Appointments ...and a chat with my dad
April 30, 2005 at 6:28 PM
by Ashleigh
Seb has an appointment with the neurologist on Monday at the Vrije Universiteit Medical Centre. They called me yesterday to give me the appointment time (short notice but hey, its an appointment!)
It's to see what the problem is with the rigidity and lag that he seems to have on the right side of his body. I didn't think it was a problem, I just thought he was clumsy, but his teacher says he has real issues with some kinds of movement and its right through the right arm, right side of torso, hip and leg. He can't hop on one foot and he falls often. The scary part is that he used to be able to do those things so I can't help but feel a little alarmed.
Brad will have the afternoon off so I'l be taking Seb on my own, which at least gives me the opportunity to discuss with the neurologist without having a jumping toddler bounding about at the same time.
So I have to make up a list of his milestones and such and take it in with me to the neurologist. Isn't it funny how quickly you forget them? Good thing I have them written down!
Next week on Wednesday Seb has an appointment with the eye clinic to see why he keeps getting eye infections in only one eye. It seems like this new GP that we have is really making things happen for which I am very grateful!
On Thursday is the big appointment for me - the final part of my tooth implant procedure. I had the tooth out in September, left it to heal until December when I had the metal screw inserted into my jaw; then in March I had the healing collar put on, went back three weeks ago for the moulds to be taken for the new tooth and voila! On Thursday the porcelain tooth will be put onto the screw. I can't imagine what it will be like to be non-gap-toothed again. Bar the obvious advantages of not drooling on my pillow every night ;)
Thursday is also Bevrijdings Dag here which is Liberation Day to commemorate the Second World War Liberation so Brad has the day off which is handy. We'll all go into the dentist and then celebrate my new tooth with snacks at the Hard Rock.
A chat with my dad ...
I have no idea why a chat with my father always manages to annoy me. I haven't phoned him for months because it irritates me to talk to him even though I know I should call him and I know that he appreciates it (somewhere in his psyche). Anyway, today he annoyed me intensely because he asked if we were moving back to England and I told him no, and gave him the reasons - basically we can' t afford it now that we have repaid Brad's parents almost 7k euros and bought a house. To which he replied, 'I hope you are not asking me for money because I can't help you.' To which I replied, 'I would NEVER ask you for money and in fact, I never have.'
I would hate to get to his age and be so terrified that someone might ask me for cash or expect me to pay for something.
When I visited Zimbabwe in 2002 I stayed at a hotel in Harare for a few days because we were getting passport stuff done. As the hotel room was a family room and had three bedrooms coming off a living room, kind of like a suite, my mom said I should invite my dad to stay with us.
I did invite him and he came to stay but the whole time he was really worried that I might land him with the bill for the room or for food or something. Every time he got me alone he asked me if I was sure I could afford it, told me that he didn't have cash etc. The final straw was at the airport parking when I travelled with him to catch my plane and when we got to the parking lot he patted his pockets and said he had forgotten his wallet!
To understand the full picture you have to realise that my dad is by no means poor. He has more than enough money to live a good life, albeit in Zimbabwe, but even then its a better life than most people have elsewhere. He just suffers from intense selfishness which means that his own needs come before anyone elses.
So, like Brad just said earlier, 'Why did you have to go an spoil a perfectly good weekend by phoning your dad?'