Skip to main content

Not always such a good idea...

This morning I went to visit a friend while my kids were at VBS.  This friend happens to be in a nursing home--in the Alzheimer's unit.  She came to live there a little less than a year ago.  At the time she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, she and her husband were told to expect about 3 years of coherancy before she she lost touch.  


But, doctors are often wrong.


She got sick and was given an antibiotic that triggered her Alzheimer's to rapidly take hold of her mind.  She had hallucinations and lost her awareness of what was real and what wasn't.  After she was taken off the medication, she regained a tiny portion of what she had lost, but not a lot.  Within a month, she was in the nursing home.  


Over the past year, I've tried to visit her periodically.  But, because I have 3 young children someone has always been sick.  I could only go visit when everyone (including me) was well.  


The last time I visited was a month ago.  It was the first time she didn't know me at all.  I sat with her and sang some hymns to her.  After my visit, I thought I would try and go each week, but I got sick in July and couldn't go.  Her husband had tried to tell me at the time that it was okay if I didn't go.  I reassured him at the time that I wanted to.


Today was probably the last time I will visit her.  


When I arrived, I saw her walking into her room.  I asked if I could sing to her.  She said she didn't know.  She said she was dumber and couldn't put thoughts together.  She walked around her bed and then back around.  She told me "they" were doing something that they'd already started.  She wasn't able to make the decision to sit down.  


I realized that my visit was doing her more harm than good--it was making her more aware of how much she doesn't understand.  It set her ill at ease because she didn't know me.  I told her I loved her and left.


I am sad.  Sometimes what seems like a good thing to do isn't always the best thing to do for the other person.  
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

ESV, NIV, or NASB and then there's the ICB, ESV or NIrV...which should we read?

I am so thankful for my friend's question about the ESV vs. NASB and NIV. I couldn't remember the difference so I went to look it up. I knew that John Piper and Tim Keller, both pastors and authors that I deeply respect have switched over to the ESV. All of the churches that we have attended over the past few years PCA or Reformed Baptist have also switched to the ESV. I did find a blog that explained the differences and that helped me ( http://thefoolishgalatian.wordpress.com/2007/10/22/niv-vs-esv-and-why-piper-switched/ ) I knew why I didn't like the KJV--it was written in the days when writers were paid by a patron and that often slanted the translation. The NKJV, from what I understand, is a revision of the KJV that uses more modern language. Most churches I have attended used the NIV until the ESV came out. The blog I found explained that the ESV is a more literal translation---like the NASB. The NASB is a very literal translation. The ESV has come to be consid...
Post a Comment
Read more

Missing Pieces

The other day I was discussing a book with my mom and explaining to her my concern about how "blame" is cast upon the child in the story.  My mom commented about how deeply I read and consider what is written. Sometimes I wonder if I go overboard.  Am I questioning too much?  Am I overreacting? Why am I reacting this way? I come back to knowing that God wired me this way.  But, I also reflect on how God has guided my path through the maze of books I've read over the past few years and what I've learned from the books themselves and from reading them.   Recently, I read a book that troubled me.  The book I finished reading was  Guiltless Living  by Ginger Hubbard.  When I began reading it, I found myself puzzled and then disconcerted. And in the end, I cried. But, I cried for a different reason than one might suspect. I'd like to explain. I did not read Ms. Hubbard's previous book “ Don't Make Me Count to Three ”, but I knew from f...
Post a Comment
Read more

listening or rather not listening to directions...

This week has been very eye opening. I am observing and noticing what I need to learn in order to be a better homeschooling mom and teacher and what my daughter needs to learn to be a good homeschooling student. My weakness when I was a teacher in a first grade classroom was not understanding how small concepts had to be broken down--and I lost my patience very quickly. This week, in particular today, I am seeing how detailed my directions need to be. I am going to be working very consciously and deliberately on this. On the other hand, I realized that my daughter does not listen! Wowsers! In a classroom, Autumn listens very well. She is a compliant child and very influenced by peer pressure and conformity. So, she listens along with everyone else and follows directions. But, at home, it's just Autumn and maybe Sami and Mommy. Very, very different! I had forgotten that most of kindergarten in the public schools is not focused on teaching students academic and learning co...
1 comment
Read more