Mom and Me

Mom's Laundry...

I get to do Mom's laundry.  Oh, and does she worry about it:

"Looks like you've got some laundry in the basket..."

"Oh that?  Don't bother there isn't enough to do."

"Sure there is." 

"I don't think so.  And, besides, you don't have the time."

"It's OK."

"Say, bring me some of those blue pants?"

"I thought you didn't like those...they are too...drab."

"They are but they take so little work to keep clean."

"Mom, not to worry.  It's not like I'm doing laundry on a washboard."

"Don't get smart with me Mister.  Besides, I never did laundry on a washboard.  A wringer washer yes.  Now those where the days....."

And...so it goes.

Scott Smith & Mom

My cell phone rang and the ID said it was Mom calling...after 6:30PM.  That's scary.  I answered saying, "Hi!  You OK?"

"Of course I am.  I just wanted to call and let you know I'm at a concert."

A concert?

"Yes, a piano player named Scott Smith is here at Edgewater and he's going to play some of the old tunes from The War Years."

The next day we're sitting in the garden and she says, "I had the best time and even sang with Scott." (Notice she is on a first name basis...)

Sang?

"Yes, he asked me to sing along and I did 'Walking Through the Alphabet with You'."

I don't know that song.

"I used to sing it in Chicago with the band:  A you're adorable, B you are beautiful C you're cutie on my arm...."

I'm glad you had a good time.

"Oh I did and sitting right behind me was a fellow who was celebrating his 90th birthday."

Bet you sang Happy Birthday.

"We did but, wow he sure looked his age!"

And...so it goes.

The Beets

"Are you going to the market?"

I sure can, Mom.  What do you need.

"Oh, I would love some fresh cooked beets."

OK.  Be glad to do that.

Off I go, but...I've never prepared beets...ever.  So, I asked how to do that an spent about an hour creating:

 

What you don't hear at the end is when I ask, "So how are they?"

"Well, they could have cooked a little longer but, they're alright."

Yes, I did laugh out loud...

And...so it goes.

Listen to the Patient

Over the past week Mom has been complaining that, "I'm not right in the head!" and that she was feeling "goofy".  Her blood pressure had gone up just prior to her recent hospitalization so she was prescribed some new meds. 

"I'm telling you, this stuff makes me feel like I'm in another world."

Then, at the hospital they prescribed a second blood pressure medication.  By the time she got back to Edgewater she was not the same.

Early this week we had a care staff meeting and we talked over several items from her anxiety to her inability to concentrate.  She said, "Look, I don't know what this stuff is but I am now starting to hallucinate.  Just this morning I was talking to my family of 40 years ago and I was wide awake."

Besides that Mom was very upset that she was taking eleven pills at a time, "I am not a pill-taker and I'm always careful with what interacts with what."

Within twenty-four hours of discontinuing several drugs Mom was...back.

When we visited about this yesterday she said, "See, I told you I was wacky.  I'm glad they finally listened."

Word to those of you with elderly family members.  You must stay intimately involved in the day-to-day care of your loved ones.  Do not fail to question what is going on and build a solid relationship with the licensed caregivers.  It makes a huge difference.

And...so it goes