Helen and Alan

[sue38]

Hi Helen,

This might be the least of your worries ... but my dad now wears tracksuit bottoms every day, having been a suit and tie man all his life. I find the black or navy blue tracksuit bottoms look a little smarter than the pale grey - which always remind me of Sylvester Stallone in Rocky!

Also I bought my dad a jumper from M&S at Christmas which has a sewn in collar. Much easier to put on, but he still looks like my dad.

As I say, not a great issue in the great scheme of things

 

[Lynne]

Hi Helen,

Just a "thinking of you" moment; Hope today hasn't been too bad.
.

 

[Helen33]

Dear Connie, That is an idea definitely worth trying. I will try this tonight if he wakes up to go to the loo.

Dear Sue, I went to buy some tracksuit bottoms today and thought how sad it would be that he would no longer be the smart man that he was I know it doesn't matter because by this time next week he will probably be off his legs forever I spent ages over the colours and wanted black and dark blue but I could only get black and dark grey. I think the colours do matter. The black ones will be christened tomorrow.

Dear Tina,

When the District nurse phones me tomorrow I am going to ask who is responsible for proper pain relief and advice. If I am not satisfied I will ring the macmillan nurses.

Love to you all xx

 

[ChristineR62]

Dear Helen

Just to send you and Alan lots of love and hugs.

Thinking of you
Christine
xxx

 

[nellbelles]

Helen

Just a trivial thing, but if someone puts a pain patch on Alan make sure he can't reach it, or it will not be on long

Tom has a long term ulcer and pressure sore on his hip and was given a pressure cushion. But the position it left him sitting in our chairs (which are like yours) made his back hurt.

Hope you have a good night.

 

[Helen33]

Thanks for the everlasting flowers Lynne

Christine thanks for the good wishes and hug. Oh I really needed a hug. (nearly typed 'bug')

Nellbelles, thanks that's a good point. It would definitely change the contour of one's back because the chairs are made to fit.

Love

 

[heartbroken]

Helen I have been catching up on things tonight, I am so sorry things have been so hard, now that Alan is at home though it will be hard you will rest better knowing how he is being looked after 24/7, we always wonder how Edna is when we are not there though she is in a very good home.

hope you have a good night sending lots of hugs

 

[sad nell]

Helen sorry it has been a difficult day for you both, hope you have a decent night, we had an unused commode, which i disguised with a cheerfull throw, many sat on it not knowing, which ashamed to say did make me smile, what is the cushion like, i have never found one that works. hope Alan reaches out for your hand again tonight and he is pain free, Trev is not good at mo so if i am absent it is not that i am not thinking of you both lots of love to you both Pam

 

[milly123]

hello hellen sorry to hear your haveing trouble at bed time harold was the same i used to sit him half way down the bed so when i lifted his legs and turned him on his side his head was on the pillow worked most times milly

 

[janlyn]

morning helen i do hope you and alan have had a good night.
my f.i.l has one of them cushions he finds it helps his rear end from geting sore he also has lung cancer and his mobility is not as good as it once was so is sitting a lot more but he only finds the cushion ok on one of the arm chairs they have i think it depends on the chair as his back hurts if not in the right arm chair.
sending you hugs and love x

 

[Helen33]

Morning all,

Well the night was better thanks to Connie's instructions of how to get Alan positioned It did make it so much easier and meant that Alan was less distressed and confused and I got more sleep

He looks smart in his black tracksuit bottoms. He has had porridge for breakfast but, as yet, is unwashed and properly dressed. I thought the woman was coming today and then I remembered it starts tomorrow. Still, he will be better off by having it all paced out better today.

I am thinking about starting to have Alan live a more upstairs existence from today so that he doesn't have to keep climbing the stairs to get to the toilet. Actually I have just put him back to bed because it seems that is where he needs to be. He couldn't stand the feel of the duvet on his feet and showed that it hurt him tremendously I will be ringing around for some proper pain relief advice today.

Here are some pictures. The first is when Alan first relaxed into the comfort of home. The second was taken yesterday and the third one I took just before he needed to go back to bed. It is blurred but it doesn't really matter.







Love

 

[gigi]

Morning Helen.

I hope you've both had a reasonable night.

Fingers crossed you can sort out some adequate pain relief for Alan today.

Are you getting anything in the way of carers to stay with Alan to give you a break..or has that yet to be arranged?

Love xx

Just read your post and seen your photos...there is still some of the old Alan there, but there's a marked difference between the first and the last one.

 

[Helen33]

The last one is how he looked in the nursing home permanently only with no place to rest. The first one is because I got the family to take him out on Saturday and Sunday whilst I was away and he picked up.

I don't have any sitters in place yet but I don't feel the need for it today. I am sure it will start soon.

Love

 

[Grannie G]

He looks so frail Helen. Still a twinkle in his eyes in the middle picture though.
I`m glad your night was a bit better.
Love xx

 

[BeckyJan]

Good Morning Helen:

To me Alan does look very poorly in the third photo - good to see he still wants something to read.

Its a good idea to keep him upstairs; will he be happy to do that?

Where did you get his cardigan from? David is unable to put sweaters on and I find it hard to find good zip ups.

I hope you can get pain relief soon.

Love

 

[Helen33]

It's M&S Jan. I bought it last year I think and it has only been worn once!! I'll keep my eye out for you - what size is David?

Love

 

[BeckyJan]

Very very large at the moment (due to medication I think but checking out).
Seriously he probably is now 42-44" chest but will have to take my measure today.

Because of his size I am having to replenish his wardrobe.
I can no longer get good quality wool ones cos the laundry tend to do extra hot washes

I am off to a large M ... S tomorrow so will look around.

Love

 

[nellbelles]

Helen

Have you got a spare bedroom that you could turn into a sitting room?

We have a trolley with kettle tv etc; chairs, oh and my computor.

We are not upstairs all the time but our morning tea and coffee are taken in here, and from about 9pm when Tom goes to bed, I'm in here so I can hear him.

 

[Helen33]

Hi Nellbelles Helen,

Yes, I have a room which Alan used with the sitters. It will be where the hospital bed will eventually go. They wanted to have it downstairs but I insisted that it needed to be upstairs and they relented - thank goodness. I reckon I will need it by next week. It can be got immediately when the need arises so I am told. I want the downstairs to remain 'normal' as it will be the only place in the world that will remain relatively untouched by all of this!!

Love

 

[Norrms]

Dear friends

Hello Helen and Alan, than you so much for the pics, yes he does look frail in the third one but no mistaking that great twinkle and smile of his, hope todays a good day for you both, best wishes, Norrms and family xxxxx