Food Discussions

To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted; Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 NKJV

I got a call from a nurse at Dad's Veteran's Home. She wanted to put Dad on liquid supplements, since he's lost some weight over the last couple of months. I explained to her that Dad doesn't like pureed or ground food and had gotten down to 128 pounds 1 1/2 to 2 years ago. I prayerfully contemplated this for some time. I knew that I would loose Dad at some point, but wasn't willing to watch him starving to death, so I signed a wavier to put him back on whole foods. When started eating the whole foods, he started gaining weight again. Of course, someone had to cut up any pieces of meat to about the size a three year old could eat. The waiver was releasing them from liability should my dad choke or aspirate due to eating whole foods instead of pureed or ground.

 After a bout of pneumonia about a year ago, the hospital's Speech Pathologist put Dad on a pureed diet, which he hates. She actually wanted to have a feeding tube inserted, but I knew Dad wouldn't approve of that. He got stronger enough back at the Veteran's Home that he got to go on mechanical ground food. Although he wasn't totally tickled with it, it was definitely better than pureed. I want to tell you that the Veteran's Home goes out of their way to make ground food as appetizing as possible. They take the actual pieces of food and grind them up, so they taste the same except for the consistency. Then, they cover it with gravy to disguise it. Dad loves gravy, but more so on biscuits.

 He had been holding his own, but I got the call I mentioned above saying they were going to start adding a liquid supplement to his diet. I basically told her all the things I mentioned above and made plans to meet with her the next day when I went to see my dad.

Since these are examples of how I've applied these Bible verses to my experience, they may not reflect the whole meaning of the verse.

I'm including You Tube Video clips on caregiving that I found interesting, inspirational, or might be helpful to others, but am not responsible for the content in the videos. Always check first with a physician before trying any suggestions mentioned.

Dad's Giving to Others

He who has a generous eye will be blessed, For he gives of his bread to the poor. Proverbs 22:9 NJKV

 Years ago, when we used to go visit Dad in another state, he would tell how upset he was about the people who would sneak up to his house and take the oranges and lemons off of his tree. At first, I thought that he had so many that it didn't hurt anything, but later realized that it's the principal of the thing! He wanted people to be forthright and honest the same way that he is.

 I was pleased to find out that he and his wife were actually very generous with their oranges and their lemons. They would take big boxes of them to their local Senior Center, so they might share in the bounty of the fruits of my dad's labors.

 My dad was so proud of those oranges and lemons. The oranges grew on that tree year round, which is very unusual. Usually, they ripen in the winter time, but there would be ripe oranges on his tree even when we came to visit them in the summers. The lemons also grew year round, although that's not normally the case. Dad's lemons were so big that they looked like grapefruit. My dad is a very generous man, but humble. He didn't tell us about sharing them with the Senior Center for a long time. I'm so proud of him!

Since these are examples of how I've applied these Bible verses to my experience, they may not reflect the whole meaning of the verse.

I'm including You Tube Video clips on caregiving that I found interesting, inspirational, or might be helpful to others, but am not responsible for the content in the videos. Always check first with a physician before trying any suggestions mentioned.

Caregiving Video: Seniors Caring About Seniors
By: ShawTV Edmonton, Val Dash, Ross Brander, Jessica, Ken Common via You Tube



Saddened as I Saved the Post Formats to Draft

Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. Do not add to His words, Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar. Proverbs 30:5-6 NKJV

On this blog, I generally have the post format ready to go and save them as drafts for times when I have enough time to write a post and schedule it to come out some time in the future. I had run out of the draft post formats where I have a Bible verse or two related to being a parent or advice from God on child rearing. (Actually, the one today, is just more a reminder for me, as a Christian blogger.) The last few days, I have been skimming through the Psalms and through Proverbs, noting verses that I could use on the A Christian Caregiver post formats that I create ahead.

 I have added all these posts and saved them to draft, but found I was extremely sad. I'm trying to be prayerful about all of this. I think it has to do with Dad's wife recently passing. It triggers the realization that I quite often push to the back of my mind, that there will be a time that my dad is going to pass, as well. There will be a time, hopefully a long time in the future, where I will be writing the A Christian Caregiver posts and my dad will have passed, too, I will be writing from memory.

 I have known for the three and a half years, since my dad moved to my area, so we could help him with his health issues, that this is an inevitable reality. I still feel so sad, because the thoughts I have pushed to the back of my mind, reality has come to the forefront again, which it does from time to time. This time, it makes me sadder, because I am still grieving the loss of my dad's wife, but know how much I will truly miss my dad, although I count on him being in a better place, without pain, where his feet work or it doesn't matter, a place where he is at peace with the Lord. 
Since these are examples of how I've applied these Bible verses to my experience, they may not reflect the whole meaning of the verse.

I'm including You Tube Video clips on caregiving that I found interesting, inspirational, or might be helpful to others, but am not responsible for the content in the videos. Always check first with a physician before trying any suggestions mentioned.

Caregiving Video: Depression in Old Age
By: Dr. Graham Stokes, Bupa Health UK via You Tube


Surprised, but Pleased!

Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6 NKJV

 We broke the news to my 90 year old Dad that his wife had passed away. My husband saw him the day we shared this sad news and again the next day. The night we returned home, I got a text from my daughter-in-law that she, my son, and grandson were going to visit my dad the next day. My son has been very close to his grandfather all these years. I was so proud of them to drive all those miles to be there to support their grandpa in his time of grief!

 The next morning, I got a phone call from my daughter. She was asking me if I wanted to join her and the kids in going to visit her grandfather. Of course, I said yes! She didn't even know that her brother and family were going to be there, too, when she called and asked. She just wanted to go and be a support to her grandfather. I shouldn't have been so surprised when they both independently decided to go visit their grandfather. I couldn't have been more pleased and so was he!!!

 My dad enjoyed having his two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren there for moral support. When we got there, Dad was playing dominoes with my son. My dad used to be an avid domino player and still is the champ! Although my dad looked to still be deep in thought, he smiled and enjoyed all the time together with his family. For a little while, he had some joy in his aching heart.

Since these are examples of how I've applied these Bible verses to my experience, they may not reflect the whole meaning of the verse.

I'm including You Tube Video clips on caregiving that I found interesting, inspirational, or might be helpful to others, but am not responsible for the content in the videos. Always check first with a physician before trying any suggestions mentioned.

Caregiving Video: Segment on Elderly Depression
By: 4 HD New York Nightly News, Roslyn Auberbach, Phyllis Johnson, Charlotte Dell, Dr. Zachary Palace via You Tube

The Day After the Sad News

My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor detest His correction; for whom the Lord loves He corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights. Proverbs 3: 11-12 NKJV

We had shared the sad news with Dad, that his wife had passed away. He wanted to fly there to help, but I told him that he couldn't fly there, because of his oxygen and he got somewhat frustrated with me. The more I thought about it, I realized it, Dad was responding to the news and I was telling him logical things that kept him from being able to be there.

I prayerfully contemplated all of this that night and realized that to my dad, I was putting roadblocks in his being able to be there and that's why he responded that way.  I realized that he just needs time to deal with his grief of the loss of his wife of 49 years and to give him space to do that.

 My husband and I talked and I told him that I didn't want to talk about her passing unless Dad brought it up. I also told him that I wanted to sit in the back and asked if he would sit by Dad as they watched TV, which is what Dad always prefers. It's a guy thing! 

Dad was deep in thought when we got there and didn't really want to watch TV. My husband didn't hear that and suggested that we turn on a cooking competition that my dad enjoys watching. Dad was able to get lost in the show and just had the space and time to process his loss. Fortunately for me, God gave me the feeling that's what Dad needed more than my talking to him or asking if he was O.K.  My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor detest His correction; for whom the Lord loves He corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights. Proverbs 3: 11-12 NKJV

Since these are examples of how I've applied these Bible verses to my experience, they may not reflect the whole meaning of the verse.

I'm including You Tube Video clips on caregiving that I found interesting, inspirational, or might be helpful to others, but am not responsible for the content in the videos. Always check first with a physician before trying any suggestions mentioned.

Caregiving Video: Healing from the Loss of a Spouse/Grief Relief Ministries
By: David Knapp, Grief Relief Ministries via You Tube

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

Relate2TheBible Podcast

Christ's Grace Abounds

Christ's Grace Abounds

Share the Joy Blog

Share the Joy Blog