Lynn’s Recollections and Reflections #25 – Losing My Favorite Home

The Tax Man Cometh

A year after the home I shared with my ex-husband sold and I had my taxes done, I learned about something called capital gains.

In a nutshell, it means if you sell a piece of real estate and you don’t invest the profit into another piece of real estate of the same or greater value you have to pay taxes on the difference. The rate in 1991 was 28%.

The only way that I could pay these taxes was to sell my home. I was devastated. Working as a self-employed Interior Designer didn’t provide me the funds to live and pay the tax. My little business was also too big of a risk to borrow money to pay the tax.

Selling My Home

As had been my experience with almost every house, the house hit the market and sold in days.

Heartbroken I had to pack and move. I found a sweet little townhouse close by that was perfect for me and Kenny.

On the day of closing, I was backing my car around the moving truck to go to the closing. I was going pretty fast as I was late and I also wasn’t paying attention to anything but where I was in relationship to the truck. My car hit a huge tree.

What Else Could Go Wrong

My body slammed pretty hard into the steering wheel and did damage to the car but I continued on my way.

The closing went smoothly and I moved all of my things to the townhouse.

I went to bed because I wasn’t feeling well. I spent the next few days in bed trying to feel better. I was taking Tylenol and drinking 7up and water but I just wasn’t getting any better.

As the days wore on, I kept taking more and more Tylenol. I needed to get better as I was hosting a surprise birthday party for my sister in a week.

While I lingered in my bed there were painters and wallpaperers working around me to make our new house a home. Kenny was spending time with his Dad so that I could move and I kept having to extend the stay because I was feeling so sick.

Eventually, my sister came to check on me. She took one look at me and drove me to my doctor. He took one look at me and sent me to the hospital.

My Stay in the Hospital

My kidneys weren’t working and the level of Tylenol in my system was extremely high.

I was at a point where I didn’t remember how long it had been since I took the last dose and while not diagnosed until later the blow to my midsection from the steering wheel had caused damage to my kidneys. I was in kidney failure. I’m not sure why but the doctors at the hospital thought I was trying to kill myself.

With Tylenol?? Who would be that stupid? No matter how much I tried to reassure them that I would never leave Kenny with his father, I was visited by therapists, psychiatrists, and clergy, in between daily kidney dialysis.

I also had crazy reactions to all the medications that they were giving me. At one point I guess I was completely out of my mind. There are two days that I don’t remember at all.

It took some time for them to figure out that the damage to my kidneys in the car accident caused my body not to be processing the Tylenol that I was taking and I was basically poisoning myself.

Going Home

I don’t remember how many days I was in the hospital but I’m thinking it was at least a week, probably longer.

Needless to say, my Sister’s Surprise Birthday Party was canceled. Thank goodness for her and my youngest brother. One of them was with me almost 24/7 when I was in the hospital.

Once home I set about making our townhouse a home for Kenny and me. It wouldn’t be long before I would meet Keith.

I still miss that house that I was forced to sell (ghost and all).

Peace & Love,

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1. The Introduction
2. My Parents and Their Friends in the 60s
3. A Lonely Kid
4. The Day I Ran Away TO Home
5. The Tornado
6.  Moving Away from My Friends
7. The Summer of 1975
8. Living with the Devil
9. After the Summer of 1975
10. The Wedding
11. Newlyweds and 2 New Houses
12. A Baby
13. Behind Closed Doors
14. Living the Dream
15. Four Tumultuous Years
16. My Sister
17. Fast Forward To Today
18. The Divorce
19. Do Your Homework
20. Why Am I Doing This
21. Living Through Abuse
22. Fixer Upper
23. Dating Single Mom
24. The Ghost