Spent the morning picking Mum up for a Doctor’s appointment.
She forgot her key, to shut a window, her coat and her stick.
As we walked to the car her trousers slipped a little so she had to stop to adjust herself.
Her hair was unkempt, tho I’d suggested she brush it.
We’d visited the clinic together many times but she still pointed it out to me.
After a short wait the young tall incredibly polite doctor saw us.
I introduced myself and he said he was so glad I’d come.
Gently we talked Mum through her memory lapses which she played down, her poor intake of water which she promised to sort out, her not taking medication, poor nutrition, and dishevelled appearance (my fault for. Hurrying her apparently)
The whole thing felt a bit like betrayal for me.
We agreed to throw all her old pills out (done) and he has arranged a preliminary interview with social services to sort out home visits.
He also arranged to have future medication “podded” into large capsules, one per half day to help her keep track (4 in the morning and six at night).
He told me her intelligence was helping her survive at the moment as the tests they do for mental competence can be blagged if you’re bright enough.
We left with her prescription which we filled at the pharmacy and I took her home.
I removed all the meds as she showed me her heavy steel money box and where to find the keys. No reason for this.
I separated her meds into morning and evening and placed them on separate end of the mantelpiece (which we’ve done before, it never lasts)
I took two bags of rubbish out and noticed a charred kitchen roll which she’d left on the electric plate when she’d turned it on.
I took out the latest pile of out of date food from the fridge and checked the freezer for sillies.
All of these sentences begin with “I” as the “we” is ebbing out of the relationship.
She is compliant (today) but not part of the process.
It breaks my heart to see the woman who single handedly raised three boys to manhood while nursing a mentally ill and disabled man decay into this shell.
My strength comes from this woman.
I can feel her 40 year old self guiding me to make decisions.
That arm is around my shoulders.
That kiss is on my head.
You’re doing the right things son.
