Grandma H's First Week With Us

We are finally home! Arrived last Wednesday evening to be exact. And let me tell you, for me to say “home sweet home” is an understatement. While waiting for Mom (aka Grandma H) to get better, I literally lived out of a suitcase for almost a month. Furthermore, I slept on a hospital cot for about two and a half weeks. Needless to say, I am thrilled that all of the unpleasant events are in the past!

Now, there’s a new adventure in the mix. My family size increased by one. We are happy that Grandma H is here with us. But we’re also still trying to figure out what her likes and dislikes are. It’s been difficult because her speech is still impaired and her brain is still healing.

In a nutshell, here’s what our new adventure has been like since Grandma H has been with us:

Wednesday, January 1^st~ Got home late, had a quick meal and tried to get everyone ready for bed. My husband brought a bed-set downstairs to the living room for Grandma H so she could have something soft and comfortable to sleep in. Well, neither she nor I got any sleep the entire night. She refused to lie down and sat there in bed until she dozed off. When awakened, she yelled for assistance to the bathroom. A majority of the time, she really didn’t need to go; she just sat there. When back in bed, she didn’t sleep. Just sat there and yelled every hour or so. I’m surprised there weren’t any cops at our door during the wee hours of the night from all that yelling and screaming.

Thursday, January 2^nd~ Around 8 a.m. I went downstairs and found Grandma H sitting on the floor near the kitchen. Somehow she had manage to utilize her good side (left arm and leg) to get off the bed and maneuvered her way to the kitchen. When I asked what she was doing out of bed, her response—“I was hungry.” Immediately I checked to see if she was injured or sustained any broken body parts. She said she wasn’t hurt from the event. Thank goodness!

During the day Grandma H took catnaps. However, at night she would stay up entire yelling and screaming. Frequent trips to the bathroom were pretty much similar to the first night (January 1^st); she just sat there.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday were almost identical to the events that took place on January 2^nd.  Even with an over-the-counter sleep aid pill, Grandma H refused to rest. It’s like she's immune to the sleeping pill. It was obvious that by the end of the week I was feeling pretty much like a walking zombie. I’m so glad that my husband was able to pick up the pieces, such as made dinner and cared for M (our daughter). On a side note, I did try to squeeze in some speech therapy by helping her identify kitchen items, such as cup, spoon, fork, ect. Grandma H tried her best to pronounce them correctly. However, we have a long way to go.

As some of you may already know, taking care of an elderly (and physically disabled) family member is HARD WORK! Especially when you’re not sure what they want, and they themselves don’t really know what they want. So, at this point, I’m just trying to figure out what makes Grandma H comfortable and for her to sleep thru the night. We love her and want to see her happy. In addition, we'd like to see Grandma H get back to her normal self again. That's our ultimate goal.

The Importance of Adequate Translation

Oftentimes, just like the video above, important words and phrases can be lost in translation. I believe its not done intentionally. I believe when there's an inadequate translation method used, such as the one in this video clip, both parties can miss the entire picture (and meaning) all together. I know this dialogue was meant just for laughs, and I actually did laugh out loud, numerous times. However, aside from the humor, I'm sure there is some truth to this scenario. And for the patient's sake, I hope it doesn't happen too often. Or better yet, not at all.

For those who do not speak the Khmer language, the dialogue goes like this:

At the beginning the patient mumbles something about her kids. Then she mumbles about the food and how she's enduring this ordeal.

Patient: "I don't want to eat the food. It does not have any flavor. Nobody eats it. It will make them ill even more. Cannot eat it. I cannot eat it. I don't like this food. Don't like this food. This food is not tasty. I don't want this food. I don't want to be here. I cannot endure it." 

Then the patient mumbles something about death. The hospital worker put the phone receiver in the air. The interpreter sums up only what he heard, which was repeated out loud by the worker; "I can't stand this. I wish I was dead. Please kill me." 

Even though the translation was not word-for-word, it did get the message across. If you're curious to know the word-for-word translation, it is "I cannot endure it. Kill me! I cannot endure it. I cannot endure it! I want to die! I just want to die!! I can't endure it. I want to die."

The portion of the dialogue that was lost in translation was the part where the patient complained about the food. The segment that the interpreter heard was when the patient said she couldn't stand it and wanted to die. Now imagine if this was a real life situation where only a fraction of the dialogue got translated, while the other equally important part was left out. I would be concerned. Wouldn't you?

(Read my other post, My Early Days as an Interpreter).

Tragic News

On Monday morning I received news that my mother had suffered from a stroke.

I thought I was prepared for any bad news. But that was not the case. I was actually in shock and it took a little while for everything to sink in. When it finally sunk in, I was in tears. I felt lost and could not focus on anything.  There were many tasks that day that I had left unfinished. When my husband got home from school that afternoon, I informed him of what happened. Minutes later, he was looking for airline flights for me, and I flew out the next day.

According to my older brother, the terrible event took place around 4 a.m. He was asleep but thought he heard a faint cry for help coming from my mother's room. He quickly got up to check, and found her body limp, but her hands held tight onto the door knob. Medics were immediately called, and they arrived soon after.

My brother and sister-in-law never left my mother's side. They stayed with her until I arrived. And have been back to visit everyday since. My nieces and nephews, and extended family members were also there, for support. They are awesome like that. 

According to the neurologist, my mother had an ischemic stroke. The right side of her body is paralyzed. Her speech is majorly impaired, thus making it difficult to understand her. However, for the most part, she is alert and aware of her surroundings.

Today is Thursday, December 5th. She is now at the inpatient rehab facility, which is part of the hospital. Physical therapy will start tomorrow. Right now, the goal is to have physical, occupational, and speech therapy one hour a day, six days a week for the next three or four weeks.

I am amazed at how fast my mother is progressing.  I believe this was made possible through the power of love and prayer from friends and family. On behalf of my family, especially my mother, I would like to thank everyone for thinking of us and remembering us in your thoughts and prayers. I will try to keep everyone updated on her progress.