Thursday, August 31, 2006

Oh My!

In the interest of pursuing the most non-heavy topic I can think of, I find myself giggling about the joy and amusement that is Nana! Nana has had a big week and as usual it was a real corker to watch.

Nana walks with a cane. It is really an extension of her hand really. She points with it. Drags things with it. She herds the dogs with it and occasionally disciplines them with it (a slight tap on the butt when they rough house too much...) She pokes me with it to get my attention. She uses it to hold the door open for company. She also uses it as an excuse.

"No, I can't walk today, my hand hurts too much to use my cane and my hip hurts so I can't walk without it." When that is really the case she refuses to let the pain get her. When she doesn't want to do something (like go to the doctor's office, see people she doesn't like or go for a walk however...). So, because of the complaints and because I do know she is hurting I've been trying for five years to get her to go see someone about getting her hip replaced. She already had both her knees replaced and was much happier afterward, so...

But for the five years she has been dragging her feet, artificial knees, thighs and bad hip on the subject. Now that I have help with Nana, in the form of the very talented Lindsey, Nana has run out of excuses and had to go get evaluated. Now understand I wasn't there, but 1) I had faith in Lindsey, 2) I have seen this doctor before during the great horse/broken humorous caper and 3) I have a lot of faith in him.

When I got home yesterday Nana was doing the geriactric equivalent of Handspring's over the house and anyone's equivalent of "The Twist" (that is not an exaggeration, she really was dancing). Frankly I was a little frightened. Then she told me about her visit.

"That doctor walked right back into the room, pulled down my pants and panties and jammed a needle in my butt and now I can walk!" She went on to explain how when the doctor entered at first she didn't even know he was a doctor. He was so young and so friendly she assumed he was the orderly and so she was very confused when he came back with needle and pulled on her clothes. Then she felt so good she didn't care. Lindsey explained later that he was the doctor, though Lindsey also said he had introduced himself very politely. Nana also insists that he remembers me from four years ago. "He said to tell you hi." I asked if she mentioned why I had seen him (that stupidity he might remember...). "Oh no, I just said Sandy is my granddaughter and she said you were her doctor and that you were nice. Then he said,'tell her I said hi' so I know he remembers you." Nana and I do not have the same last name by the way...

The only cloud in all of this to Nana is that she does have to go to physical therapy. "I hate exercise! Do I have to wear tights?" She is thrilled that no surgery is needed, though an MRI has been scheduled just to be sure.

But you can't get much funnier or silly than an 82 year old doing the twist through the house in her underwear with two Shelties dancing and barking around her. You also can't get much more non-philosophic than that either. Enjoy!