A Smorgasbord

 

 

On Thursday, I decided to visit mom during lunch so I could help her eat. As soon as I sat down with her, she told me she had not gotten to choose what she had wanted to eat yet.  We called over one of the aides, Toni*, who is always so nice to mom.

Toni* handed mom the slip of paper with the menu selection. The main course choices were pork loin or veal cutlet.  Mom chose pork loin with no gravy, carrots and red velvet cake. 

Toni* said, “I order your mom chicken broth when I know we have a soup she does not care for.  I was letting it cool because she complains if the broth is too hot. Gilda, I will bring the soup here when it is a little cooler.”

As soon as Toni* came back and set the plate of food down mom said, “OK, let’s go . . . cut the meat.”  Mom was in a race to eat as fast as she could.  Why I have no idea.

“They’re too small,” mom shouted at me.  Apparently, I should have known this.

“Sorry, mom, how about if I put two pieces together?”

“OK . . . good!”

After second bite mom said, “Too dry . . . can’t swallow.”  The meat was easy to cut so I could see it was tender, but apparently dry according to mom’s taste buds.  Her mouth is often dry and as we age sometimes our throats narrow which could also be happening to mom, either way the pork loin was not working for her.

Toni* was passing by so I asked her if they au jus since mom did not want the gravy because mom is having a hard time swallowing the pork loin.  She immediately brought the au jus over in a little bowl and I dunked a piece of pork before having mom try again.

While mom had the piece of pork in her mouth she shook her head no.  then said, “Does . . .  nothing!”

Toni* had come back with the cup of chicken broth for mom and as she overheard mom’s newest complaint, she was quick to suggest that she would have mom try the veal cutlet.  

Toni* had put a straw in the cup to make drinking easier for mom.  I touched the soup which seemed lukewarm to my touch.  I held the cup and had mom sip from the straw, mom shouted, “too hot”.

“How about the carrots, mom?”  She agreed and ate them without complaint.

When Toni* brought mom a new plate, I cut her veal cutlet up into appropriate sizes.  But when mom tasted the cutlet, she said, “Greasy  . . .  no more!” 

I asked Toni* if she could possibly give mom some ice since the soup was still too hot for mom.  I put two teaspoon of crushed ice in and held the cup again for mom to sip, but the soup was still too hot for her to drink.

“Don’t worry, mom, I am going to get your soup the right temperature for you.”  With that comment, I added two more teaspoons of ice to her soup.  “How’s the soup now?” 

I thought certainly now her soup had to be ice cold, but mom said, “Perfect!”

After she finished her soup, mom instructed me to go over and get her cake.  “Mom, they have not served the cake to anyone yet.  We are in no hurry.”

“Julienne, get the cake   . . .  or I am leaving!”

What’s a daughter to do?  I went over to see if I could bring mom her cake early.  They were happy to oblige.

 

Mom ate every bite of the cake. Smiling she said, “The cake was the best part.”