Today's Menu



Todays menu

I’m not embarrassed by the use of this dry erase board as a reminder of what to eat during the day. Mom needs to lose weight, Dad needs to gain weight. It’s as simple as that. I actually get a kick out of it and Dad laughed out loud when he read the dinner menu for tonight. There is no shame in the knowledge that Mom has no short term memory. She hasn’t since PJ was born and she went into a cardiac arrest and was in a coma for I don’t know how long. She woke up not knowing she had given birth to a baby. Since then she has been, let’s say forgetful. This is how I have always known Mom though.

Since Dad’s stroke, the bulk of his care falls on her Monday through Thursday while I’m at work. While he is quite self-sufficient, things like carrying a glass of liquid are something he just can’t do yet, without the use of his right hand. Our goal is to work towards the day he doesn’t have to use his hemi-cane and will have more use of his good left hand. Already he has shown tremendous progress with his balance and there are days I see him trying to move things like furniture around the house, albeit awkwardly, but he tries.  

With Mom’s lack of short term memory and Dad’s inability to completely care for himself right now, the dry erase board has become a great daily reminder for them. For Dad, who always liked planning out meals ahead of time, it’s a good constant for him to see every day and it also helps Mom remember what to do. Sometimes we all need to be reminded what to do.