Char Solomon's Blog

• And now, cancer

  July 24, 2008

  • Months have passed peacefully since the shunt operation to relieve the fluid build-up on my father's brain. He returned to being more stable and communicative, and I am grateful for the gift of each day. His voice, however, once so deep and resonant, became weak and raspy. A speech therapist worked with him for a month but found she was unable to bring him any change and so, she recommended he ...
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• Giving care and letting go: reflections on an aging parent

  March 31, 2008

  • As March winds down, I feel spring ease into my soul. The winter's search for a diagnosis and treatment for my father's health issues is finally over. His symptoms were so similar to dementia, and with every test that was run, my fears increased. Was this an inevitable spiral downward for him? Would he lose all moments of clarity? It was terrible to witness his confusion, his loss of ...
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• Giving care and letting go: reflections on an aging parent

  January 29, 2008

  • As I head out to take my 85-year-old father to another follow up doctor's appointment, I'm reminded of the deeply moving blog entry by author Patry Francis (http://www.patryfrancis.com/) who has been battling cancer. She wrote about an experience in her oncologist's waiting room, where the antics of her toddler grandchild brought people together and opened them up to talk and share stories with ...
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• Giving care and letting go: reflections on an aging parent

  January 20, 2008

  • These past few months have been an emotional roller coaster: Calls from my father at odd times in the day of panic and confusion. "What will I wear?" "I can't seem to get out of bed. How will I get to breakfast?" "I'm at the bus station in Concord, coming to see you." "I'm so sorry to keep calling you, but I don't understand what's going on." His once ...
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• Guilt, the Motherlode

  January 14, 2008

  • I confess to being born guilty. How do I know? It was instilled in me from my first breath.I would like to connect with people who feel this way, too: people who have found ways to get past their sense of guilt to lead productive lives. Writing helps keep me sane. Teaching keeps my feet firmly planted. Friends and chosen family are the sources of my creativity and my strength. For these, I will ...
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