Drinking Games

Who knew that the drinking games I played in college would come in handy in the future?!?  I surely didn't.  But, today, I used a classic.  Originally, it was played to a TV show or movie.  We'd watch with a large group of people.  At the outset, rules would be established.  For instance, if we were watching South Park, each time someone on the show swore, we'd drink.  If we were watching a chick flick, each time they talked about love or there was kissing, we'd drink.  So, you get the picture.  The idea was to drink, a lot.


So, how did I use said drinking game in my adult life?  First, you need a little background.   Getting the Dancing Queen to eat and drink is one of the biggest challenges in our life!!!  She barely eats when she is healthy and when she is sick, there is not a chance.  The Dancing Queen had been on a nasogastric tube or ng-tube as an infant (feeding tube that goes through the nose into the belly).  When her gastroenterologist was going to place a gastric tube or g-tube (feeding tube surgically placed in her belly), we worked very hard to get her to take milk from a bottle.  We managed to get just enough in her to keep the docs happy (paltry amounts that normal babies would find totally unsatisfying--around 14 ounces a day for most of her first year).  To this day, we work very hard at eating.  The Dancing Queen has even gone through lots of feeding therapy to learn to drink and eat.  Today she still remains always on the verge on needing to get a g-tube placed to up her caloric intake.

Back to the drinking game.  So, the Dancing Queen did indeed get the flu and consequently is not eating or drinking, which is bad.  Dehydration is very hard on her overworked heart, so we've spent many days in the ER getting boluses of IV fluids when the Dancing Queen refuses to drink.  Since she is refusing today, I tried to explain to her that she had to drink to stay out of the hospital.  She was in general agreement with the plan.  She told me that she didn't want to go to the hospital and was dead set against an IV.  Unfortunately, intellectually knowing this is not the same as doing because she still refused to drink.  Her fever spiked again at lunch time and she refused to eat, insisting it was time to sleep.  She was signing "sleep" with such force that her hand was turning red.  Here is where the drinking game came in.  As I read her a nap time story, before I would turn the page, I made her drink.  Amazingly, it worked!  I only had to revert once to chanting "Drink!  Drink! Drink!"

I'm feeling very proud of myself for thinking of this.  If only there was a way to integrate other drinking games from college into adult life.  Hmmm . . .  I'm going to have to drink on this.