I thought that this little break away from home would give me a good chance to pamper Ma.
To look after her in the way that the queen of your life gets looked after.
I thought I would make her a lovely fresh cooked breakfast each day...with new laid eggs with proud sunny yolks.
I was going to make her favourite grub and had the meals planned out in my head...plate meat pie and peas, tater hash, lemon chicken,chili con carne(for her...I would have something different).
I imagined making her nice fat barm cakes stuffed with egg mayo, or freshly roasted chicken breast and stuffing.
I was looking forward to all these things...making sure she had her meals more regularly than I think she does at home.
She thinks constantly of food, talks about it, reads the cookery books watches the cookery programs on TV.
So it was something of a shock and disappointment to find that her appetite for real food...not the pictures of food on TV or in books is like that of a bird...and a very tiny bird at that.
I have tried to tempt her with all manner of things.
Her response to my temptations has been a polite but firm 'No thankyou'.
I was even more worried, when on the first morning here, she checked her blood sugar and it was 6.6(normal values for non diabetics are3.3mmol-6.6mmol) and she was just about to take her diabetic meds to bring it down still further!
Whoa Mother...I told her that she needed to eat...and gave her a glass of milk while I went and did her a poached egg on toast.
When I was sorting out her kitchen and emptying the fridge before the builders came in, it was apparent that there was food there that I had cooked and taken to her fresh for dinner...that she had not touched.
I thought it was because she was too idle(and I mean this in the nicest terms) to get up and reheat the food.
This little break away makes me think that there is more to it than that.
I now believe that there might be a worrying medical cause for her lethargy, her tiredness and lack of appetite...so when I do get Ma home I think there will be a trip to see the doctor on the cards..some blood tests and then maybe we will have an idea of what we are dealing with(though, in my own mind I already suspect).
I have realised that it is painful to watch someone you care about get more frail by the day...almost fading in front of your eyes.
Yes, Ma is 90...and it is to be expected.
That, in no way makes it easier to deal with.
To look after her in the way that the queen of your life gets looked after.
I thought I would make her a lovely fresh cooked breakfast each day...with new laid eggs with proud sunny yolks.
I was going to make her favourite grub and had the meals planned out in my head...plate meat pie and peas, tater hash, lemon chicken,chili con carne(for her...I would have something different).
I imagined making her nice fat barm cakes stuffed with egg mayo, or freshly roasted chicken breast and stuffing.
I was looking forward to all these things...making sure she had her meals more regularly than I think she does at home.
She thinks constantly of food, talks about it, reads the cookery books watches the cookery programs on TV.
So it was something of a shock and disappointment to find that her appetite for real food...not the pictures of food on TV or in books is like that of a bird...and a very tiny bird at that.
I have tried to tempt her with all manner of things.
Her response to my temptations has been a polite but firm 'No thankyou'.
I was even more worried, when on the first morning here, she checked her blood sugar and it was 6.6(normal values for non diabetics are3.3mmol-6.6mmol) and she was just about to take her diabetic meds to bring it down still further!
Whoa Mother...I told her that she needed to eat...and gave her a glass of milk while I went and did her a poached egg on toast.
When I was sorting out her kitchen and emptying the fridge before the builders came in, it was apparent that there was food there that I had cooked and taken to her fresh for dinner...that she had not touched.
I thought it was because she was too idle(and I mean this in the nicest terms) to get up and reheat the food.
This little break away makes me think that there is more to it than that.
I now believe that there might be a worrying medical cause for her lethargy, her tiredness and lack of appetite...so when I do get Ma home I think there will be a trip to see the doctor on the cards..some blood tests and then maybe we will have an idea of what we are dealing with(though, in my own mind I already suspect).
I have realised that it is painful to watch someone you care about get more frail by the day...almost fading in front of your eyes.
Yes, Ma is 90...and it is to be expected.
That, in no way makes it easier to deal with.
