When Judy Goldman's husband of almost four decades reads a newspaper ad for an outpatient procedure that could alleviate his chronic back pain, he envisions himself playing tennis once again. But the spinal injection leaves him paralyzed from the waist down--a phenomenon none of the doctors the family consult can explain or undo. Overnight, the Goldmans' world is turned upside down. Though she has always thought of herself as the unassuming wife in contrast to her forceful husband, Goldman is suddenly thrown into a new role as his advocate, the one navigating byzantine hospital policies, requesting and refusing treatments, and seeking solutions to help him win back his mobility and independence. She is forced to take over. He is forced to give in. The Goldmans' struggle to regain their "normal" life echoes the changes every couple faces--the slow, ordinary, expected ones as well as the dramatic surprises. How will they adjust? How do they let go of the might-have-beens? Together is a story about the ever-after part of marriage--an elegant and empathetic meditation on partnership, aging, and, of course, love.
adult
Judy Goldman.
