Day 27: January 27, 2016 Elva and Dave

January 27, 2016
Day 27 Elva and Dave

Lately, collecting data on Elva is where it has been. I have been visiting my in laws more days than not within the last number of weeks. This woman is the sickest, healthiest woman I know alive. She has more than nine lives scaring us each time she lands in the hospital. But she has proven time and time again, you can't put a good woman down, she ain't going no where. I'm convinced it's her husband. She adores him.

Dave and Elva have been married sixty years and they still laugh together, talk in a different language with one another and still share the same house. They have more stories than they remember, and this is a problem. Their memory ain't what it use to be; hence our increased visits. When asked by my father in law why I was coming,  I said, most sensitively, "because you are old." He stopped, and with his calculated way responded, "I guess you're right." What a pleasure it has been learning to know them over my thirty years of marriage, a complete pleasure.

"I really like being here," I said to them this past week. They both smiled. Their home is serene, calm, and full of hope. I was encouraging my mother in law to create a book to help her remember. In a pretense of offense she jutted out her lips and said, "Dave! She thinks I have a memory problem!" With his nonchalant way he replied, "I too."

Dad and I have been amassing Elva's data; quite the trove. We created a google account so that we can access her medical records. This is in hopes that it will be of help to Dad when asked questions at Doctors' offices. Today we went to a Diabetic doctor and after collecting, organizing and preparing for moments such as these, we were ready! I came with a Manila folder labeled "Elva's Medical Info." Totally impressive and quite a bit smug.

In the exam room I stood. The Dr. pointed to where I could sit, but no, I preferred standing, thank you. Medical information retains in my brain like water through a sieve. I just felt like I needed to be alert and on top of my A game.

The first question came as I was straightening the papers in the manila folder. "Elva, were you recently in the hospital?" Elva looks a bit confused, so I step in, "Yes, yes she was, just before Christmas." The Doctor goes on. "For what, Elva?" Elva looks at Dave, Dave looks at me, I look at Elva. Our look is universal; "I dunno." We do lose track, there have been a lot of hospital visits. Besides which my granddaughter was born in the midst of this. Ok, so on to the next question. She found the answer on her computer. Who knew.

The doctor begins to list her prescriptions at a pace as if we had a freakish ability to mentally do the medication checklist without notes. However, there is one medication that has no recall for me. We begin a back and forth dialogue and it is clear that I am in the wrong and the doctor is in the right. No shocker here. I begin to wonder what I have spent all my time on for the past number of weeks.  Was I in someone else's data trove??

After the third erroneous answer to the doctor's question,  I closed my folder and said, "I feel like I studied for the wrong test!"

I will keep trying, I will remain positive. I am just hoping my in laws survive my learning curve! Understanding diabetes is really difficult, it just seems so counterintuitive! But my plan is to continue to plow on and learn.

For now it is fun with her and my father in law. God has blessed me with them and they deserve so much!