Why Bother

Chapter Six
Scene [6]

Why Bother

         Renee had kept her hair long since she graduated from high school in 1992.  Her rich auburn locks would seem to glow when they were clean and combed.  One of the kind things Nina, her older sister, would do when she visited her at Town Manor was braid in some ribbons, then curl the braids up into buns like Princess Leia.

         Even in her altered state, Renee seemed to know just what the female makeup thing was all about.  She would hold still while Nina did her hair and Mom added a little lipstick and a small amount of eye shadow.  On more than one occasion I’d swear I saw her press her lips together to even out the lipstick.

         When done, they would hold up a mirror to her.  She appeared to look at and recognize her face.  She was a stunningly beautiful young woman.

         The Town Manor staff would occasionally have to trim the back of her neck hair some to prevent tangling with the ties needed to keep her trachea device in place.  Just a little razor work to eliminate the fuzz.

         However, when she was moved to Mary Immaculate though, things changed.  The MI staff was more concerned with the possibility her hair would drag in the phloem from her trach and harbor bacteria.

         I don’t remember which chaperon was with us when the suggestion was made to trim a little of her hair to solve the potential problem.  But it sounded like a logical thing to do.


Home, Londonderry, NH
1998/12/07 18:45 Monday  [Don]
         Monday evening, a day after our latest visit, Maura called and said, “My God, they chopped her hair off.”

         “Really?”  Oops, I guess we didn’t tell you.  “Her beautiful hair?”

         She sounded very upset.  “This is outrageous.  I’m so sorry.”

         You ditz.  Something happens you didn’t authorize and you feel your authority was usurped?

         Maura said, almost blubbering, “This is unacceptable.  I will investigate.”

         You are concerned about a little hair and what she looks like, but you don’t care that her contractures are hurting her and she needs flexing?

         I said, “I thought you had to approve things like that.”  I hope my smirk wasn’t apparent through the telephone.



         Nina called later that evening.  She was upset that we can't visit Renee more often to give her the PT she needs.

         I said, “I have mentioned it to Maura several times, but she seems more concerned about Renee’s hair right now.”

         Nina said, “Her hair?  What’s her hair got to do with it?”

         I said, “MI trimmed her hair and didn’t bother to tell Maura about it.  Now she’s all pissed off.”

         Nina paused for a second then said, “I wish that woman would get real...  Can you have Michelle pose the PT problem to the court as a requirement?”

         “Maybe, but I'm afraid that if we go that way we will alienate all the Legals.  Who knows how that would effect our guardianship chances.”


Caffrey & Smith's Law Office, Lawrence, MA
1998/12/08 09:35-10:06 Tuesday  [Don]
         The next morning, I took the van down to Maura’s office to pickup Renee's stuff the police had finally released.  The downtown Lawrence area has almost no available street parking after about 8:00 AM.  I had to park two blocks away in a private lot.  It was about the only time I’ve ever been glad I had a business sign on the side of the van.  I convinced the attendant I was only picking up a few boxes and wouldn’t be more than a half hour.

         I brought a dolly to handle the 5 boxes, 2 posters, and 2 folding chairs.  It took two trips to the van, but I finished at 9:50.  Then I waited for Maura to find the police inventory sheet from Town Manor and to write a $339.53 reimbursement check for clothing we had to buy for Renee while all her things were impounded.

         She again apologized for the hair cut.

         Should I tell her we knew about it?  ...Shut up and just let her talk.  Wait a minute, maybe this is my chance.

         I said, “I’m really more concerned about Renee’s contractures.  The last time I flexed her, she seemed a lot tighter.”

         Maura said, “That was why I went over there yesterday.  They said they could do some PT, but they generally agree with the state that it’s hopeless, so why bother.  Then I saw Renee’s hair.”

         “Did they say how much they could do... how long?”

         “Just what they normally do.  I will find out who did this terrible thing.”

         Forget the damn hair.  “Maybe Ferne could see her, unaccompanied, more often.”

         “That’s their decision.  But with this screw-up, maybe they will be more accommodating.”

         Do you even realize that hair will grow back, but bones and tendons won’t.

         I left her office and bought a coffee with cream and sugar on the side for the lot attendant.  He thanked me and didn’t charge me the $10.00 a day fee.



         I unloaded Renee's stuff into our living room.  We had planned to visit Renee as scheduled later that evening.  So, Ferne had volunteered to inventory her stuff and sort out anything not ours when she got off work Wednesday.

         I was just about to go out the door on another errand, when Jane Ellis, the next up rotation chaperon, called and said she was available to meet me at MI in 45 minutes if I wanted to visit Renee early.

         I dropped my plans and raced down to Lawrence again and arrived at MI a little after 12:30.  Jane arrived at 12:58.  We visited with ‘Bridget’ until 14:00.

         When we walked into Renee’s room, I saw what Maura was so upset about.  My word!  Her hair is short.  It was only about two inches long all over her head... and too much to hold back my snicker.  They cut it like an old lady’s hair.

         I kissed her on the forehead and said, “New hairdo, sweetheart?  You’ll be much cooler now.”

         I couldn’t tell if Jane knew, or cared, about the hair flap.  Or, what Jane may have thought of Maura.  I was smart enough not to ask.

         As I started flexing Renee’s hands, Jane told me about her medical therapist experience while she was studying law.  She showed me how to stretch Renee’s thumbs out to make her fingers more flexible.

         When I started on her feet, I said, “I think she gets cramps.  Her toes spread and she whimpers sometimes.  When I flex her feet she relaxes.”

         Jane said, “Of course.  Everybody gets cramps from long periods of immobility.  The problem is, she can’t tell us.  It’s good that you are observant.”

         I said, “I don’t know if she will ever use her feet again.  But, as a quality of life issue, she has to get PT.”

         “That’s the case for many nursing home patients.  It can be really sad sometimes.”

         It was a pleasure to have someone who seemed to really care for Renee with me.  Also, someone who actually knew what Renee’s medical complications were all about.

         Apart from all the other chaperons, Jane seemed to trust me, too.  While I played Mozart for Renee and did her PT, Jane checked with the desk about a PT/OT consult...  "Rose" said they started them today but couldn’t elaborate on what they did or how long.

         Jane also spent a little time reviewing Renee’s chart and found a disturbing entry.  She did not tell me about it though, until she had a chance to check it out.


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