From the day a baby is born, a mother takes birth as well along with the child. Being a mother is the greatest gift and challenge in itself. I am here to tell you my real-life experience of my dad and grandma.
My grandmother is 72 and for the past 6 years, she is suffering from Dementia, damage to at least two brain functions. She suffers from memory loss, judgement symptoms which includes forgetfulness, limited social skills, not able to identify anyone even close family members. She and my grandfather live with us.
My grandma's condition didn’t get better but it has worsened in the last few years. This year, she suffered from a silent heart attack, she was not able to understand her pain, we took her to hospital and got her admitted when her body showed some erratic reactions. Fortunately, we got her tested, and now she is doing good.
My father keeps on reminding grandma that he is her son while she keeps on telling him that “you are my brother.” As she forgets things very quickly, so this cycle continues every day. My mother says, “She is our third child.” She is dependent on us completely for all the crucial things like taking her to the washroom, combing her hair, dressing her, feeding her, and everything else.
My dad combs her hair regularly, feeds her food first, gives her the medicines, and also does her laundry. She is now a complete baby who also behaves like one. At least three times a day, my mother changes her diaper and on the other hand, my father washes her clothes. Many times my grandma would pee on a chair and on bed.
In the initial days, my brother and I were not able to sit on the same bed and chair but later when we saw our dad cleaning all that mess without feeling any shame and reluctance, we asked him, “Don't you feel dirty?” Well he said, “She was the one who cleaned my dirty diapers when I was small, why can't I?”
I cannot say that now we are fine with her pee on the bedsheets but yes it doesn't feel bad like it used to. One thing that I have seen in my dad is that he safeguards my grandma just like my mother protects us. My father can fight for her even if it is against his children. Well, this is very common to us. Not only for my grandma but for my grandparents.
They go for a regular walk as she sleeps a lot. She dozes while sitting on the chair every time. So my dad takes her on the walk so that my drowsy grandma can feel a little energy as sometimes he supervises her about how to walk.
She is a complete blabbermouth sometimes and thus, gets scolded by all of us. But then she speaks again as she forgets everything we told her. You might think that all this is irritating but actually, she is super cute and it’s all worth it! My grandma loves to sing, it was good in the beginning but then she started singing while sleeping at night and yes we can hear her singing from our rooms. Her little blunders never make us feel cranky but always happy.
As mother's day is approaching, this year’s is dedicated to my father who has become a mother to his mother now.