"Her main complaints are fatigue, hip pain, insomnia, and swelling in her ankles, mostly due to a heart that's running out of lifetime. Still, she plows through her roster of self-imposed tasks as though her worth depends on the state of her carpets and cabinets. She still bakes, speaks up at condo board meetings, scrubs her floors on her bony knees, and climbs atop her rickety rattan chairs to dust a chandelier that doesn't need much dusting."
"I shouldn't be able to relate to Neni's frustrations about not doing enough and not being the person she used to be, but I do. I see myself in the way she slams into her chair, a controlled descent too difficult to orchestrate with joints and nerves out of tune. I see myself in her curved spine, backed-up bowels, and anxiety."
A 95-year-old grandmother lives independently in a sunlit condo with fatigue, hip pain, insomnia, swollen ankles, and a heart showing signs of end-of-life wear. She maintains an exhausting routine of baking, cleaning, attending condo meetings, and meticulous household upkeep despite pain and tiredness. Her 40-year-old grandchild experiences many parallel conditions, including a hysterectomy in the late 30s, marrow-related anemia, spine curvature, bowel issues, and anxiety, and shares cancer-related genes and allergies. The two have grown closer, call nightly, recognize shared limits, and draw strength from mutual care and understanding as their bodies change.
Read at Business Insider
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