I had an amusing conversation with a 90 year old patient yesterday. She was a real sweetie with quite the attitude. She shared that she has a family member a few years older who has never been hospitalized a day in her life. But one doesn't ask how she is because that opens a flood gate of complaints. Even though she is alive well into her 90's and basically as healthy as it gets she is a miserable little thing. Had my patient known about Sweet Brown she might have said "ain't nobody got time for that!"
My patient then shared a little about her own skewed perception. She has failing vision and in certain lighting really has trouble. She was given a sandwich, chips and pickle slices one day for lunch. She had almost cleared her plate but for one stubborn pickle that just wouldn't cooperate. She leaned over and asked to use her grandson's fork as hers just wasn't cutting it.
He looked at her. "Can I help?""No! I just need a better fork for this pickle. Besides what can you do that I can't?"
"Well, Grandma, I can see that the stubborn pickle is actually a decorative green polka dot on the plate."
We both had a nice long laugh over that.
After she left I got to thinking about my own perception. How many times do I miss the forest for the trees? Or complain about the minutia when I've been given so much? Or chase green polka dots hoping that they'll feed a need?
We both had a nice long laugh over that.
After she left I got to thinking about my own perception. How many times do I miss the forest for the trees? Or complain about the minutia when I've been given so much? Or chase green polka dots hoping that they'll feed a need?
