Wind Out of Her Sails

In retrospect, yesterday's visit to the doctor's did not go well. My mother-in-law has been off today and wandering around with vaseline on her nose. My husband tried to tell her that the pinkness to her skin is not constant and is affected by her mood but to no avail. I expect she thinks cancer will kill her rather than old age. We took her to lunch today and she ate very well but no dessert; I always worry when the matriarch doesn't eat dessert. Not that the worry lessens but she did have a chocolate milk as well as her tea. I imagine she is thinking too much; possibly the matriarch is worried about the blood thinners and the possibility of having weekly blood tests. My mother-in-law hates blood tests.

It is not like people live forever; I don't understand why the doctor thought it his duty to look for something to be wrong with the matriarch. At 98, shouldn't it be expected for the body to begin to be falling apart? The woman is healthy, steady on her feet, eats well and is not dehydrated--what more should be expected at her age? What should the medical system be looking for? I begin to think society, as a culture, is afraid of death. It has become something of a foreign experience we all must go through and, yet, hide from. The doctor cannot prevent her death; he is not enabling her life either. The matriarch takes a mild blood pressure pill, digoxin, and vitamins...nothing else. The two pills are preventative. I have no idea why she takes folic acid and vitamin D. I do know that the suggestion of skin cancer scared her and because she cannot clearly see her own face, she is worried sick. That stress alone could kill her. Sometimes we live in a world governed by idiots.