MetaChat - She was too weak to eat

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15 July 2008

She was too weak to eat →[More:]There's an old woman who hangs outside the supermarket near my house. She sometimes comes to the mosque and waits at the gate hoping that someone will give her a handout. Yesterday, she was standing near a fast-food joint when she collapsed. The people near her picked her up and bought her some food to eat, and a bottle of water to drink. The woman was able to drink the water, but couldn't swallow the food. Her throat muscles weren't strong enough I'm assuming. It's being rumoured that she passed away.

post by: hadjiboy at: 22:23 | 2 comments

How sad. :(
Sometimes if you're very starved and dehydrated it's better to start with liquids. If they got her to a hospital they'd put her on an IV, not give her solid food. I guess it's just a lot for your stomach to handle all at once.

I hope she ends up OK. It always breaks my heart to see old women begging, since I figure they were never raised to know how to deal with being all on their own. Women of a certain age were so often raised with the assumption they would have a husband to take care of them, and then kids. One wrench in the plans... can't have kids, or her husband dies young, and you have a situiation like this. My mom had a lot of patients who went into nursing homes just because they had no where else to turn.

posted by kellydamnit 15 July | 22:54

So terrible to hear this. It brings to mind the tenuous hold we have on life...

I have a soft spot for old women...they can seem so fragile. I hope she finds comfort and peace.

posted by mightshould 16 July | 07:28

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