Sam: November 2005 Archives

Talked with the Head Nurse today; she's going to look into a special vest or some other "approved" piece of restraint equipment. Then we'll get to the official paperwork. there's a standard form but of course we'll doctor it as necessary to make it work. We also talked about a communication board ... she'll check out what's available, but I'm thinking we might make a custom one for Sam. Of course it's got to have the practical stuff on it, but there's all kind of sayings unique to Sam I was thinking we might add in. Please add any ideas you have.... I was going to play with spelling to say "Yuck Fou" and also "Yank Thou" (Thank You) so he can indicate disgust and gratitude, as relevant. Whaddaya ya'all think? Sam said, "I think it's wonderful!" So do send us whatever you think we need to include. ;-)

Sam's favorite joke today was from Nona; honorable mention to the one from David about "never hearing the end of farting in an echo chamber"):

AGNES ACHZIGER Age 94, passed away October 6 in Carmichael, California. Born January 29, 1911 in Russia, she was the daughter of Nicholas and Martha Bashkov. Agnes was preceded in death by her husband, Rhine Achziger; two brothers, John and Mike Bashkov; as well as her sister-in-law, Edna Bashkov. She leaves behind to honor her memory her sister, Mary Myers; two sisters-in-law, Arnella Bashkov and Jean Bryant; and twent y-two nieces and nephews. Her final resting place will be in Mojave, California, beside her husband Rhine. Services entrusted to LIND BROTHERS MORTUARY Carmichael (916) 482-8080
Published in the Los Angeles Daily News on 10/9/2005.

Uncle Sam had good energy and a clear voice when I arrived tonight. We read through about 20 emails, mostly jokes (some funny, some ok, some duds - inevitable, eh?) One was disturbing.

Some folk are trying to organize a boycott of the Eid stamp re-released by the US Post Office in honor of two major Muslim holidays. Eid-ul-Fitr is a sacred Muslim holiday. The people promoting the boycott are blaming all Muslims for the actions of a few. This is hardly fair. It reminded Sam of the desecration of his church in Longmont, Colorado during WWII. It was a site of attacks by "patriotic" Americans because the congregants were immigrants from Germany and Russia. Sam said, "The young people had a hard time understanding the violence. Many of them had brothers serving in the US Army." Sam also remembered some political activism he was part of during that time. There was a politician who used jingoism to campaign against others. We looked jingoism up in the dictionary to be sure it's the right label: "an aggressive attitude combining excessive patriotism and contempt for other countries" (OAD, 1980).

Sam says, "The problem is, once they strap you in, it's written in stone. They'll do it all the time." BUT - we've been informed that we can specify the conditions under which Sam can be strapped at all. Which probably means we can specify the conditions when Eden Park cannot strap Sam up. Currently, when Sam's body gets too tired and he slumps over in his chair, when the staff are able to respond he asks them to help him into bed. Sometimes, that will still be what Sam wants. Other times he might want to stay up, and will choose to be strapped up in his chair for A LIMITED TIME ONLY. It makes sense to start with the shortest of amount of time that seems like it might be enough for Sam's muscles to rest and build up some energy to be able to support him again. Sam says starting with 30 minutes is good. That means, once he is strapped up - which should ONLY ever be when he indicates this is what he wants - staff will return WITHOUT FAIL in 30 minutes to unstrap him. If, after some amount of time, Sam wants to be strapped up again or go to bed, he may so indicate. AT NO TIME, EVER, SHOULD SAM BE RESTRAINED FOR MORE THAN THIRTY MINUTES DURATION.

"Do you know about me?!" I have a couple of "uncles". There's the fictional one, and then there's the non-biological but infinitely real one.

I met Leon Trainee at work today. He had to figure out how to answer my mundane and persistent questions: what time can I catch the bus? Will it really be there at 6:55 am? Do I choose time asleep or time with my friends?

It's all about timing. Well, and having something to say. ;-) How much of my life has been spent "out of time" with others? By far and away the bulk of it. Even many of those times when I *thought* I was "present" and "reasonable" turn out, in retrospect, to have been projections of emotional events past. Part of feeling "happy" might be the experience of moving into the temporal now with a minimal trace of the subjectively imprinted past. (Or maybe feeling happy is only possible in the "now" and in the "future" if there are glimpses of it in the "past"?)

This could be downright creepy, but hopefully it won't ever be used to any ill purpose. Every now and then, Sam gets so tired he just can't hold himself upright in his chair anymore. It's a bit disconcerting to walk in and find him slumped over. :-( He's ok (if uncomfortable), but doesn't have the muscles to pull himself back up by himself. I've fiddled around with a couple of the safety harnesses they use for lifting him and it does the trick - I think without too much discomfort. At least, with less than being doubled-up. The nursing home staff won't (can't, I guess) do it unless Sam signs an official form giving them permission.