"wearing nothing but a smile"

Her biggest attribute,according to her family was to wear make up all the times.

She was brought in to hospital with second stroke.Her brain was affected in ways of functioning:communication,perception and control.She was not the same person as she was a week ago.That was the statement by her family.She always wanted to look good.

The days were turning up into weeks.As we were dealing with her on a day to day basis her new attribute appeared as a smiling face.She still looked wonderful wearing nothing but a smile.

After all that happened to her,there she was with a drooling asymmetric face with a smile.

The prognosis was that she will never be the same by the stroke or some may say by the stroke of her luck. She may never need a mirror.

I wondered as whether that was an irony or natures balancing act,by taking away something in pairs and giving back in singles.

"our design as a human being"

Are we designed to have a Foley's catheter,a tracheostomy tube,a gastrostomy tube?

The question was actually a statement by many of us,we think out loud at times like that.

He was suffering for years from a host of illnesses of mind and body.He survived his siblings without knowing that.He remained in hospital being taken care of his body needs;skin care,infection prevention,nutrition support.

In his case,the quantity of life had way surpassed the quality issue.To be honest the quality was not that bigger issue from the beginning.The subject of cost at the end of life care,the emotional attachment of doing unselfish good,job security to have chronic patients,all can be applicable here.

To some,our design as a human being is well accommodating,to have tubes put into our bodies.This gives us a survival edge.
To others,no amount of intervention even putting our mouth on their mouth bring them back to us.This is life.