ACCIDENTALLY end up locked while he's inside. Accidentally, of course.

Update: It gets worse. The whole time I was typing this when I thought he was ripping down the walls, do you know what he was actually ripping down? The ceiling. 'Cause, that really NEEDED to be replaced.

How early in the day is it acceptable to drink wine? Because I'm thinking NOW sounds good!

Posted by The Gradual Gardener :: 12:20 PM :: 11 Comments:

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