Monday 27 August 2007

Sandwich Generation

I spent the entire morning at the hospital. Mum had an appointment with the neurosurgeon, followed by the specialist doctor from the radiotherapy department. It has been decided that she will go for the radiotherapy treatment to stunt the growth of the tumour in her head.

We spent too many hours waiting to see the doctors. In the end, I had to rush off to pick up SK from school and send him for math tuition leaving my brother, who took the day off from work, to finish up the scheduling of treatment dates and other paperwork.

Just as I was leaving the hospital, my best friend was about to visit the same hospital with her dad who is seeking treatment for the pain in his legs. She had also taken the day off to accompany her dad to the hospital.

We belong to the group called The Sandwich Generation. I just found out there are 3 types of sandwiches:

Traditional: those sandwiched between aging parents who need care and/or help and their own children.

Club Sandwich: those in their 50s or 60s, sandwiched between aging parents, adult children and grandchildren. OR Those in their 30s and 40s, with young children, aging parents and grandparents.(Term coined by Carol Abaya)

Open Faced: anyone else involved in elder care. (Term coined by Carol Abaya)

So.... that'll make me a Traditional Sandwich! Good thing I'm not a club sandwich, it's too much for me right now. I'm on a diet.

Oh, almost forgot... I think Rusty is having conjunctivitis again. His left eye looks puffy and watery. I still have the eye wash and ointment from his last visit to the vet. Maybe he's too short and inquisitive. When he's out exploring in the yard, the lizards or toads eject toxins that get into his eyes...that's probably why.

Hmm, maybe I'm not a traditional sandwich afterall. There must be a name for people like us, involved in caring for kids, parents and pets....

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

gosh... i might be a tuna fish sandwich??? ha dont know... good luck with the hospital visits...

Unknown said...

You will be a gourmet sandwich dear Blur!

Mike Minzes said...

Jyankee is a new kind of sandwich. She is a Joker Deluxe with cheese. HA

I hope things work out with the hospital visits.

Anonymous said...

Random's right, Blur. You're in a class by yourself!

Unknown said...

You tricked me again. I thought I'll be looking at pictures of dry sandwiches and microwave pasta from the hospital cafeteria.

Sending well wishes to your mom and comfort your way.

Blur Ting said...

Ha ha, Seagrape! Thanks for humoring me. I'll show you the real sandwiches when I go back there next time :-)

Thanks RM and Holly. I feel like a glamorous gourmet sandwich! :-)
Wait, let me put some caviar on my head!

Nourishing Relationships said...

You seem to be keeping all the balls in the air with the help of a good sense of humor. Don't forget to add taking care of yourself to the list.

The Real Mother Hen said...

well said, actually i do feel like a sandwich, must be the English cucumber sandwich on Asian "pao", since I struggle between aging parents and husband! :)

Blur Ting said...

Thanks for the great advice Rosemary, I'm taking care of myself :-)

MH, you must be what they call the 'fusion' kind of sandwich - a mix of the East and the West!

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