Wild Rides and Cups in the Toilet

Yesterday was a bit like the "Twilight Zone." I took my Dad, with the middle stages of Alzheimer's, to see my Gramma, who is 102 1/2 and has dementia--she lives solely in the past. Whew! For my Gramma I was at times my mother, who lives in Heaven now, and a Cavenaugh, people from Maple Hill, and a strange boy, there to do her bidding.

The minute we got to the nursing home, the aide said they had to do a treatment (give Granny oxygen). Well, Granny doesn't particularly like the treatment. So as soon as the aide left, she started trying to pull the oxygen off. She wanted to spit. I had nothing for her to spit in so I gave her the trashcan. She spit a couple of times then said, "Now put some water in it." Okay, call it insanity, but I thought she meant to rinse it out.

I didn't look in the can, after all, she had just spit in it. I dumped it into the toilet. I heard something more than spit hit the water, looked and I had dumped a plastic cup into the toilet which had not been flushed since her last...um...BM.

I'm NOT reaching into a very dirty toilet to retrieve a cup without some gloves of major substance, so I went on a treasure hunt to find some gloves. Now I'm thirsty and worn out. Finally found a housekeeper that had gloves and could careless why I needed them, but I felt compelled to explain, in minute detail, exactly why I needed the gloves.

Went back to Granny's room and she hollered, "Boy, I need some water."
"Okay, Granny. Lemme clean up the trash can and get the cup." And, NNOOooooo, I wasn't planning to use that cup for her water.

I fished the cup out, cleaned the trashcan and put it back in its proper position among Granny's possessions. "Put the paper towel beside it." Now I had a paper towel in my hand that I had used to dry my clean hands after washing the glove-stuff off. I had no idea why she wanted a paper towel back there, but, you know, it's her room and her stuff. Down the paper towel went.

"I need water. Just put it in there." That was what she wanted all along. She hadn't wanted me to clean the trash can, but put her some water in it to drink. Okay, I admit at this point I was trying hard not to hurl my breakfast and dinner from the night before.

I said, "Granny, let me go get a cup." She put up some argument, but I left to embark on my second treasure hunt. Found the aide and again began to explain in detail about what had happened and why I needed a cup. I'm thinking at this point somebody's demetia has leaked out and I've inhaled it.

Got the cup, walked back to Granny's room and went to the faucet to get water. I handed her the cup, she took a sip and politely--spit it out--on the floor--of her room--which is carpeted.
"Granny!" (Okay, I'm exasperated now). "Why did you spit it out?" (Yes, I was expecting a sane answer).

"Because," she stated flatly, giving what she considers a sane answer, "I wanted you to go to the creek over yonder and get me some spring water. It's cool and fresh. It's so good."

I'm now at a loss. , but, Mighty Aide to save the day. She takes the cup and goes outside to the water fountain--of course, cool, fresh water. Takes a swig of "spring" water, looks at me, "You Cavenaugh's don't know a thing." (Now mind you, I AM not a Cavenaugh!) Glory!

Then she puts her feet down, wheels herself out to the hall without a by-your-leave-nothing. It was quite a feat, I must say, for a one and two year old woman to wheel her own chair to the hallway.

One the way home, Daddy asked me twenty times did Granny know him and did she mention Lena, my Momma. The funny thing about yesterday: Neither one of them is going to remember any of it!!!!

It's a wild adventure! A wild ride! And, totally cool with me. I'm growing and doing things I never would have even imagined, especially fishing cups out of soiled toilet water. Now there's something you can't make up!

God has bestowed upon me patience I never knew I was capable of, love that doesn't come easily for me and strength--I am chronically anemic from kidney disease! I am able through His power--folks, that's cause to celebrate, so I'll just keep chuggin' along and singin' a new song for His glory! Hallelujah! He's all that!