Calzones are a favorite meal for Mom. If she hasn’t eaten in a while, we know that a trip to Chicago’s Pizza in Demorest is the perfect way to get her eating again. Before her arm injury kept her homebound, Mom and Dad would make the trek over there almost weekly. Now it’s so difficult to get her out that we’ll bring dinner to them at the house. She cannot eat an entire calzone by herself anymore but she’ll eat at least half.
Mom has always been peculiar about dining out. She’ll try a restaurant once and not give a second chance if the service is off or the ambiance isn’t acceptable. Lately, if it’s too noisy or too bright, she can’t be persuaded to try it again. We’ve lost the ability to eat at too many restaurants!
When I lived here as a child, I don’t remember many restaurants in Habersham County. Of course, back in the early 80’s, there wasn’t much of anything in Habersham County! For a special dinner out, we had to travel to Gainesville. Now we have so many wonderful restaurants from which to choose and I try to do my part in keeping them all in business.
Mom and Dad’s favorite spot is at North Georgia Technical School. They enjoy the lunches and occasionally meet friends there. Dad also likes their breakfasts. The serve a hot meal for $5.00 that is the best bargain in town. The only catch is that they have only one choice and they are only open Monday through Thursday while school is in session. Part of Dad’s morning routine is to drop by there to see what is for lunch after he goes for his walk at the park and gets the mail from the post office. The women who work there know him and Mom by name. I think that’s why Mom loves to go there. They just love on her with smiles and encouraging words and a hug if they can get out into the room!
I don’t mean to be promoting one business over another but Mom’s diminished desire for eating has me weighing the benefits of take out. There comes a point in caregiving that getting any kind of sustenance takes priority. There are certainly “magic meals” that reconnect her to food. Unfortunately, what works today may not work tomorrow.
For some caregivers, Ensure drinks are the way to get calories and nutrients into their patients. Mom won’t drink them. We’ve tried homemade protein shakes – nope. Yogurt is occasionally edible. Finding something she’ll eat is often the most frustrating part of my day when caring for Mom.
She’s always had a healthy appetite and, like me, as had the physique to show for it. Dementia has changed that. Now she will tell me that she has just eaten or eats too much so she cannot possibly eat the food I am offering. When I insist, she’ll get upset and call for Dad to vouch for her. Didn’t she just eat? Hasn’t she been eating too much rich food? She doesn’t want to drink much either for obvious reasons. It’s a struggle.
Thank goodness for calzones. Wish they were open on Mondays so I could go get one today!
