(I'll try and write this without Americanisms. Is that even possible?) No, no, no a quadrillion times no! How I could think that anything good would come from this year is incomprehensible! Not only has Granny NOT improved that much, but now depression has set in yet again! I don't believe it! I wonder what's going to happen next. No doubt one of those big trees on your mother's propriety will fall over and land on the Cox's house and kill them! Also I'm pretty sure Grisou is dead since he hasn't been for more than two weeks and when he DID come he looked very tired. More than usual... All we need now is for Peter (our mother's cousin) to have an affair and Grandpa to amputate his arm whilst mowing the lawn to make the misery complete. Seriously, doesn't this year hold any good surprises?
We'll start with Granny: BEFORE her Diabetical breakdown, she was VERY, VERY, VERY lethargic. Apparently she fell asleep whilst Mary Stedmund was talking to her after they had been to eat at the Golf Club (or was it before? Not entirely sure) and her general health was very poor. Her short-term memory was terrible.
What has changed? Now she is taking twice the dose of Thyroid stimulating pills and er... other medications.
Since she only has ''light'' Diabetes type 2 it could disappear almost completely after she looses some mass. She'll have to be careful and not eat a whole bar of chocolate, but she can eat a piece or two. She has livened up and isn't so tired, however it will take a few weeks for the medication to start working.
Her memory- has it improved? Yes and no. It varies from day to day and even from hour to hour. At times she can come close to being her former self and then she falls back into the pit that is forgetfulness. Why these fluctuations? That is THE question (at least in this case it is). We can only hope that she improves over the next few weeks as the pills start to take effect properly.
Thanks to her new diet she should be less dehydrated and loose mass and therefore gain Physical health. As a consequence of more outside stimulation perhaps her obliviousness will subside too.
Problems: Grandpa mollycoddles her and thinks she is incapable of lifting her little finger.
Proof to contradict this: when Grandpa went to the Golf Club on Sunday, he stayed until 17:00. My mother stayed at home and did the washing. Granny emptied the dishwasher and made herself a drink!!! If he'd have been there, she'd have asked him to do it. She takes the easy option, because Grandpa complies and does it.
When my mother went in the attic to look for some boots, Granny was half-way up that ladder in fear that she'd throw her stuff away! On a side note: how the heck we're going to sleep up there with her violent reaction to people going up there even temporarily is somewhat of a mystery...
As my father said, she needs brain stimulation, she can't always ask him what she should have to eat in a restaurant and what she should wear. She isn't as decrepit as Gramps thinks! How this can be achieved is (yet again) a problem.
If she becomes lighter, moves around more and stimulates her metabolism, we must hope, pray (whether you believe in God or not) and hope some more that her brain activity will augment. Mary Stedmund would take her out, even if she doesn't want to and asks whether they can go home, but she doesn't do it, because the way Granny is now, she needs to sit down every 5 minutes.
What can we do? As such nothing except to ring up or at least try to... In the summer: try and motivate Granny by playing card games, making her knit or embroider and talking to her, even if that is frustrating, since she doesn't really take part and we'd end up talking to each other or the wall...
Worst of all is not the memory loss. It's how her character changed and how she has acquired a lack of logic so immense that it makes you cringe. She used to be interested in looking nice, used to make jam and be really bouncy. Sort of like Mrs Weasly. Now she just sort of sits there and stares into space. You wonder whether her old self is locked up somewhere in there and is trying to escape. ''Ignorance is bliss'', but is it really? What if she wants to communicate and can't? Sort of like being paralysed and you try and reach out and interact with your surroundings, but you can't...
Moving on to the tree. Frankly it would be no great loss if they did snuff it. They are too weird to be allowed, like those moving Yahoo! smileys... Also, what the deuce have they done with Tommy and why do they need 3 horse trailers? Strange people. Weirdoes to say the least...
Grisou: don't know what else to add, he hasn't been for a while and I looked under the tree he went to die under last time, but he wasn't there. There are different reasons for his absence: he's at home, he's found a new place with a better food offer or he's dying, I mean at the Vet's! Evil man...
Peter (Hancock): he bought a Jag. How can he afford a Jag with his job? Unless he's got a rich (second) wife stashed away somewhere. Uh oh, must have watched too many ''Silent Witness'', ''CSI'' and ''Nip/Tuck'' episodes! Seriously, Grandpa is enthralled with that car! Peter and Ruth took them out to The Mount Peasant, I mean Mount Pleasant and drove them in his Jag. A Jag in Doncaster is like a ''clean'' druggie! At least it should be, but apparently there were quite a few parked outside the Mount Pheasant, er... I mean Pleasant. Groovy! Hope he takes us! Also I want to see the family tree and make a tapestry like Sirius had or at least glance at it...
While we're on this topic, what idiot dragged the name of John Hancock into the dirt?? Just because Hancock sounds somewhat like Hand and Cock. Well, you can guess what it means...
Grandpa: I really fear for his limbs, especially when he's sawing something in his dimly lit garage! Painting: not dangerous unless he falls off the ladder; hammer + nails: as long as he hits the nail, it's alright; mowing the lawn: if he doesn't fall off the lawnmower and get run over by it, minimal risk; Burning the compost/rockery: possibility of the fire spreading and destroying everything; playing golf: he could be hit by a club or ball (again). Mama Mia, everything he does is dangerous!!! Oh no! At least he's got help from -what's his face?- that man who used to be a teacher with the gardening.
That's all, now comment!