And HE is the person who is going to get her to do it.
I am staying well out of it, at a safe distance.
The Thursday trip to the dentist revealed that there IS swelling and some problems with recent dental work and the dentist recommended anti-biotics and pain killers if the pain stays bad.
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| Katsuzo Nishi - Okaasan's health guru... |
For the past week she has been doing her predictable: No eating! Nishi-sensei's teachings tell us that the body heals itself if you don't eat!
Strange...because SOMEONE has been burning rice and miso in the saucepans at lunchtime - and I don't think it's the cats.
But she didn't come to eat dinner with us, or if she came she drank a bit of soup and nibbled on a pickle. Been nice actually, just having dinner without her (I AM a mean Oyomesan!!).
But, anyway. Dentist's orders.
Take these meds 3 times a day. After food.
Problem: She only eats twice a day...at the best of times.
It's ok! Drink some milk in the morning and then the pills!
Err...milk...she doesn't drink it.
So. Yujiro is displaying amazing patience and kindness - and gently encouragingly edging Okaasan into taking her meds. He got them down her last night after dinner (a few spoons of rice and some soup), and he got them down her again this morning (with yogurt, which as we all know isn't milk.....).
He is doing great - I stand in awe.
Left up to me? I'd probably wrap Okaasan in a towel, hold her head back, slip the meds in and clamp her jaws shut...like I try and fail to do with the cats.
Anyway - glad the dentist confirmed that there is a real problem. I was beginning to wonder how much pain Okaasan really felt and whether her not-eating-habit was just becoming a default response to invitations to sit down for family dinner.
And let's hope the Western/Modern Medicine does the trick.
And.....in other news...
And THIS is the really important news!
I have found my Australian beach hideaway for September. Just went crazy with the credit card online this morning.....the holiday I have been promising myself for the past 2 years...thru all the shit at hospitals and funerals and house-clearings and airports and stuff....ONE DAY I WILL GET AWAY FROM THIS AND SIT ON A BEACH.
Here is my beach hotel...Melaleuca Resort Palm Cove.
Expensive - yes.
Necessary - Yes!
Wonderful? Oh YES!!!
I've got some money coming (finally) from Dad and Jane's wills...and this, this my friends, will be how I am spending some of it.
Dad and Jane would love this place and I am sure they will be there with me in spirit watching sunsets and dipping their toes in the pool....
Roll on September....................................
LOL - image of you wrapping okaasan in a towel and trying to chive pills down her throat. Hope Y can keep getting them into her.
ReplyDeleteWow - your holiday place looks fabulous. Jealous of course and will expect nothing less than obligatory on behalf of gaijinwife pina colada at every meal.
I will go up and down the beach supping PCs at every possible place....until I fall into a happy stupor in my luxury room.....all 4 U!
ReplyDeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Billy Martyn. I follow your blog and wanted to introduce myself.
My brother and I recently launched a free language learning site http://abcloop.com/en that focuses on the “social” aspect of learning, with tools that allow conversations to be translated and checked by everyone who uses it. Conversations, for example in the Daily Life in Different Countries Loop and the Travel Loop, often start in one language and continue in both English and Japanese.
We would be interested in helping translate your posts in the Loops into Japanese so that more people can read them.
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Best regards,
Billy
billy@abcloop.com
uhm yeah i had the same vision that Gaijin Wife had... the towel and the pills thing... ha ha..better leave that up to Y i guess!
ReplyDeleteThe holiday place...fantastic!!!! Have a bunch of cocktails for me too!
It could be me... but I sometimes I think that what's more on your mind is a towel and the toilet bowl... and possibly a few quick (full) flushes. I know I shouldn't type these things, but I know that sometimes those thoughts are best enacted in your head (or on the pages of a blog) than well... in real life.
ReplyDeleteFor all the difficulties of living with dementia, I know that deep down you understand, in the way few of us can, just how fragile the human mind can be. And just how vulnerable.
You deserve your Aussie get away (I'd like to say that Adelaide was just as good, but alas, right now, it's pretty... well... actually today's not been too bad. A horrible 18 degC and fine. What a shocker of a winters day!
When are you off? Not sure you'll find that PC are the drink of choice downunder, but I'm sure you'll find any number of suitable replacements.
Adelaide Ben!!!!! You shock me!!!
ReplyDeleteno.....well...ok...sometimes...actually the worst I dream of happening to Okaasan is that she does something like break her hip and needs to stay in hospital for ages, and then her dementia gets worse and she has to have more outside care...and then...and then...
I don't imagine anything concerning towels and the toilet bowl....cos that would mean I'd have to CLEAN the toilet bowl....
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!