This is so very true.
Example: Hijack, but I have to unload.
My FIL was recently in the hospital for about 17 days with problems relating to scar tissue build up in his urethra (he is paralized from the waist down and has to cath.) and he had 1) a nasty UTI ( it was basically milk coming out of him) and 2) he wasn’t pooping ( and he has to have enemas any way to poop and nothing is coming out for over ten days. So, he was full of shit on so many different levels.
He has his urethra taken care of, the poop stuff straightened out and during one of the roto-rooter jobbies up into his guts, its discovered he has a cyst that is the cause of the poop problems. so, he gets that drained and he is kept in the hospital for a the aforementioned time because if this problem had happened 10-15 years ago, he would probably be dead as the medicine /equip is better now and he has excellent insurance.
He is released with the understanding that he has to have a colonostopy (sp?) in the very near future for whatever reasons. that I cannot remember as I tend to glaze over when this stuff comes up. On the discharge sheet it says No Red Meat.
My husband, FIL and SIL all heard this and read this. My MIL (who is slightly detached) missed this and despite being 60 years old and can cook like nobody’s business, does not know what red meat is. :rolleyes:
She cooks a big greasy three red-meat meal for Memorial Day.
After the meal, we are all watching a movie and somehow the following conversation took place:
Husband: Dad, you know you are having a colonosopy next week.
FIL: Yeah.
Husband: The doctor said no red meat.
MIL: He needs some meat on him, he’s too thin. ( Like shit, he needs to lose weight to make the transfers from chair to bed/car seat easier on him. He’s 62, 5’10 and about 200 right now.)
SIL: It says on your sheet No Red Meat.
FIL: I know. I haven’t had any.
MIL: What’s red meat? I don’t cook no red meat.
Listen for the sound of Shirley’s optic nerve snapping as she rolls her eyes hard and see the blood spurting from my mouth as I bite my tongue in half.
Husband: Daaad, what did you eat for dinner tonight?
FIL: Oh, I had a hamburger…(beat) actually two, they were pretty good. They don’t cook like that in the hospital.
If I could capture these moments on film, it would probably help my ward attendants in the future.