Showing posts with label Words. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Words. Show all posts

Thursday, January 09, 2025

Cypto-hondriac

 That is not a real word but I thought it fun enough to use as a title. Hubby has some severe aphasia from his stroke so sometimes words come out backwards and sometimes they come out the opposite from what he intended.

He will say 'she' when referring to 'he', often when referring to someone or to a pet. This has been ongoing since 2018 so I am pretty used to it. Since we've been a pretty close couple for many years, I pretty much know exactly what he wants to say or what he is trying to communicate.

However, I often let him work it out for himself which is what he prefers. Once in a while he will give me a glance [during a doctor's visit for example]. That glance is HELP! I can complete his words for him then.

We were talking with the nurse on his 6 month follow up when he came to this word. The nurse was reviewing his long list of medications when he piped up that this list made him look like a 'Cypto-hondriac'. 

He meant Hypochondriac. Funny enough, the nurse never blinked as he struggled through the word and she smiled and said, "We know you are not a Hypochondriac!"

When the doctor came in she did her thing and then asked if there was anything else she could do for him today.

Hubby asked for a shop...he kept struggling for a second and then got it out: A body shop for me? A new body?

She smiled of course.

Hubby hinted that he thought he'd gained weight. She looked at her file and said that he had remained stable for the past year or so. 

Then I saw something that I rarely see doctors do. She reached over and patted his leg and told him.

"Rich, you will be 76 this soon and you've earned the right to eat exactly what you want to and what you like."

I thought that was very kind of her to say.

I will note that my husband is in Palliative Care. Palliative Care aims to treat a patient with a serious illness for the Quality of Life until their death ... with attention to the care partner also. This will usually also involve a social worker to assist with questions and issues.

It is not hospice which is quite different. 

I feel that it is a kinder and more gentle type of care for elderly patients with a serious illness.





Wednesday, January 04, 2023

New Year Word

I've seen people using a word for their New Year. I had to look up what that was all about. 

Instead of a rigid resolution -- pick a word to focus on, a word to guide you through the year with focus and intent. A word that helps you make decisions. 

Our gym always ask its members for a Goal for the year too.
Some folks answer with goals such as: I will make classes 5 days a week!

Meh. I know better. If I can get in twice a week, I'm doing good. 

I'm going to get in shape! Meh. I tried that as a teen and got seriously distracted.
I'm going to lose weight! Meh. We all know how those goals go.
I'm going to ... well you fill it in. 

I skip resolutions and I skip Big Goals. I tend to think day by day.

Some sites call it a Nudge Word others call it a Motivational Word

So to choose a word: 

1. List things you want to focus on.
2. Determine common themes on your list
3. List some words that might work
4. Decide which words are most motivational [or Nudgie?]

I looked up some motivational nudge words.
Dream, Courage, Harmony, Inspire, Compassion, Growth, .... 👎

Last year I did set a goal when they asked me at the gym. I did say that I wanted to complete the Kickapoo Valley Trail Challenge which meant hiking over 59 miles of their trails. I did achieve that goal. I will make a plug for the gym folks, IF I didn't come and do Mobility and Strengthening exercises, I wouldn't have felt as good as I did to complete those trails. 

So where does this rambling bunch of words lead me to?

What are my interests? What keeps me sane?

What are my key words?
Explore.
Discover.
Curiosity.
Imagine.

Certainly not the words that I looked up [and there were a lot of them!]:

Truth, Determination, Challenge, Perseverance, Mindful, ....
They are great words, but they don't fit me well.

I think I'll choose...

Explore

It fits.

So many trails out there, so many things to see, so many things to Explore.
The challenge is to work it all in with life as a 24/7 Caregiver.




Tuesday, March 15, 2022

Tuesday

I'm going to leave this just like this 
for right now.