OverSixty January 2023 Issue

18 LIFESTYLE ISSUE 3 | JANUARY 2023 | OVERSIXTY.COM.AU Wake up to Coffee MONA CHUNG-CHAO REMINISCE M y dog Coffee is a little black-and-brown Australian terrier. He’s not a particu- larly bright or obedient dog. He’s not even es- pecially loyal. He comes when I call himonly if he feels like it or if I have food in my hand. He confuses every command I give him and has no inkling when I’m upset or injured, so there would be no chance of him ever res- cuing me from a perilous situation like the smart dogs you often read about. But I’m the first to admit that a big part of the problem with Coffee’s attitude is his upbringing: he’s spoilt rotten. My dad is the biggest culprit. While Dad can instil fear in my sister and me just by the tone of his voice, I have never heard him raise his voice at Coffee – no matter how naughty he is. In fact, Coffee only has to look at the biscuit tin and my dad scrambles to get him a snack. Whenever we protest about the unfair treat- ment, a guilty smirk creeps across Dad’s face. It’s become a long-standing family joke that Coffee is the closest thing to a son Dad will ever have. Then, five years ago, our lives were turned upside down when Dad suffered two major strokes in the space of a month, caused by a massive brain haemorrhage. At the time he was in Hong Kong on business and, luckily, my Mum and sister were with him. I was in Melbourne, studying at university, but left Coffee with a relative and hopped on the first plane as soon as I heard the news. Unfortunately, the prognosis wasn’t good and the doctors told us that, most likely, Dad would not pull through. For four long months it was touch and go as he remained unconscious in intensive care. Mentally, he was non-responsive. However, he was still able to move and would frequently thrash about, trying to pull out the tubes that were keeping him alive. Within a 30-minute period, he would make an average of five attempts. His move- ments were swift and strong and we had to take turns standing by his bedside to protect him. We were exhausted after every shift but grateful that he was still alive. As the months went by, I started to miss Coffee terribly. I couldn’t help but talk about him constantly, often recalling the silly little things he would do. Mum and my sister en- joyed the light relief immensely and anyCof- fee stories would always make them laugh. In fact, it was the only way we kept up our spirits during those tense four months, and the intensive care nurses often commented that we were the happiest family in one of the most serious situations they’d ever seen. In time, we became able to assist the nurses in conducting their routine check- ups on Dad. One way of testing whether there was any improvement in his mental state was to ask basic questions that would generate “yes” or “no” answers from him. “Is your name Francis?” “Are you a man?” A silly dog pulls my family through the worst crisis we had ever faced BONUS SECTION