Blindness and Cinnamon Rolls

The visit to the doctor's went as expected but for one thing: the matriarch's sight hasn't changed. Either we really haven't noticed her blindness or the doctor is no longer measuring it because she is almost blind; I don't know. He is now looking for cataracts on her "good" eye because there is pressure there and it needs to be monitored. My husband imagines the doctor couldn't believe he still had the matriarch as a patient; we have another appointment in a few months. Either way, the matriarch wasn't happy but she was prepared for her depression; the doctor is not a nice man and I had reminded her not to take him too personally. You would think they would teach compassion somehow in Medical schools.

On Saturday, my youngest child made an absolutely lovely meal which concluded with homemade Cinnamon Rolls; the matriarch couldn't eat them. But she tried. And she spat the dough out. And it was gross. And, I refuse to believe her behaviour is age related; she was more like a petulant child than a senior and, as far as I'm concerned, there was no excuse for it. Once she had tried the bun, bit it and realized she couldn't chew it, the matriarch didn't need to keep eating. I always have sweets around; there were alternatives. But she tried to eat half the bun before she gave up. Two thoughts, obviously resulted: 1) the Cinnamon Buns were really good (which they were) and 2) the matriarch does not go down without a fight. I just wish I wasn't always the one to have to clean it up.

The whole eating thing is getting worse and I wish, for my own sanity, the woman would give up on harder, solid foods. The matriarch can eat toast and well-cooked meats; vegetables have to be boiled to mush and fruit made into a syrupy mass; she loves her soups. Why then does she continue to want more solid food? We all know she cannot eat it and, if she does manage to get it down, the result is always incredible indigestion. I have heard the woman belch an opera. I know she gets angry when she notices the children, in particular, are eating something I have not offered her and I know if she does not chew, she will lose the capability of her jaw and gums. But I also know her stomach cannot accept unchewed food. What a mess. The matriarch does not want a constant soup or stew diet. The doctor really does not know what to suggest; she has a good diet, despite her preferences for sugar on everything, and she should try to chew food. Arguing it's the not-chewing that is irritating me is irrelevant. Basically, I have to suck (metaphorically speaking) it up, or rather clean it up.