Betty Hill Scott - Am I My Sisters Keeper?

Am I
My Sisters
Keeper?

Betty Hill Scott

Copyright 2013 Betty Hill Scott.

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ISBN: 978-1-4908-0194-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-0195-7 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013912705

WestBow Press rev. date: 8/5/2013

Contents

To My Father, Mathew E. Hill

The softest hearted man Ive ever known, who taught his daughters to love music and each other.

To My Mother, Mattie L. (Sockwell) Hill

She would have given her life for her daughters.

To My Sister, Joan E. (Hill) Carter

My beloved older sister who was my inspiration in creative writing, and writing this book. She was also one third of the popular Hill Sisters Trio.

To My Sister, Phyllis M. (Hill) Campbell

My beloved younger sister with whom Ive spent many precious moments. She was also one third of the popular Hill Sisters Trio.

To My Adopted Sister, Rinda (Hill) Walker

She will always remain in my heart and prayers.

T here are many testimonials of those who have had the experience or experiences of caregiving, but it struck me as a novel idea for one to write about the journey of caring for ones sisters. It is with the combination of real originality, deep love, and a spiritual steadfastness that Betty L. Scott invites us into a world, little spoken about, to experience the joys, laughter, and pain of being a caregiver to siblings.

Within the pages that follow, the author directly and indirectly examines the nature of lifes unexpected events that change our lives sometimes purposefully and intentionally, while at other times, thrusting us into the middle of a cyclone, leaving us breathless and wanting for air. Yet, she doesnt leave us there, but leads us to the calm assurance that God is in the journey every step of the way.

The authors sources of strength are varied, the chief ones being prayer and faith in a God bigger than herself, yet, the human voices and partners along the way are fountains from which she draws. The reader recognizes the authors indebtedness to those who not only encourage her with their words, but,find it necessary to be hands on in the journey.

The reader should be prepared to smile, laugh and cry, but also be challenged to ask him or herself the age-old question, where is God in the midst of human suffering? Yet, without doubt, the reader will be reminded that in the midst of lifes sufferings, God has a way of pulling us into His secret place of safety and peace that belong to those who trust Him.

I welcome you on this journey; for it is a journey that has become a memoir and treasure to my siblings and me. The author: my role-model, friend, prayer partner, spiritual counselor, surrogate mother, and maternal aunt, has graciously and genuinely traveled this road so that we who follow can journey more easily.

DR. KIMBERLY S. THOMAS

CHAIR, ADULT SCHOOL OF CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES

MID-AMERICA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY

I t would not be unthought-of, or even surprising to realize that I would need to become the caregiver for my parents or even a grandparent. But, to become the caregiver for my sisters was unimaginablenot the sisters I played house with in our back yard under the huge apple tree? You surely couldnt mean the sisters with whom I played baseball, kick the can and hide and seek. And certainly not the sisters I argued with over whose turn it was to wear the cinch belt (our parents could only afford one, so we had to share).

My sisters and I were so close in age that between the months of July and November we were stair steps. There was a time when people thought we were triplets, especially when mother bought identical dresses for the three of us.

I was the middle childthe oldest was the smartest, the youngest was the cutest, and then there was me. No one thought I would be able to take care of myself, much less anyone else.

Am I My Sisters Keeper? I hope you will discover the answer to that question as you read my story.

A t the hospital, Phyllis was given crutches so she could move around. And since they did not have bathrooms in the nonprivate rooms, she had to go down the hall to the bathroom, where there were several stalls. Phyllis went into a stall and locked the door. She began to feel faint, so she pulled the emergency cord, and as she passed out, she could hear the footsteps of the staff running down the hall. Phyllis fainted and fell against the stall door.

The attendants could not open the door, because it was locked, and Phyllis was lying against it. One of the staff had to climb over the top of the stall to unlock the door to get Phyllis out. They immediately put her on oxygen, because she could not breathe. The doctor determined she had formed a blood clot from her injury, and it had gone to her lungs.

My sister Phyllis married her elementary school sweetheart, Billy, when she was eighteen years old. Phylliss serious health problems began after a freak accident when she fell off a merry-go-round at the age of twenty-one. Billy was pushing her around on the merry-go-round and thought she was kidding when she screamed, I cant hold on! She wasnt kidding and flew off, fracturing her ankle in several places.

At the time of the accident, Billy was in the US Army, so Phyllis had been taken to the military base hospital at Lockbourne Air Force Base in Columbus, Ohio. They were visiting our family there when the accident occurred. Phyllis had to have a pin inserted in her ankle to hold it together. They also put on a cast from her foot to her knee.

The military hospital, at that time, was not equipped to handle such serious cases as blood clots to the lungs, so they quickly decided to transfer Phyllis to the Ohio State University Hospital. The family was notified. I dont remember how I got to the hospital, but I remember waiting in the ER for the ambulance bringing Phyllis from Lockbourne Hospital to OSU Hospital.

When the ambulance arrived, they removed Phylliss oxygen to transfer her to an OSU gurney and oxygen. I will never forget watching my baby sister fighting for air without the oxygen. I began to scream at them, Hurry up! Get the oxygen back on her! I didnt realize at that time this was my first step of caregiving for my sister.