General Chat

Huia and all

Yes I have been keeping my head down but it do not do a bit of good at golf today for I had a 99 and that is seriously over my age. I think I had told you of my "Week of It" well I am sure there is a sequel called "Another Week of It".
Now I am going to bore you with my ailments. On Friday had a nagging pain in the left side of my abdomen. I got my cell phone in my pocket (for emergency) unlocked the deadlocked door (so some one could get in) had a lot of saliva come into my mouth but did not feel sick. The saliva seemed to just keep coming. Rang my nurse daughter and organised a doctor's appt. The couple of panadol helped. Blood test and Faeces (now I am getting down to the nitty-gritty detail). On Sunday evening tossed and turned for an hour unable to sleep with similar symptoms. In the morning I emailed Dr. giving the details of the second occurrence. Arrived home at 11.10 after dropping BH to care centre to hear message that he had arranged an appointment for 11.15. Drove there and after a few more prods he organised a CT scan which turned out to be a stone making its way down to the bladder.
Huia, as one who has had a pretty stressful managerial position, I always had the view that the most dangerous time was when the stress had abated and you think you can relax then BAM WHAM when you have no need for the adrenalin, payment time for the stress suddenly sneaks up on you. This actually happened to me driving into work after a fortnights holiday and after seeing the doctor was put off for a month.
So take things carefully and slowly and see your doctor so that you can talk about it. It is a bit like going away for a holiday and not enjoying the first week because you had not unwound properly to enjoy it.
Oh Gee! I wonder if I should go and have a lie down I have scared myself now. Just teasing will sit down and read the newspaper instead.

Regards

Bob

Jean, you might be too far away to be of physical help but you are all a wonderful help to me emotionally. I dont know how I would have survived without my internet friends. The first 8 months of this year I have had a Siamese twin and have had no social life so it was great to be able to 'chat' with friends on here. I hadnt realised how important a social life was. Not that I go to high society dos/does/doos/
(how is the word spelt?) things or out to the pub, but just going to choir and genealogy meetings and so on.
It is raining here so I guess the odd job man wont be coming to mow my lawns today so I might go and do some shopping later on in the day.

Huia.

Hope you are soon better Huia. Do you think you may be having a reaction to the years of stress and the sudden removal of it? You take care, we are all too far away to be of physical help.

Does nobody care anymore? Or are you keeping your head well down, Bob?

I could have used a carer the last couple of days. I had either a very severe case of hayfever or a very heavy cold or flu. I am recovering now, but I didnt go to see my OH yesterday. I might go the day after tomorrow unless I have a relapse.

Huia.

You certainly are a devil for punishment, Bob.

I spoke to the charge nurse in the hospital yesterday. She suggested that they could take Phil off the sedatives which are making him hard to understand, and put him on a different medication which should improve his memory (I dont see how) and make him more amenable to reason. The only problem is that after a 3 month free trial, if it works, I will have to pay $100 per month, but I agreed. I just hope that if the money runs out he will have 'lost it' by then anyway so can come off the drugs. At present when I visit he doesnt show any great interest in sitting and talking to me but I have to visit in case he has a good day.

Sharron, I am so glad you are feeling you are getting your life back again. It is not much fun having a Siamese twin holding you back. Enjoy yourself.

Huia.

Hi Huia and all

Yes I am back on deck! That was "A Week of It". It was lucky I missed golf for they were rained out after ten holes. Your would not believe what happened Sat afternoon. dropped of the old computer monitor to the depot for the annual re-cycling. Did I have a job finding Gaunt St.
I knew that was where the old tram barns had been but for the life of me I could not remember where that was exactly. All my car map books had been taken from the other car and left at home. I popped into a tourist shop sqizzed at the map and found it. When driving on a free left turn saw a lean mean green bus coming from the right in the lane I was going to occupy so thought (as with recent experience) it was wise to stop. Of course the bus missed me for once again I had stopped, but the driver of the Toyota Pathfinder behind me did not. Fortunately my other car is a solid old BMC car and did not show even a scratch on the bumpers. I thought that for safety I should spend Sunday in bed all day but thought that even there I could suffocate under the duvet. Made it to Monday and beyond.
Glad to see that you and Sharron are getting some of your normal activities back and there is something about singing in the choir, letting some of the joy express itself with others to be enjoyed by others. I always enjoyed the high school annual concerts and later singing in the church choir.
This very interesting talk about a book called "Contented Dementia" and the organisation "SPECAL" was sent to me by one of the family: -

http://www.selfishcapitalist.com/audio/You_and_Yours_cutdown.mp3

their website is

http://www.specal.co.uk/
Some of it is learning the difference between commonsense and SPECALsense. One person asked how to deal with the question "Can I Come Home?" The answer "possibly tomorrow" is likely to leave the person rest assured for the day and will not know that the answer will be the same the next time asked.

I have been feeling lately that I am beginning to get a bit of my life back too.

Now my dad can do so much for himself,the carers say he could probably live independantly now if he had to,and I have a reliable car,I can have a bit of time out to myself apart from the shopping.

Maybe I will join a class or something in the daytime,make the most of it.

Hi Bob, I hope you are back to your normal self again.
~~~ to all other carers.
I am off to town today. Have just finished breakfast so must do the dishes (including yesterdays) and cut a lunch to take with me. I have to buy Phil some new slippers as the hospital seems to have mislaid his and he was wearing some which are not his and are too small. I will use twink to write his name on the toes of the new ones.
When I get back to Papakura I will find a quiet place to have a snooze in the wagon before I finish my shopping, then have dinner in town and go to choir practice. It is so nice to get a bit of my life back.

Huia.

Thanks for the accolade Liz, but to think that some people do this as their vocation for years on end. Lolled around today and feeling a lot better but will still give golf a miss.
But Sharron it has nothing to do with the fact that I do not have any plus-fours.

That will be why golfers wore plus-fours,so they could get a game in whatever their state of health.They were called dysentry hampers weren't they?

Bob, brave chap and making light of things, you are a star and the sort of person the governments depend on, sadly, without sufficient reward. Hope you are both lots better today and you get a game of golf in soon.

Huia, hi my friend, we used to call it duck's disease, if someone had short legs, and a prominent rear end lol

take care all you carers,
you are the Ag Labs of the modern age!

Lizxx

Talking about ducks behind, we always said our grandma had ducks complaint - he bottom was too near the ground. I think she might have been the first to say it. She had short legs and due to congenital dislocation of the hip she waddled. She had a great sense of humour, a bit like yours, Bob.

Huia.

Bob, I think golf is definitely off the menu today. It would be a bit annoying for your partner to have you dashing back to the loo every so often. Or are there lots of trees you could duck behind?
Huia.

Guess what Jean!

My turn!
Up every hour for about five times in the night.
Well my cooking may not be as good as Mum's or BH's but I am sure it is not the cause.
Boiled water for for the Governor I am afraid.
Or "What's Sauce for the Goose is sauce for the Gander". Lucky I did some extra yesterday.
Another quiet day. That's Good.
Talk of "A Week of it!"
Might be a good idea to flag Golf away again.

Bob. only another carer would see the funny side as you do. Some po=faces would think it terrible to laugh in such a situation. You be careful you dont get these infections as well. No one looks after the carers.

Oh Bob, what a week you have had. You have my deepest sympathies for the BAD bits. I do love your sense of humour. As somebody once said, you have to laugh otherwise you would cry, or words to that effect.

Dont forget if somebody is sick 'both ends' for too long you really need to add some sort of salts to the water for their 'meal'. Yuck. I do not use a lot of salt myself and when I had a couple of half gallon jars of stuff prescribed for me years ago I just couldnt drink the stuff. It almost made me sick again.

Best of luck with the tender nursing. Have you got a uniform to go with it?

Huia.

Hi Huia thanks for the YOO HOO for my BOO HOO or was it a BOOBOO?

Yes after pressure from the family I went to the doctor and got no sympathy at all. (Would you expect it? He probably thought "Silly old fool!"
Monday! That's Bad (as you already know). Tuesday! That's Good. Wednesday was one of those days. BH complained of feeling sick in the night. That's Bad. Got the large towel, turned down the duvet and got the bowl. That's not Good that's what I call insurance. When arising in the morning she had dysentery. Then after helping her dress and putting on her jumper, she said she felt sick. Helped her to the toilet. was violently ill and to top that off or should I put it, to bottom it off, had an accident at the other end. That's Bad x two. A shower was needed immediately. That's Good and Bad at the same time. Talking of the same time the carer was ringing at the door so that I could go to golf. That's Good (but now very unlikely).Talk of a one-armed paper-hanger trying to ensure no movement from bathroom and answer the door. She offered help! That's Good.
I said that I would prefer to handle it myself and answer for any enquiries from the police force which was being called for by BH. I am so pleased they cannot hear and respond to such calls otherwise I would be in jail regularly. Why do I have the thought sometimes when that happens to think of accidentally squirting the shower into the open mouth. Now that's a Bad Bad thought. Like my sense of humour, I admit it is a bit warped. (But you did say YOO HOO when I said that I was going to be a bit quiet so that others could a word in edgeways.)
After re-dressing and hair done, clothes soaking, rest of washing going, BH ready for the day which would be a fare of water for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Easy cooking just boil the kettle and cool. Even convicts got bread with theirs. But I am a tough Governor. Did not get to my golf (What a softie I am after all). Everything back to normal (or is that abnormal for carers) today. Had a small breakfast of our usual rolled oats topped with bran, wheat germ, raw sugar and trim milk.
She would have had a meal at her care centre so something light for this evening will suit us both fine. I normally say at this point C'est La Vie!
Au Revoir

Bob
PS Just joking about the "Au Revoir" by showing off my schoolboy french

I hope Bob went to the doctor and I hope he is ok.
YOO HOO Bob, are you there?

Huia.

I was told by a man whose son had brain damage that Haslar Hospital,where the staff were officers,adopted the same bullying tactics as I do.His son was forced to learn to swallow by having orange juice squirted in his mouth until he did.
It seems the stroke victims who are looked after'properly'die qiute quickly or never regain much use of their limbs etc.

In the army hospitals in the 50's, up patients were allowed to help with taking meals out, sometimes with the ward cleaning. In the cottage hospital where I last worked, patients were encouraged to do the flowers , help with beds and do a little dusting. It also was the norm in the army for occupational therapy, and in the first hspital I ever worked in ther was a department where there were looms, leather work modelling and other handicrafts. It was a long stay hospital. I still have a scarf that I wove and a wallet that I sewed while accompanying patients to their sessions. Short stays as they are now there is no call for this, unless you need full time care. Then the system seems to break down now.