June 24, 2019
“I don’t have the spit and vinegar that I used to; and I used to have a lot because I worked two or three jobs to raise a child by myself,” says 75-year-old Janet Lyon.
The gritty determination of her younger years helped Ms. Lyon earn degrees from Kansas State and Stanford before spending her career in nursing. “I had two fields: treating children in hospice care, and I did emergency room work,” she recalls. When she finally decided to retire – she envisioned a relaxing life for her and her beloved dog, Hollyberry. But chronic health issues, including two different forms of cancer, shattered that dream.
The ordeal left her physically frail and financially vulnerable. “I thought I could handle, monetarily, my retirement. When I got cancer, the bill was $580,000 and I had to pay $100,000 of that. It pretty well wiped me out. I was reticent to get assistance. But that’s what I learned from cancer, humility. You have to ask people for help,” says Ms. Lyon.
Soon, Meals on Wheels Central Texas was providing hot, nutritious meals right to the door of her home in Leander. “Then they asked if I could use some help around the house, and I said I could,” Ms. Lyon says of her introduction to MOWCTX In-Home Care. “I don’t have a lot of stamina. I’ll do things and then I’ll break out in a sweat and I have to sit down. It’s just the way it is. Between my rheumatoid arthritis and my cancer, I wear thin fast. I like things tidy but I’m not like I used to be when I could do the white glove test on my housecleaning,” she adds. So, these days, she relies on our highly trained, dedicated home attendants, to do the chores she can’t.
Ms. Lyon, whose in-home care is generously funded by our wonderful partners at Susan G. Komen, deeply appreciates the helping hands our attendants provide – as well as the companionship they provide. “We get along really well! I’m quite fond of the attendants. They help me with the things I can’t do or the things I can’t do alone. And, Hollyberry is unbelievably fond of them as well!”