Mom & Me Four Archive

...of Mom's days over at The Dailies so I don't forget anything of importance, although it remains in "Drafts", thus, it hasn't been published. Silence is calming, rather more green than gold, right now. Mom is well, I'm well, I just haven't felt much like publishing, although I'm sure I will, soon. We had a two day battle (with minor, fleeting consequences) of what threatened to become ferocious dehydration but I won, which means Mom won, as well, although she doesn't see it that way; she would rather have been allowed to drink nothing. My final trick was to refer to all liquids as "medicine". She understood this, despite the fact that she seemed incapable of understanding that the reason she was feeling "bad" here and there was because she suddenly decided she didn't need to drink as much fluid as her body required.
    Another reminder: We had another discussion, last night, yes, truly a discussion, not a debate, about her interest in not moving and not getting out. I hope I finally accepted her position and desires, but, you know, it's hard to watch someone divest herself of an interest in movement.
    Later. Not sure whether than means "sooner than".

...at least for me: The ascent into the remove of deep silence.
    More reminders:

• The curious trick of competence: A toilet moment;
• Important moments in caregiving: When my mother is sitting almost horizontal in her rocker and, for fun, I mimic her while talking to her, instead of directing her to straighten up; and she straightens, smiling, then leans to the opposite side to see if I'll continue my miming, and I do...

    ...later.

• Failure to thrive [no, this isn't happening to my mother];
• No one would blame me;
• A good adult day care program and some bad days;
• 20 mg furosemide all at once not a good idea;
• I give up;
• I'll tell you a little secret about this kind of caregiving: You don't need to teach those of us who do this how to be fearless. It's something we learn by virtue of the job and it's a kind of fearlessness that most people never imagine is possible.

    ...later. Maybe sooner than...