As many of you no doubt know, I think very highly of my wife Melissa (aka the real Supergirl). She's been incredible through all the challenges my Personal Monster(tm) has thrown at us. I remember being absolutely shattered that using regular silver hurt--I remember asking her something like "How am I going to live like this? I can't eat finger foods for every meal!" She nodded and consoled me, and then a day or two later, my new silverware got delivered. When I could no longer stand to sit in a desk chair, she bundled me in the car and took me recliner shopping. When I mentioned that sleeping in our bed hurt, she took me mattress and bed shopping. Most recently, when the doctor ordered me to go to 0% weight bearing, she just turned up with a wheelchair.

It's been like that all along. She's incredible. Since I've been sick, she's taken over all of my househ0ld jobs, from the finances to yard work. When I was "recently sick" but still had 2 hotrods in the garage, she helped me work on them and bought me special tools. When I could no longer turn the wrenches myself, she instructed me to sit in a chair and tell her what to do (we've since sold all the hotrods).

Here's a recap of what she does:

1. cooking
2. cleaning the house
3. laundry
4. yard work
5. garbage
6. shoveling the walk in winter
7. fueling the cars
8. taking the cars in for maintenance or repair
9. making doctor's appointments
10. driving me to doctor's appointments
11. talking with doctors, insurance companies, pharmacists, etc., so I don't have to
12. fills all my prescriptions and tracks refills, etc.
13. takes RealSig (tm) to and from school
14. vet appointments for our 110lb Rottie and both cats
15. maintaining my sanity by keeping me amused or taking me for "German car therapy" runs
16. all the school meetings
17. cuts my food
18. heats hot packs at 4am
19. All the above while maintaining a stressful full-time career.

Yeah, so basically everything that needs to be done to maintain life and liberty. I have no idea how she does it.

People sometimes chuckle when I introduce her as Supergirl... I can understand the impulse, but the cognomen is entirely accurate in her case.

In this latest assault by my Personal Monster(tm), she's added new tasks to her already lengthy job description:

1. helping me with shoes and socks
2. maintaining our pitiful shower with a shower chair and various doodads that are now necessary for me to bath myself
3. wheelchair mechanic
4. porter (wheelchair pusher)
5. drug schedule maintainer
6. leg masseuse (severe leg cramps attack me every time I move)

I'm sure there is more, but the opiate/muscle relaxant/muscle relaxant schedule I'm on has left me a little foggy in the cranium.

Have I mentioned I don't know how she does it? She's the most incredible person I know, and I love her like crazy. Do me a favor and let her know how awesome she is!

You can drop her a line at supergirl@erikhenryvick.com.