Whenever I visit, he is watching simple brainless shows on the tv. Kids shows and other background noise. Not the sort of shows Frank would watch before his stroke. When I asked him about the fact that he hasn't been reading, he acknowledged what I suspected: it takes too much effort to focus on complicated books and documentaries, and the long dull days at Kalorama are robbing him of his energy and enthusiasm. Those of you who have spend a long period of time at home with illness or unemployment will recognize how listless and gloomy this makes the mind. Frank is certainly experiencing this sort of listlessness. He doesn't want to read any more. And those of you that know Frank will understand why this worries me. When you become indifferent about the thing that always brought beauty to your life, what else is left?
So I've been trying to find things that keep him interested, preferably things with less than 600 pages. Yesterday I brought him the paper and he was very pleased with this. He lost interest after the first two pages, but still, those 15 minutes during which he was taking an interest in something was what I had wanted to bring about. Today I have printed out his favourite webcomics. My printer sadly passed away (it's okay, he lived a long and full life and printed many history essays) after the first thirty pages of comics but I can still bring him the April publications of '' Least I Could Do' and 'Dork Tower'.
Can someone else please print the April material of 'Questionable Content' for him?
I really think what Frank needs at the moment is things to raise his spirit and drive away his listlessness, so if you have a question about Ghurka battle techniques that you always wanted to ask him, or a comic he really needs to read, now is the time.
-Rense
It is one I visit daily, no problem to run off a copy for Frank.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenmaybe some comic books? I love reading almost more than oxygen, but after a big surgery I had, I couldn't concentrate either. Comics saved the day, then..
BeantwoordenVerwijderenSaskia
As long as the book is not too heavy and the back of the book is not too stiff it is no problem.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenFrom your description I get the distinct impression Frank may be starting to suffer from a clinical depression, and under the circumstances that would not be very strange. Do they have a psychologist or something like that at Kalorama? I'd really have someone look into it. I recognize the signs from my own long struggle with depression (many years ago, thankfully).
BeantwoordenVerwijderenWalter
Hoi Rense,
BeantwoordenVerwijderenHerkenbaar. Na de geboorte van Francis was ik ook een tijdje erg zwak en slapjes en kwam weinig buiten. Ik voelde me geestelijk flink achteruit gaan. En wat Frank doormaakt is natuurlijk veel erger en verstorender voor zijn beeld van zichzelf.
Ik zou zeker serieus kijken naar de mogelijkheid van een depressie. En hem verder natuurlijk stimuleren met de dingen die hij wel kan.
Groet en sterkte,
Jennifer
Hi rense, you express the same worry that I sense. Next week we will have a conversation with the treatment team and we certainky will mention this (and I have already mentioned it to the nurse I spoke to during the weekend). I hope they can give Frank some medication to uplift his mood and at the same time stimulates his energy/drive to do something.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenEsther