Survival Kit

It is 11:17 p.m. and I am sitting on the dining table of the nursing home I am staying for recovery; doing some reading and research of my own.

I was asked, teased and even raised some eyebrows when I mentioned of the place I have chosen for recovery. A nursing home.

Most people have the worse picture in mind and even dreaded the fact of spending the long period of time with old folks. Not with me and I got my late granny to thank for. She has given me first hand experience of dealing and communicating with people of her time.

I even thank my cellgroup members for their help in getting me a place here in this nursing home. If it was not for them, I would not be able to cope with daily chores like preparing my own food and even bring my own clothes to the washing machine and have it hung. Thank you.

They even check on me by calling me or Whatsapp-ing me to ask of my wellbeing. This also to assure me that I am still very much in their thoughts and for that I am truly truly thankful.

My beloved therapists also keep tab of my emotional state when comes to recovery. They also wanted to know how it was when staying in a nursing home. And I shared. And now their main concern is not the emotional state of mine but my weight. Though I have lost 1.9 kg in total right after surgery, I will very much like to reduce my weight or at least keep it at 62 kg at max. This would do justice to my knees at least.

I am pampered with really good home-cooked food prepared in the nursing home. You have no idea how difficult it is to really fight the tempting yummy food around here. Knowing how easy it is for me to gain weight, I have to learn to control the food intake especially carbs.

I told the nurses and caregivers of the home that I do not take much rice and I can even go without rice. So long I have chickens or fish, I am fine. And yes, they accomodate the best they can because most of us ( me and the folks ) cannot take much food.

Suppose it is time to share my so-called survival kit in a nursing home :-

1. I treat all the folks like my own grandparents

Truly I do. Like I said, I had first-hand experience thanks to my late granny. I keep the folks entertained. Here in the home, you are completely forgiven to act like a kid. I fool around and we laughed about the silliness that comes with it.

2. Making yourself at home

I brought with me, obviously, a laptop, books and painting materials. I have yet to get my hands on painting though since I am busy elevating my legs to control swelling.

3. My caregivers and nurses are my friends

What can I say? I felt loved and being treated like one of the folks - like a big kid. They said that I am the youngest patient to have lived in this home and suppose this is why they like company. By the way, I am a couple of years older than them. So there are privileges here. I can act like kid in front of the folks ( FYI, I am qualified to be grandchild and to one of them, I can even qualified to be her great grand daughter ) and a joker to the nurses and caregivers. That is what I call it double bonus.

4. Deja vu

I have a session of unfriendliness with one of the folk. She tends to annoy me but I think I charmed my way through with her. According to the nurses and caregivers, she is not easy to communicate and tolerate with. And here I am, granny, you taught me to be creative in handling you and even take a step higher in understanding you, and this proved to be so useful in dealing with this same folk. She reminds me of you.

5. Opportunity to improve yourself

This is one great opportunity to catch up with whatever I complained that I never had the time for.

6. Holiday?

Maybe my doc is right. It is a holiday and the kind of holiday where you only think about yourself. I am thinking about myself. I am being disciplined with my sessions of physiotherapy and also trying to do some manageable exercise on my own. Considering my future. Reading. Researching too. The only thing that a holiday package should not have is physical pain. Or else it is an ideal holiday 

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