Sunday, February 01, 2009

Flat Face Mountain Doctor



Adjust the speed if you want. (Linda, I figured out how to embed graffiti in Blogger and not have it stick its big feet out the right side. It's just a slight adjustment to the html code and I mean slight.) It's meant to illustrate an image that was troubling my mother below.

My weekend visiting my mother had its wonderful moments and its terrors. The worst was the night I got there. After driving through rain that never quite froze (and I have an exaggerated fear of ice) I found my way to her hall. She was touring the hall with her walker, but when I came up to her she was terrified from a dream she was still inside of. She even turned to me and said, "Who am I?"

Then I got the nurse, and a little dose of Ativan made her normal again. I think I could have used a dose too. My visit that night was short.

How many days was I there? I think I caught a little of what the walking walkers all have. For much of the time my mother was lucid and we often were laughing hysterically. Now I can't remember what it was we were laughing about. I hope it will come back to me as my mind shakes off residuals of the old folks home. When she would get sleepy her paranoia would come on. I had to jiggle the conversation often so she wouldn't get into the thought ruts that lead to more trouble.

On Friday morning early she had to go by medivan to the hospital where her leg had been worked on. It was only supposed to be a follow-up appointment, but she had to wait a long time. On her return she was obsessed with how scary the doctor's face had been.

"Have you ever seen a mountain where all the trees have been taken down, and it's really flat, and then there are two eyes and this slit of a mouth, just looking at you?" That was the scary doctor's face, up really close to hers. I heard about this many times. That's what my graffiti pic here is meant to illustrate.

On my flight back we had a male flight attendant who said really goofy and funny things, insulted many of the passengers, and told us George Bush was flying the plane. Then the captain came out, and he looked JUST LIKE George Bush. And the captain had a whole act he did too using the syntax and vocab old bully boy was used to using. I was crying it was so funny.

Come to think of it, I was a loopy audience and might have been crying anyway!

10 comments:

Linda Davick said...

Sally, this visit sounds so difficult. Her description of the doctor's face is amazing and horrible. I could be wrong, but I bet he was not a wonderful doctor.

It's so strange, because my mom is much worse in the morning, and as the day turns into evening her mood/mind improves greatly.

So glad you're back! Did you just change the HTML code to 400 width x proportional ht? Thought I tried that. I know there are 2 places...must know soon! I'm crazy about Graffiti.

Anonymous said...

Thank the corporate medical gods for Ativan. The dream you can't come out of is terrifying, at any age, for any body. I hope someone quickly sets her straight when you're not visiting.

Nice to know what the former prez is up to.

Anonymous said...

I love your fluid line in Graffiti! I must practice with the Wacom.

Sorry to hear about your difficult visit. So glad you had many opportunities to laugh hysterically!

Did you fly on Southwest? Their attendants are often funny.

Amazing the detail your mother used to describe the doctor's face. When patients I didn't know at Dad's nursing home would ask me who they were, I didn't know what to say to reassure them and would try to find someone working there to help out.

Anonymous said...

That "Graffiti" by Mindy Fisher looks a little like the flat-faced mountain doctor.

Namowal (Jennifer Bourne) said...

Sounds like things got scary and tough at times. Who wouldn't be alarmed if they'd lost track of who they were- even if it was temporary!
I'm glad you had some quality time with her too.
I wonder what's up with the doctor- was he really that malevolent? You'd think doctors would get some training in coming across as friendly and interested in the patients well-being. Who needs Scary Doctor or Robo Doctor?
As someone else speculated, was this Southwest Airlines? Do they still hand out the little snack box of over processed foos?

Sally said...

My brother thought the doctor was okay, seemed concerned but perhaps shy. I don't know, never saw him. But he definitely gave my mother the creeps.

Tonight when I spoke to her she sounded very lucid and content. YAY! A nurse she's fond of had returned after a few days off.

Yes, it was Southwest, but it's been a long time since I've seen such an all out comedy act on the airline. Particularly with the captain going for the big laughs too, and getting them.

I don't think I've seen Mindy's graffiti. I'm having a hard time with facebook and am mighty ambivalent about it. Too much noise. And don't even think about TWITTER!

Anonymous said...

Facebook is overwhelming me, too.

Anonymous said...

I tried reading a friend's Twitter once and decided only her mother could love reading those details.

Sally said...

Stray, that's very funny!

RHSteeleOH said...

I'm glad you're back.