General Chat

Just popping in to wish you all a very
Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy and
Peaceful 2016 xx

It is Sunday morning and I am awaiting the arrival of the bacon sarnies. Breakfast is late as the staff slept in.

It is another ridiculously warm day, not at all like December should be, most disconcerting

:-D :-D

Never mind, they can double up for next Xmas as well :-D

Cards will arrive eventually :-D

No internet, oh no, that is the end of the world :-D

So are we all getting cards then????

Bah humbug, the TV in the bedroom has stopped working, we use the radio function to listen to the Today programme every morning while we doze. We will have to resort to an old fashioned radio. I was looking online to replace it, but have decided to wait a few days as all the sales will be on, so it would be silly to get something now. Of course the one I want wont be in the sales!

Hello ladies :-)

Linda - those little milestones mean so much when you have a child with special needs. That would be a huge step for Esme - no wonder you are all delighted.

Sylvia - we are not at all organised this Christmas. I have only just sent overseas cards that I know won't get there in time. The lights and tree went up yesterday when the grandchildren were here. Are you on call with your friend? I hope she is comfortable.

It has been very warm and humid here. The other day we had a very noisy thunderstorm - later we found out that south Sydney had a dreadful storm with much damage done. It must have made the news in the UK because we had messages from family who were very concerned as they know we live south of Sydney.

On top of that we lost the Internet for a couple of days. Our brand new, wonderful NBN (National Broadband Network) introduced by the government introduced for every household is already starting to have problems that can't be fixed easily.

Your wreath will have withered by the time you get it up

Poor OH had to be at the cinema by eight this morning because the electricity board wanted to read the meter between 8-10. although we send the readings in, they insist on reading the meter once a year. That would be fine, except this is the second time he has been there for them, they never turned up last time. If you miss an appointment they fine you, but if they don't turn up, that is just your bad luck.

It is warm and dry today which is good as I have Meals on Wheels to do. I am on the rota for Xmas day as well, but wont be doing that one. I think the cafe who make the meals are open and will be sending meals out to those who want them. There are volunteers who are here and are willing to do the round

Linda ...........

what great news!!

No wonder you are delighted


no, we're not over there yet ............... most of the "help" is discussions by phone on how to handle this and that, all while our friend is maintaining control over everything!

We are trying to get things done ............... we bought a wreath to hang on the sundeck railing 2 weeks ago. It's still lying on the sundeck, waiting to be put up.

OH is still madly trying to get those darned histories of the department and the faculty finished, and finding more and more little side tracks to follow!


It was a lovely sunny, but chilly, day yesterday. Today, rain, rain and more rain ........ and OH even reported some white stuff mixed with it out where he is.

Still no one here? Oh well, I will talk to myself.

I wonder if Sylvia is busy helping her friend?

OH has gone rambling as usual, but he has left the car, so I am considering where I could go to avoid doing the housework.

One good piece of news I will share is that Esme ate four Wotsits yesterday, they are Cheesey corn puffs in case the upside down people don't know them. It might seem odd that a grandmother is pleased that her two and a half year old granddaughter has eaten a rubbishy snack, but we are all delighted

They encourage messy play with food in the hope that she will put her fingers in her mouth and suck the food off, she likes the playing but not the food. She has had the odd spoon of yogurt in her life, but once you get one in her mouth, she refuses anymore.
She likes spoons, but only to bang with. When I was there a few weeks ago, she suddenly started putting the spoon into her mouth as if she was feeding herself She threw it away when I dipped it in yoghurt but at least she was using the empty spoon

Last week at one of her therapy groups, she picked up a Wotsit and put it in her mouth, they dissolve to a mush so are safe for children with poor swallowing reflex She then ate a second one. It was the first food she had eaten voluntarily in her life. She ate two the other day at home,but last night, she ate four. Most of the time she has just thrown them on the floor of course. Everyone is delighted, but it is just the start of a very long road of course. She was expected to start eating properly between the ages of four to six, but she would still probably need an overnight tube feed even then

No one around, oh well..

The Xmas meal was fine last night and we enjoyed it once we got there.

I had my hair cut today and took a wreath to the cemetery to put on my parents grave.

I might have done a bit of shopping as well and bought a few new tops
:-D

I had a nice chat with Tec this afternoon, he was a bit breathless as he had been talking to his daughter, but we managed between us

He is in the Xmas spirit, he has his little fibre optic tree up and has put some baubles onto a chest he has in the window. He was remembering when he used to put the big tree up and take a couple of days to decorate it

His brother is coming tomorrow and his daughter will be back to stay on Thursday. I think he likes being on his own, with the help of the carers and his next door neighbour.

It is cold and dark here, i would like to snuggle down for the evening, but we are going out to an Xmas meal. We will walk so we can drink, I know it will be good, but I just wish we could teleport there

Let them get on with it Sylvia, caring is extremely tiring. It will all depend on how the hospice can sort her out, she may be well enough to go home for a while and she would want that of course.

We had a trip to the seaside today to see OH 's sister, she lives in Filey. We stopped for lunch in a pub on the way, then spent the afternoon with her before returning home in the early evening. We never glimpsed the sea once

it would be very difficult to do 24/7 care for J ....... she turned her second bedroom into a study, and has no other sleeping option.

no family, just friends who are trying their best!

Interestingly, she is turning to her more recent friends because it seems she does not want to bother her oldest and dearest ............ perhaps also because we are all within 10-15 years of her age while the ones she is currently leaning on are in their 40s and 50s.

That is indeed a problem Sylvia. It is not easy at the end. We brought mum home, it was only for three days, but it was very hard work even though all three of us were there with our respective partners

Hi

Our friend is now in Palliative Care, possibly an early admission although she was in pretty dire straits when admitted to Emergency on Friday. Sometimes it helps to know someone

The head of the palliative ward cared for her husband 2 years ago and then was persuaded to buy their house last year after his wife fell in love with it. aHe was told by a mutual friend to say J was in Emergency. He appeared within the hour, examined and talked to her, and said that she would be better in palliative, there were 2 beds available and one was a single room. He strongly advised J to take the single room. She agreed.

She can leave when she wants to, can be taken out for the day but if she leaves for more than a certain time, then she will lose the room.

Our intermediary says J was very comfortable when she left her at about 8 pm last night ............... having been brought photos of husband, her own night clothes, etc etc ............. and was climbing into bed ready to go to sleep.

She may decide to leave and go home if she begins to feel better after being fed, watered and medication sorted out, but then we hit the problem of who will look after her.

Hello - GR hasn't allowed me to sign in the last couple of days. I've been able to read but not reply.

I'm so sorry to read about your friend, Sylvia - always a sad time. Palliative care is pretty good here but the go now is to stay at home and have a palliative team come to you. It can work but I've seen spouses and family struggle to care for an ill person.

It's been very warm and humid here. We are in Christmas mode with a few lunches coming up. The grandchildren are finishing up for the summer holidays so we will be on duty until Christmas. I don't mind as they don't really need entertaining.

it can be bad here!

A lot depends on where you live, and what you can afford to pay.

The provincial governments are in charge of health care, and they are trying to unload more and more aspects of home care on to family, friends and neighbours .................. which is totally wrong in my eyes!! Family is one thing, but friends and neighbours?????

At least the care situation sounds good. Here it is dreadful unless you are one of the lucky few to get into a hospice

thank you Linda.

She has no family up here ............ she married for the first time at the age of 50, he was 49 and a first marriage for him as well. So no children. Her brother is 2 years older, lives in the US and is in very poor health ........ actually she went down to stay with him back in September to allow her sis-i-l to go away 'cos he has to have someone around. Then this all blew up after she got back.

so the support is all from friends.

I've just heard that she has had the nurses and visitors all laughing with her quips and jokes ........... so maybe the re-hydration will help. Palliative care may translate to her being at home with private full time care.