Puzzled

Friday, I went to Mom Lentz’s room to see her and drop off her clothes I had washed for her.  Her room was empty; she was in physical therapy. I figured that I would stop by later and visit with Mom Lentz when I dropped Mom Mascitti back after her hair appointment.

So I hurried upstairs to pick up Mom Mascitti to take her for her hair appointment. 

 “The days you are not here I am sad, Julienne, but I understand.’ She had brought up the same subject again. 

“How is your book coming?”

“I have lots to do yet, mom.” I was so pleased and surprised that mom remembered.  For so many years, she has had a hard time remembering things that I was just surprised.

Mom was a little more content today. 

“Julienne, I feel better today. Can you tell?”

“Yes, you look wonderful.”

“When we get back, I would like to visit Annette.”

“Sounds like a good idea.  She will be happy to see you.”

Mom had so much she wanted to tell me, but some parts of her conversation were very hard for me to understand initially.  She was not clear and I was trying to read between the lines; I could sense that she knew she was not getting through to me at first.  I really had to listen to what she was telling me to put all the pieces together to understand her.

“Julienne, he says to me ‘don’t worry you are doing a good job’.  They have me working now.  See . . . it is a job.”

“Mom, who is he and what is your job?”

“The guy who walks me, I get tired!”

“Just let him know when you are tired.”

“I do; I do!”

“Mom, do you mean that the guy who walks you thinks you are doing a good job walking.”

“Yes, Yes, Julienne!” frustrated that I took awhile to understand her.

Mom would start several conversations early on today and then mom would say, “Oh, what was I going to say . . .Ohhhhh, I forgot.”

“I did a trick earlier today.”

“What type of trick did you do, mom?”

“The guy gave me something where I had to move the ball from one side to the other.  I could do it.”

“Was that in therapy today?”

“I was with a big group.”

“Did you enjoy the therapy?

“Yes, I enjoyed that.”

Then she was off on another tangent. This one had me stumped for awhile. Mom and I were at her hair appointment when she started this conversation. Joanne, the beautician, was totally stumped. She kept looking at me; shrugging her shoulders; giving me crazy eyes; and shaking her head.

“Julienne, the doctor is controlling me.  He makes my hands shake and then when he wants he shuts it off.  He made me cold today that’s why I am wearing a heavy sweater.”

“What!  Why would he do that to you?  How does he do that, mom?”

“He is trying to make me better.  You know, Julienne.”

“Mom, I am not sure I understand.”

“Julienne, everybody here is different.  The doctor controls everyone.  Today he made the woman in the bed next to me throw her guts up at 5AM this morning.  He is trying to help her. Do you believe me?”

“Mom, I believe you.  I just don’t know why the doctor would do that.”

 “The doctor made the woman throw up?” gasped Joanne.

“Yessssssssssssss!” said mom.  “Everybody is different.  He does whatever he needs to help that person.”

“Gilda, I don’t understand either.”

“He made her throw up and my hands freeze.”

“Mom, was the doctor in your room this morning with you both?”

“No, he was on the microphone!”

“Mom, I am trying, but I am so confused.  Where is the microphone?”

“In the nurse’s ear; she is talking to the doctor.  He tells her what to do. They talk back and forth all day long.  He controls us. The nurse told me.”

A light went on.  Finally, I understood what she was trying to tell me.

“Mom, I understand what you are saying now.  I get it!”

“Julienne, do you believe me?”

“Yes, mom, I always believe you!”

What my mom was trying to say is that every time a resident goes to the nurse complaining of a problem or condition he or she is experiencing, the nurse calls the doctor on her phone.  The nurse usually has a headset on.  She describes the patient’s problem to the doctor and he prescribes medicine or whatever is needed to help the patient.  The nurse tells her patient that she called the doctor and this is what he prescribed.  Get it!