I always have loved to read in bed. I was the kid who hid
under the covers with a flashlight reading long after “lights out.” In
marriage, my tired husband complained: “How much longer are you going to have
that light on?”
After the stroke I tried to read in bed but, with one hand,
I couldn’t position the pillows comfortably behind my back; I got tired holding
the book open single-handed, and frustrated trying to turn the pages. I gave up
on physical books and started listening to audio books. After a year of buying
audio books through Audible.com, I discovered I can borrow them free over the
Internet from my local library. When I’m uncomfortable and can’t sleep,
listening to an audio book is a good distraction. The major drawback is that
many books I want to read aren’t available in audio format.
Recently, my husband and I went shopping for a new mattress.
I was lolling on one when the salesman pushed a button that raised my head and
knees. “Hey,” I thought. “This is comfortable. I could read an actual book in
this position!”
We bought the adjustable
frame in addition to a new mattress. The first night at home with it, my
husband came into the bedroom and said, “It’s good to see you reading again.”
It’s a piece of our old life rediscovered. He hasn’t even complained about the
light being on when he goes to sleep.
