The Pink Straw

In our home, or maybe just in Immi's world, straws are sacrosanct!   You may only touch them by permission and use them at your peril!  Actually, there are levels of straw importance; green straws are actually pretty worthless, others are often allowed to use these. Yellow straws definitely have higher status and are less likely to be given away.  But the most precious of all are the pink straws, woe betide you if you take a pink straw without asking!  The other day I put a purple straw in Immi's drink, thinking it was a pink straw (I swear on a Dulux colour chart it would only be one, maybe two shades away!) I heard her muttering to herself, or more correctly, to the straw, "I don't want you, you stinky straw!" and saw her take it out, throw it in the sink and go and find a pink one from the straw dispenser - Yes, I eventually gave in a bought a straw dispenser for the pesky plastic creatures that were taking over my kitchen!

'Why have you allowed her to become obsessed with straws?' I hear you cry (Oh sorry that was me!!) IIt wasn't deliberate, but there are a mix of circumstances that have lead to today.  Firstly, due to the hemiplegia (doctors think she had a stroke when she was younger) the right side of her body is weak, this includes her mouth.  She finds it hard to pronounce words quickly, struggling to keep up with others when singing a song.  But also it seems to have made it harder for her to drink from a cup without a straw.  She is better now than she used to be, but still definitely finds it harder, choosing to have a straw if possible.  If she has a cup it will take much longer to drink, just little sips at a time and will most likely leave most of it.  So we got into a habit of giving her a straw when possible, just to get as much drink into her as we could.  This was especially pertinent when we discovered that one of the side effects of a drug she is taking for epilepsy can be kidney stones!  - Anything to get her to drink more is a plus!
However, little were we prepared for the HF Autism to kick in!  One of the aspects of Autism that can occur in some is obsessive behaviour.  I have to say, as I look at her now, I could imagine her obsession with the straws to be far worse.  She could take the dispenser everywhere, lining them up rain man style all around the house, thankfully she doesn't, she leaves them in the dispenser on the kitchen table.  However, we see it come out in an obsessional determination and mindblindness (another aspect of Autism that means they cannot see from another person's perspective) which tells her that the straws are hers, with a Gollum like possession that only those with powerful persuasive skills can draw from her!  And also that in a strange straw caste system, the pink straws are superior to any others, simply for being pink!  I say hurray for the purple and green straws that I can use as a negotiation device when we have visiting kids!
When we go out to someone's house, or to a cafe a lot of work and preparation has gone in over the years to get her to the point she is at now of being able to accept the answer of the host/waiter that they don't have straws, or (the worst of all worsts) they only have black straws! (What were they thinking?!)
I am proud of how she copes now with 'the straw issue' in public - although I do wish the person who taught her that the best way to get the paper off a McDonald's straw is to tear off one end and then just blow - sending it flying across the room, hadn't done so!!