Hello all,
{{{{{hugs}}}}}} for Terry, Spamar, Red and IzzyJ. So hard when its your own Mum, or Dad or Husband, every aspect of the whole caring journey has to be harder than it is for me in caring for Mil - I love her dearly, always have, but it isn't quite the same, I don't think. I can relate to the waiting and the grieving in advance, and most certainly the guilt, but because she is my Mil, I have OH there and don't feel like its now all down to me. I don't think I could cope if it were. xxxxx
R-Anne - Like Slugsta, and I think everyone who posts, I really, really wish I could do something that would help you. Your situation, where help is so damn thin on the ground as to be pretty much non-existent, makes me angry and sad in equal measures. I am just so disgusted that so called support services are able to get away with being so damn useless - its all so wrong
Good luck sorting the bro out, JM - this whole house business has dragged on for way to long, so make it a good hard kick up the bum for him! And good luck to your son for his SATS. Seems to be Bluebells everywhere round here at the moment - gorgeous
We 'skipped' visiting Mil on Saturday, and instead had a lovely afternoon at the zoo. It was a nice break, and one we needed, I think.
Busy day yesterday, as I had a 'pet shoot' on - owners wanted some shots of their gorgeous lab, and a friend had 'bought' them a shoot through me as a gift. So off I went to Loggerheads with them yesterday afternoon. The dog was an absolute stunner, and such a lovely nature - but completely untrained, wouldn't even 'sit' on command, so you can imagine getting it to pose for photo's was a bit of a challenge
I had to persuade the owners to make it at least partially a 'Pet AND owners' shoot - even on a lead, with both of them holding tight, the dog (who was a solid 6 year old, so weighed a ton) kept taking off in the general direction of the river and other dogs, towing the shrieking owners behind him. Bedlam - but actually really good fun, too, even if the shoot did last over twice as long as it usually would, so I could be sure of getting enough photographs. It was a lovely day, so it wasn't exactly a hardship to spend it walking by a river in lovely woodlands, with a very cute (if barmy) dog and some nice people
Now got a long session editing ahead, as the owners didn't want shots with him wearing a lead - however, neither did they dare take him actually off the lead while we were out, so its a photoshop job ahead
Got back just in time for a quick cold drink, then off to the hospital to visit Mil. She is still on the medical ward, despite us being told she was to be moved back to the EMH unit last Friday. Her chest is still raspy, though a lot better than it was on Tuesday/Wednesday last week, and she is still on the little nasal oxygen tube. Her hair is matted with sweat, which I find quite upsetting to see, though I get that washing her hair won't have been a priority whilst she has been so ill. The light dressing gown has turned up, but still no sign of the slippers - I guess I'll have to go buy more, this will be the second pair I've had to replace since she has been in there. She was being assisted to the loo when we arrived, the staff with her said her walking was 'much better' - not sure I agree. I really don't think that she
could walk without the frame now, she is actually using it properly, leaning on it at all times, rather than picking it up and carrying it when she wanted to get somewhere 'quicker' as she always tended to do before. Very slow, shuffly little steps and obviously needing the support. No idea if that is likely to improve once she is properly over the infection or not. I've been getting a little concerned that whilst she has been on medical, her bed on the dementia unit may have been 'given' to another patient, and that might be why she hasn't been transferred back across - so I asked yesterday. I got a rather nervous giggle and a very hearty ' No, no - of course not', in response. I didn't find it particularly reassuring, though that could just be me being very cynical. Mil herself seemed uterly exhausted, and spoke less than usual - though when she did, it was the now usual nonsense. Youngest had gone with me to visit, and as always, we used the hand gel by Mils bed when we arrived. Mil spotted youngest doing it and was hissy-whispering at her not to touch it because thats where they get the tomato soup from, for the lunches!. Also noted uneaten sandwiches from tea time at the foot of Mils bed - despite me filling in the food info, where I had said clearly that Mil loathes both cheese and tomatoes, guess what they had given her for tea? The nurse said that they had 'found her an egg' to eat instead (?) and added that she had had both ice cream and trifle to 'make up for it'!
She is supposedly being moved back to the EMH ward today, which will make things a little easier as the visiting hours are unrestricted there (apart from at meal times), which gives us a slightly better chance at finding a parking space when we go. Not sure what is happening about going to see her today, as Old Red has MOT (not expecting her to pass, but hoping it will show us what area's need to be sorted next!) and son has to be picked up from uni for the Summer this afternoon. Suspect its going to be a late morning visit (if she is back on the EMH ward), otherwise, it will have to be an evening visit - which I find usually means a very late tea and a long day!
Hope you all manage to have a good day and make the most of whatever sunshine you get - forecast here says its going to be gorgeous, but a change tomorrow, so I'm hoping for a couple of hours either in the garden on out with the dogs xxxx
