Oh hypochondria, how I hate thee. Why? Because my grandmother is a hypochondriac, and she makes life miserable for those around her.
The holidays are supposed to be a joyful time. But they never are when my grandmother is around. She is like a dementor from Happy Potter, she sucks the very happiness from the air around her. She feeds off your positive feelings until you are left as barren as desert sand. One problem in particular: she thinks she is allergic to cats. I own a cat. While granny is here, my cat must remain locked up in my room, since I have to tend to grandmother constantly because she is so needy. What granny doesn't know is that when she isn't here, cat has free range of the entire house. Cat dander and fur aplenty, since no vacuuming will get it all. In fact, the grandmother's armchair is a favorite place for the cat to sleep. It is a hilarious irony, since during these past few days, grandmother hasn't had any reactive 'episodes' despite sitting in a chair full of cat fur. But the moment I bring my cat downstairs with me just to cuddle in my arms, she has an 'asthma attack', which is purely psychological.
She's a hateful old woman, 87 years old, who has been like this for her entire life, always thinking she is ill with this problem or that. Funnily enough, her 14 different doctors declare her healthy and sound. According to her,
they are wrong since every ache or sniffle is a broken bone or pneumonia. She doesn't have asthma, and her lung function is great. Her doctor's just feed her lorazapam, she takes up to 12 a day (can anyone say 'benzodiazepine addiction' twelve times really fast?). She has 'attacks' often, if she consumes something she thinks she is 'allergic' to. Short speak for a small panic attack because she works herself up into tizzy. Yea, of course you're going to have tachycardia when you're freaking out about a little strawberry jam sweetened with splenda (she was fine eating is several times until she bothered to read the ingredients).
Thankfully, she is going home tomorrow. She wonders why people visit so rarely. She drains them of life, makes others feel the misery she creates for herself. There are people who will never be happy in life, and she is one of them. I gave up long ago trying to show her that the glass is half full, since she refuses to believe in such a thing. Being around her for too long just makes me feel so depressed. I know yesterday I was inadvertently getting moody with my sister, because I'd been constantly around that woman's hatefulness for several days. A walk with the dogs and spending time with the chickens made me feel better, but once she is gone, oh it will be amazing.
The holidays are supposed to be a joyful time. But they never are when my grandmother is around. She is like a dementor from Happy Potter, she sucks the very happiness from the air around her. She feeds off your positive feelings until you are left as barren as desert sand. One problem in particular: she thinks she is allergic to cats. I own a cat. While granny is here, my cat must remain locked up in my room, since I have to tend to grandmother constantly because she is so needy. What granny doesn't know is that when she isn't here, cat has free range of the entire house. Cat dander and fur aplenty, since no vacuuming will get it all. In fact, the grandmother's armchair is a favorite place for the cat to sleep. It is a hilarious irony, since during these past few days, grandmother hasn't had any reactive 'episodes' despite sitting in a chair full of cat fur. But the moment I bring my cat downstairs with me just to cuddle in my arms, she has an 'asthma attack', which is purely psychological.
She's a hateful old woman, 87 years old, who has been like this for her entire life, always thinking she is ill with this problem or that. Funnily enough, her 14 different doctors declare her healthy and sound. According to her,
Thankfully, she is going home tomorrow. She wonders why people visit so rarely. She drains them of life, makes others feel the misery she creates for herself. There are people who will never be happy in life, and she is one of them. I gave up long ago trying to show her that the glass is half full, since she refuses to believe in such a thing. Being around her for too long just makes me feel so depressed. I know yesterday I was inadvertently getting moody with my sister, because I'd been constantly around that woman's hatefulness for several days. A walk with the dogs and spending time with the chickens made me feel better, but once she is gone, oh it will be amazing.