I took my brother out to Dunkin Donuts on New Years Eve, not New Years. These days when I walk into the activity room and haven't announced that I am coming in advance, I usually find my brother nodding out with the other 25+ patients (the rest of the them are in wheelchairs). I am not too happy about this, but he perks up immediately when I walk into the room. This leads me to believe that the little trips that I make with him twice a week are important, and even thought I get tired of having to visit him, I do it anyway.
We had a nice little visit at the store. They now have a 99 cent "expresso" that both he and I have been ordering. It kind of wakes me up for the drive home. It's good. I also left him a container of Lucky Soup, which is a bean soup tradition that my mother started, you are supposed to have it at the New Year for good luck. The nurse at the desk was very nice about it and said that my brother should remind the nursing staff to heat it up for him for dinner.
I called the nursing home today on New Years Day to wish him a Happy New Year. The first time I called they put me on hold for 15 minutes, so I hung up and tried again. The second time, after about 10 minutes they got back on and told me that he was probably on break. So I asked, where we he break to, he's a patient. They said oh. Then they went to go get him and the line was dropped. I gave up for a while.
I was able to call and speak to him later in the day. As usual, he was pretty curt. I don't think he likes the stimulus of phone calls very much, he is always rushing me off the phone. I asked if he had eaten the soup, and he said no. He said he would have it tonight. I doubt he will get it together to ask for it.
But what a difference a year makes. This time last year, I was sure he wouldn't make it through the year and a lot of his doctors felt the same. As I mentioned before, at least for the present, he is looking relatively good.
No comments:
Post a Comment