September 27, 2001
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Downstairs in a darkened living room sits a stubborn old lady naked from the waist down. Guess who it is. She removed her undies earlier (because they were wet) and put her pants back on with nothing underneath. I have the good fortune to be the one to try to rectify the situation. She willingly pulled her slacks off, but when I stopped her from putting them right back on (inside out and still with no undies), she lost it. She is still aware that nudity is not ‘proper’ and has covered herself with a quilt. A lack of medication is not helping matters. Since she refused her meds (happening more and more lately), I crushed her pills and put the powder in the mayo on her sandwich. She didn’t eat it all and I couldn’t leave it out for fear she’d feed it to the dog. This is all very typical. My life is spent trying to cajole, coax, and sweet-talk Mom into doing the simplest activities. I have avoided calling her specialist because he already told me the next step would be basically drugging Mom in a way that would cause an inability to be animated and participate actively in life. I just can’t face that.... I’m aware it will happen with or without meds at some point, but not yet. We usually have a favorable hour in the evenings together on the couch. Sometimes she sits with a pillow in her lap and I lie beside her with my head on her lap. She strokes my hair and she is my mom for a little while. Sometimes we eat a bowl of ice cream. Sometimes I just sit beside her and hold her hand while we watch TV. It could still happen tonight... I could go back down and smile at her and offer her the underwear and she could smile back and slip her feet into them. Then we’d hug and laugh and pretend none of this ever happened. That’s typical, too. ----------------------------------------------------- And that’s just how it went.... and we lived happily ever after. Psalm 13:5 - 6 But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me. . |
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