Wednesday, November 4, 2015

In which Sly overshares with Primo again

Primo: I talked to my dad. I don't think he's ready to live on his own.

Me: Why not?

Primo: He said he couldn't make it to the bathroom in time and had to poop in his diaper.

Me: Oh my.

Primo: I hope I am never like that.

Me: Like what?

Primo: Where I treat an event like that as a casual aside instead of something to be viewed with horror.

Me: You mean, something you would bring up in conversation with your child only in the context of, "I hate to have to tell you this, but I am so horrified and I am concerned about what this might mean about my next steps," not as, "Oh yeah this happened and then I watched TV."

Primo: Exactly.

5 comments:

  1. Oh dear.
    Is this an after effect of "The Whipple?" Have the doctors said he'll ever regain control of his urinary and, uh, other functions?

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    1. emma, no word from the docs about this, so I don't know.

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  2. I'm just glad he's wearing diapers (or nappies, as we'd call 'em over here). Perhaps the urine clothes will decrease.
    Just checking - was this conversation with Primo? the "SH" has confused me, been searching back in case it's Stephanie but the context seems wrong for her. Jo xx

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  3. Yuk. I deal with this on a daily basis for work, but I don't want to know the details of my family members' poops.

    I'm sure this is mostly just Sly being oblivious and boundaryless. In my nursing home work, though, a lot of our older patients are horrified when they're incontinent, and we aides reassure them so it doesn't feel like a big, horrible deal. So, maybe Sly's internalized the message.

    The incontinence thing happens for folks who aren't aware of their urges (basically, they don't know they have to go until it's too late, so they can't ask for help to the bathroom). Sometimes pain meds cloud their judgement or sensation. Often they're too ashamed to ask for help to the bathroom. And it's possible this has been an issue for him for awhile, but now there are witnesses.

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