Bob's Hospital Bed

And yes, I still had it, until this past weekend.  For a long time, I actually kept it in the living room and slept on it. This may seem weird or creepy or whatever, but I actually slept on the sheets that he died on, curled up in fetal position, but .....

When my nephew visited, he helped me put the hospital bed into the spare bedroom.  I still did not want to part with it.

Bob had loved that bed.  He had hated the Medicare standard bed with it's "dipping" in the middle and the plywood I put in there did not do the trick.  The new bed had been expensive and it was one of the first things I ordered for him after the settlement and it seemed to take a million years to get it.  But finally, we got it and he loved it, so much more comfortable for him, and it was also great for making it easier for me, having the elevating up and down feature and easier transfers etc. ... and after all of that, he only got to enjoy it for a few months....

I thought about selling it.  I contacted the place we bought from and they said they would "keep it in mind" if someone was looking for such a bed but nothing came of that.  I called some other places that advertised they bought hospital beds, but everyone was "overstocked".  I thought about placing an ad (as this was an expensive bed) but I was a little concerned about being alone here and having strangers come into the house --- someone even mentioned that advertising such a thing could attract would-be criminals looking for a vulnerable widow to rob.... yikes.

I called around to charities to donate it.  Hospice came here and looked at it and said it was "too nice" for them.  OK - now that's weird.  Other charities didn't even want to deal with a bed.... I really didn't know what to do....

This past week, I found a disabled person advertising on Craigslist that she desperately needed a hospital bed. She was living on fixed income and could not afford to buy one so, as her ad read, she needed "a good deal".  I contacted her and told her I would give Bob's hospital bed to her (free) if someone could pick it up. On Saturday, the woman's sister and brother-in-law came and picked up Bob's hospital bed.

This is the thank you note I received from her today:

 I just cant thank you enough! my sister and her husband and my niece and great nephew had a time getting it in and set up but they did and I have had the most wonderful two nights of sleep in it. I have spent the last 4 years sleeping in a recliner because of my COPD and to be able to sleep in a real bed was beyond wonderful! Thank you so much and know that I will find a way to pay it forward!