Am I egg bounding mum?

[Sajehar]

Its now 3 months since me mum left hospital following a stroke. She lost over a stone in weight and she was slim to begin with. I've succeeded in making her gain her normal weight back by employing all sorts of tricks and stratagems but her appetite is still poor. The only meal I can guarantee her eating is breakfast. But she will only eat scrambled eggs or omlettes, nothing else is acceptable!
I try to vary the eggs by including fried onions, tomatoes, bacon, and wallop in a handful of cheese in the omlettes. She also insists that I use four eggs and watches me like a hawk. I've changed from using medium eggs to small (she doesn't know the difference) but even so I'm worried that she may become egg bound. Does egg bound as a condition even exist, or is it an old wives tale? Am I worrying unnecessarily?
Even when she refuses to eat any dinner or tea (sometimes both) at least she's getting a hearty breakfast, and I keep her well supplied with fruit which she loves and always has done.
For instance, yesterday throughout the day and early evening, she worked her way through a punnet of black cherries, half a large punnet of black and white grapes, a small bowl of nuked (to soften them) apple quarters, three apricots and blackberries I picked from the golf course. She can no longer eat nuts which she used to be addicted to so I've introduced her to seeds as a substitute. I leave a small bowl of sesame, sunflower and poppy seeds on her armchair side table, which she eats by the teaspoon full. I also leave a small bowl with her fave chocs: chunks of fry's Turkish delight, Aldi white chocolate and jaffa cakes.
For the past week now she's refused point blank to eat any tea, and I've found the dinner snacks I've made her (cheese toasties, etc) all over the place: stuffed down the side of her armchair, at the back of drawers, etc. Is it possible that my mother is developing an eating disorder?
On top of all that she refused to eat her fave meal of pork faggots, peas and cauliflower cheese last night because she's now a vegetarian. This was news to me, so I told her to just eat the veggies. She couldn't because the pork faggots had 'contaminated' the veggies apparently.
If mum wants to be a vegetarian that's fine with me. So, for today's breckie I left out the bacon and made sure I fried the mushrooms, onions and tomatoes with olive oil and not the beef dripping. I should've know better. She threw a right wobbly, demanding her bacon. When I told her that she'd told me she wanted to be a vegetarian she accused me of being fecking mad, why the feck would she want to be a fecking vegetarian. Only fecking hippies were vegetarians (she's been watching too much Mrs Brown's boys!)

If there are any trained nutritionists out there who can advise me about the egg bound thing I'd much appreciate it. As well as her 4 egg omlette this morning she insisted on a fried egg buttie this afternoon. That's 5 eggs in one day!

[bowlingbun]

Sorry, I had a good laugh at this! It actually sums up the trials and tribulations of being a carer totally. Sometimes you just can't win. If mum is having 5 eggs a day, they are full of protein, so she won't be malnourished, although they are high in cholesterol. My knowledge of "egg bound" is limited, however if mum is not constipated, let her carry on. As people get older they don't need so much to eat, especially if not exercising. Putting on weight puts more strain on the joints, so if mum is maintaining roughly her normal weight, don't worry.

[Sajehar]

That's what amazes me most about being a carer. How variable it is. One minute you think you're doing great. Then you plummet. It's a total roller coaster. I know I've been whinging like mad but a bit of me feels privileged too. It's the contradictions I can't get my head around. Is this normal?
I've taken to lying to her. The podiatrist is from the NHS not private, etc. If she knew we were paying £25 for this visit she'd have a fit. She already has tried to call it off. To prove her point, she tried to cut her own nails, and bloodied her feet in the process. "See, I can cut my own toenails."
They're like stone, despite my best care. We need a professional to sort them out, and I've called one in. God knows how this visit will go. I've let her know not to let my mum know she's private... what more can I do?

[bowlingbun]

Yes, continual contradictions describes it very well. Although we don't sign up to any formal "employment" contract stating our aims, as carers our priorities have to be keeping our loved ones well, fed, clean, and happy, in no particular order. So if mum needs her toe nails cut by a chiropodist, that's the key issue. Telling a little white lie about whether the chiropodist is NHS or private is less important than actually getting them cut.

[Anne001]

Absolutely. Not an ideal diet but if mum is happy, who cares? If she is eating a good breakfast and loads of fruit, then that's already more food than my mum eats.

Half a dozen eggs and Mrs Brown's boys and hopefully you will have some peace. How about doing the eggs Turkish style for a bit of a change. Fry up onion, tomatoes, pepper, a little bit of chilli and mix with scrambled eggs.

I know what you mean about changing goalposts. Mum's favourite meal last week was Shepherds Pie, this week she doesn't like potatoes and by serving that I am trying to poison her. She also had roast chicken this week which apparently she has never tried in her life

[Struggling Hill]

Oh this is funny

[crocus]

Sometimes you just have to go along with your caree. Little white lies never hurt anyone, so dont worry about it. I think we all tell white lies to our carees to keep them happy
My mum is another one who eats a lot of eggs - she likes a couple of boiled eggs and some bread and butter for her dinner. I think a lot of elderly people eat some very strange things, but at least she is eating.
Good luck with the chiropodist.

[Sajehar]

Thanks for all of your responses. It's a load of my mind and has helped put things into perspective. Her weight (so far) is stable, she's as regular as clock work and is practically armchair bound. So her energy needs are hardly those of a marathon runner! If she wants eggs, she can have em to her hearts content. Face facts, at 83 shes living on borrowed time. I should let her take her pleasures where she can and stop being such a worry guts (her description of me when I nag her about eating.)
The Turkish scrambled eggs sound great, minus the chilli as mum's tastes are extremely conservative. For instance, I served up lasagne (my parents had never eaten it before.) My dad loved it, but mum left the pasta calling it slimy. Yet both now love moussaka. But only because I told them it was cottage pie with a twist. If I'd told them it was Greek food they would've refused point blank to even try it, as they have no truck with 'foreign muck.' Somehow Chinese food doesn't count as 'foreign.' Wheres the logic in that!
We're watching the Wright Stuff on 5+ right now, and mum's just asked me what I'm doing on that book thing (my laptop.) I told her I'm on a forum. Her response: Are you a communist now? That'll be a five minute wonder.
There's no answer to that!

[Anne001]

I love the comments .

Mum recently viewed my walking sandals and asked "are you turning lesbian? Just because you are looking after me, there is no need to let yourself go. Can't you afford decent shoes?"

[Bluebird]

This is by far the most amusing topic I have read!!

I love the comments .

Mum recently viewed my walking sandals and asked "are you turning lesbian? Just because you are looking after me, there is no need to let yourself go. Can't you afford decent shoes?"

sooooo funny

Sajehar, as most have said before me, just go with the flow, you sound like you are doing a great job and as long as your Mum is happy then that is the most important thing and makes caring a lot easier for you.