So, we continued to make it happen. But if I had to be completely honest, I felt like I was filling a dog bowl for a pet every time I left her a sandwich to go to work. And her hygiene was poor despite us giving her a sponge bath a couple of times a week, and her...
Self-esteem and self-help
Foxtrot: My Mother’s Last Dance (pt 6)
Because of the intensity of the trial and the fact that it was clear my mother was no longer able to live independently, we tried placing her in an assisted living facility. A monthly fee of $5,000 without the option of any healthcare coverage bought us at least 20-25...
Foxtrot: My Mother’s Last Dance (pt 5)
The time had finally come when even my mother, with her decreased mobility and inability to safely shower or even grab dresses from hangers in her closet, couldn’t argue that she was unable to live on her own. We went through a series of home health aide services that...
Foxtrot: My Mother’s Last Dance (pt 4)
My mother’s next oncologist was a keeper, as his kindness and compassion and tendency to not descend into madness in response to every test result seemed to be better suited to my mother’s needs and a better fit for my nerves. He initially placed her on an old...
Foxtrot: My Mother’s Last Dance (pt 3)
We moved her into a one-bedroom, third floor apartment that was around a five- minute drive from us, in Westford, a neighboring town. We experienced a bit of déjà vu, with more antique doll-related drama and hysteria that this time featured my husband accidentally...
Foxtrot: My Mother’s Last Dance (pt 2)
The Lexington apartment was at best a placeholder, just something to get her up from the palm trees to the pines, as well as all her belongings, an abundant enough amassment to fill a palace or two. I knew it was difficult in those early days for my mother to mask her...
Foxtrot: My Mother’s Last Dance (pt 1)
You know how you can hear phrases so many times, for so many years, from the same person, that you stop hearing it? “Hi pussycat” and “Hi sweetheart” were the words my mother would greet me with- either in person or over the phone. That is, unless she was angry with...
“Reeling”: Part 6: Space, Time, and Distance
A major mission of our nonprofit, FACEPAINT, is to raise social awareness. If you or a loved one is in a toxic relationship, we recommend the following YouTube channels: DeMars Coaching, Dr. Les Carter, NARCDAILY- You Are Not Alone, Lisa A. Romano Breakthrough Life...
“Reeling”: Part 5: The Letter
A major mission of our nonprofit, FACEPAINT, is to raise social awareness. If you or a loved one is in a toxic relationship, we recommend the following YouTube channels: DeMars Coaching, Dr. Les Carter, NARCDAILY- You Are Not Alone, Lisa A. Romano Breakthrough Life...
“Reeling”: Part 4: The Suggestion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_MaJAdXVRM A major mission of our nonprofit, FACEPAINT, is to raise social awareness. If you or a loved one is in a toxic relationship, we recommend the following YouTube channels: DeMars Coaching, Dr. Les Carter, NARCDAILY- You Are...