Tuesday, June 30, 2009

I'm a Horrible Person

Just a bit of advice. If, for some reason, you are ever in need of my services as a caretaker, go ahead and let yourself die. I really suck at it. I helped my mom take my grandfather for some dental surgery today and when he came out, I couldn't even look him in the face. It didn't help that when he drooled his milkshake because he couldn't feel his face after the surgery that the vanilla milkshake came out strawberry. The idea of having to stay and take care of an elderly or sick person by myself is fodder for a horror movie script for me. It's a really good thing that I didn't try to go into medicine.

And yet, I somehow manage to cup my hands under my son's mouth when I hear him gagging and know he's going to throw up. This and changing his crappy diapers don't even disgust me and my own grandfather gave me the creeps.

What the hell is wrong with me?

5 comments:

Julie said...

You are a bad person.

No one wants to take care of an adult that can't care for themselves but you do it anyway. I had to bathe my aunt when she was in the hospital and it freaked me the hell out but I did it because she took care of me when I was little.

I think it's scarier when an adult needs care because
1) kids ca't do it for themselves but adults have and should be able to and
2) incapable adults make you face a scary possibility for your own future

Courtney said...

Yes, I agree with Julie. You're supposed to take care of kids, especially your own, but it seems unnatural to have to take care of people older than you. Hospitals and sickness freak me out too. Once I passed out in a hospital, and it wasn't because anything gross was going on near me, it was just that I was simply standing in a hospital.

A Free Man said...

I'm the same way. Can't deal with a lot of time with older people - too much of mortality staring you in the face. Kids are different, you've got to step up and deal.

Trish said...

(Came here from A Free Man)

I'm the same. I think people who work in nursing homes are just about the most amazing people on the planet. I couldn't do it.

I think it freaks me out because I don't want to end up like that. I want a quick heart attack after my morning swim in the surf, sometime in my mid-90's. Thanks.

Meaghan said...

I know I may have to change Chris' diaper some day, and I'm OK with that. (Nice visual, eh?) But anyone else my age or older and no thanks!

You do it for your kid because they can't do it otherwise and haven't learned (and it helps that they are cute). I can do it for someone I have a very deep love for, and so the people who do it as their profession are definitely special in my eyes!