Left Neglected

Sarah struggles to dress herself. She has a colorful sock on her left foot to make it easier to find. Trying to coordinate finding her foot and lassoing her pant leg makes her topple from the wheelchair. Helen catches her, then helps pull up Sarah’s pants. They will not zip because Sarah has gained weight, but she refuses to let Helen buy her bigger pants.

Helen says that Sarah must learn to accept her situation, which infuriates Sarah, exposing her suppressed feelings towards her mother. Sarah still feels unable to talk about their past relationship.

Dressing herself above the waist is impossible for Sarah, so she lets her mother dress her, feeling humiliated. Sarah manages to button three buttons on her shirt, which impresses Heidi as she enters the room.

Heidi suggests Sarah wear clothes that are simpler to put on, which makes Sarah cry, as it seems like she is giving up. Sarah thinks “accept and adjust” means “lose and fail.”

When Sarah begins trying to put on her watch, she looks at Heidi’s sports watch, which hooks easily around the wrist. She offers to trade her diamond Cartier watch, which is a daily source of frustration to put on.