Socializing "under the influence of oxytocin" (by proxy) is fun! It's a type of fun that only a caregiver of someone who used to suffer from HO can appreciate! Instead of constantly being on high alert every time Sasha moves out of sight to follow him around like a conjoined twin lest he have access to food he isn't permitted to eat, I can relax. Instead of feeling completely stressed every time food appears on the scene and have to strategize on how to get him away from it, I can watch him take a moderate helping and not necessarily eat it all up. Now when we are at parties, I can even concentrate on having a conversation with another adult without having to keep an hawk eye on Sasha's whereabouts!
Sasha has also been enjoying himself more at social events.
We are attending a family camp for visually impaired people (another one of his disabilities from the brain tumor) this weekend. While at camp, we still have been mindful in knowing his general whereabouts but each time we (habitually) went to "see what Sasha was up to", we saw him chatting up people and (to our shock) NOT near food or in search of food. I caught myself on at least six occasions today noticing the moments he did NOT ask for food- it was weird indeed... All that time and energy he used to spend focusing on food... anticipating his next snack or meal, envying the other people's food, complaining about the snack that he got which was inadequate for his appetite, scheming the opportunity to sneak some food, feeling ashamed for being caught stealing food, arguing and having emotional meltdowns about food, etc. There was a strange absence of these events and in their place was a spacious quality, a liberation...peace. Now, Sasha can save that energy and time for enjoying the activities and company of other people at a party... And so can I!!
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