I never worried about hurricanes growing up in Ohio. Tornados sometimes. I Never worried about hurricanes living in Charlotte, North Carolina, that is until one came in the middle of the night in 1989. His name was Hugo, and he did major damage. No electric for two weeks, work and school closed for weeks while roads were cleared, and power restored. Hugo was a great teacher.
Years later, during our Myeloma Journey, Gary and I moved to New Bern, NC. A great place to live with a wonderful cancer center, and close to the beach where we loved to vacation. But when August arrives, along comes the beginning of hurricane season, and living close to the sea is a different story than Charlotte, not just trees down, but flooding. The Trent and Neuse Rivers that surround New Bern rise quickly and the low grounds fill.
As a Caregiver, being prepared for any weather event is critical. And when the news indicates a hurricane may be on the way, I never wait or try to outguess where it might land.
My first focus is checking my husband's prescription medications, at that time around 20 different pills each week. I call the doctor's office so they can get the refill orders approved by the insurance company and then called in to the pharmacy. This way if we are marooned in the house or must evacuate, he has his medications.
Then I check the medicine cabinet: Tylenol, Pepto Bismol, aspirin, Band-Aids, antiseptic cream, Zicam, Sudafed, and cold and flu medicine.
With that done, I make my list and go to the grocery store:
This hurricane story all began a couple days before Gary’s infusion at the Cancer Center. I was checking my garden that morning and noticed the bright red spider lilies I had planted two years earlier had finally bloomed. What a surprise, but then I remembered the story behind the lilies that they only bloom when a hurricane is coming. Hmm?
When we were at the Cancer Center a few days later for his infusion, we heard the first worrisome announcements about a hurricane named Florence heading our way. After hearing the dire warnings, I knew this time we would have to wait out the storm inland. Our oncologist was quick to get Gary his refills, and I immediately called the Hampton Inn near Chapel Hill and made reservations. I felt we would be safe there and we were familiar with the UNC hospital system where Gary had his stem cell transplant in 2006, just in case.
We managed well staying at home through two minor hurricanes before, but when Hurricane Florence planned to visit New Bern in 2018, I knew it was time to get to higher ground while the getting was good. And that’s part of the key. Start early.
Instead of shopping for batteries, I began packing the clothes and supplies we would need for a week. Then after picking up the prescriptions the next day, we headed to Chapel Hill, ahead of evacuation traffic, avoiding sitting in the car for hours which would be painful for Gary.
Although cooped up at the Hampton Inn for a week, as nice as they are, can be confining, we watched the days of rain out our third-floor window keeping safe, staying cool and comfortable, yet worried if we would have a house to go home to. Every morning when I fetched our fresh, hot, already made coffee in the lobby, I was grateful we made the decision to evacuate.
I also made it a point to thank all the Duke Power repairman I met near the coffee bar every morning who were tirelessly putting our cities back together again.
After a week, we returned home, through the flooded roads in Kinston to New Bern, and seeing the damage, we were thankful to find our house safe and sound. No flooding, no leaks, just a lawn covered with debris and branches.
As a Caregiver, how do you prepare for acts of nature when you may have to get out of town fast? Or decide to stay in your home, and care for your ill loved one and ride out the storm?