Ponder Post: Oscar

I bought this book for $1 at our local Dollar Tree store because I'd vaguely remembered hearing about a cat that could sense when someone was about to die far more accurately than any medical indicators. The cat would stay by that person's side until they passed. The book is titled Making Rounds with Oscar by David Dosa, M.D. Dr Dosa is a geriatrician, a specialist in taking care of the elderly – as opposed to a pediatrician, who cares for the young.

One does not need to be a cat-lover for this book.
The feline is secondary to the tale.

Although I'd bought and read this book a couple months ago, I hesitated - no, avoided – blogging about it because it addresses such a depressing topic, people dying in nursing homes due to dementia. But the book was very heartwarming and poignant and reflected on the unlearning process during the end of life, in contrast to the blossoming learning at the early stages of life. The brain after all is an organ, too. Just as it develops in youth, it degenerates in age. Degeneration is just so much easier to accept and understand and compensate for when it's the heart or the kidneys or the lungs. I recently loaned the book out to a friend who is going through a tough time with her husband and so I reflected again on the stories in Making Rounds with Oscar.

Yes, there is a cat in the story, and a pretty remarkable and compassionate one at that, but it is the families of the elderly and not he that are the stars. The cat is the vehicle for the telling of the tales of each person's final hours and the reflections of the loved ones of those dying. It gives great insight into the odd habits and failing minds developed at the end of life, and leads to a greater understanding of the changes taking place as a person approaches death. I have much better insight now into my own dad's final days, though we were fortunate enough that he stayed pretty spry and lucid until the last few weeks of his 98 years.

My dad in 1998 at age 85.

What tipped the scales on me changing my mind and writing a post about this book was, oddly enough, the Super Bowl commercials this past weekend. This year the ads took on a softer side, not so much focused on drunken debauchery, big boobs, and careening cars, but instead, addressing family relationships, safety, and nurturing attitudes. I think this was a breath of fresh air in advertising that benefitted this nation of ours. So many of our sit coms and evening talk shows today thrive on some sort of put-down, derogatory humor.

Nobody wants to read a blog post that is negative and depressing, but I would like to consider this an uplifting topic, worthy of consideration. Tears streamed down my face for a lot of the time I was reading this book. But it was cathartic and will help me be more empathetic toward those with an aging parent, spouse, sibling, or friend with similar issues. I am glad I took the time to read and absorb this short, succinct view on the effects of dementia on the aged and its impact on their loved ones. The language was simple; the message was clear; the recounting of the stories was heartfelt. I think I became a bit better person for having read Making Rounds with Oscar.