Friday, January 11, 2008
11 Jan The comeback kid (well 63 year old!)
It would be lovely to believe that today has been the start of the Grandma P comeback.
I'll let you know tomorrow if there have been ill effects.
Actually I started the day with a bit of a funny turn - nausea, feeling faint etc. I had done very little and continued to rest all morning really.
We started the day with the "obs" - Bill's blood pressure was higher than when we took it yesterday - 175 over 93. Perhaps it is always higher in the morning - even mine had crept up a couple of points. But no - we were wrong - it would get higher still.
Bill went to collect my prescription items during the morning and then to have a cup of tea with sister Julie. He had thought of walking, but the rain was torrential and so he drove.
Whilst close to the doctor's he called in to make an appointment. He could have seen a doctor we don't know on Wednesday or wait one more day to see somebody we know well. It will seem like a long week.
When he got back, together we made a very simple lunch - basically left over rice and sauteed left over boiled potatoes and an egg on top. But I was involved for the first time in weeks.
After that we did the blood pressures - oh dear Grandpa's reading was 181 over 101. That's really bad.
Our plan was to go to the supermarket together later - I was ready to go (coat on) when Bill began to look through cuboards. There were perishable goods, well out of date and items that I will no longer be eating. A black plastic dustbin liner has been filled. It was my job to reject or keep things. This was just the start, there is still more to do. Anything worth eating that I have rejected has been put to one side to offer to others.
And then we set off to Asda. Wow! I drove an electric wheel chair round the store. It felt like fun! We planned to buy meals for just a few days but we have enough for over a week. Oh dear we spent very little time in the greengrocery department this time. I am sure that this time next week Bill will have been told to stuff himself on the very fruits and veg that I cannot have and I am sure that carrots, cauliflower and cabbage will start to get boring for him.
I am not completely sure about Bill's BP readings at 6.30 - he did both arms at a good time interval apart. The left was a scary 185 over 91 and later the right was 176 over 78. Maybe whilst he was waiting to do it a second time he had rested.
This evening we have snacked on things that I once thought I shouldn't have - we each had a couple of toasted crumpets.
I am not sure how I will spend the rest of the evening. I feel very tired - but then I slept quite badly again last night. I don't think I shall watch more of Echo Beach; the main story lines seem very shallow (as if I was a deep intellectual!) and Gwynneth appeared very little in the first part. I think though she was the most competent for her character looked and sounded genuine and surprisingly for a small Cornish seaside village she seemed to be the only person with a Cornish accent.
Maybe I will try a game of Boggle. I do have a go sometimes, but I can't manage to concentrate for too long and have not yet managed to do more than a very few games in a session. Where is the "just one more game" urge?
If today is a comeback then it is, in part, motivated by the feelings I have to try and lessen the load for Grandpa.
I really think that the £20 spent on the blood pressure monitor could turn out to be money exceedingly well spent.
Goodnight.
I'll let you know tomorrow if there have been ill effects.
Actually I started the day with a bit of a funny turn - nausea, feeling faint etc. I had done very little and continued to rest all morning really.
We started the day with the "obs" - Bill's blood pressure was higher than when we took it yesterday - 175 over 93. Perhaps it is always higher in the morning - even mine had crept up a couple of points. But no - we were wrong - it would get higher still.
Bill went to collect my prescription items during the morning and then to have a cup of tea with sister Julie. He had thought of walking, but the rain was torrential and so he drove.
Whilst close to the doctor's he called in to make an appointment. He could have seen a doctor we don't know on Wednesday or wait one more day to see somebody we know well. It will seem like a long week.
When he got back, together we made a very simple lunch - basically left over rice and sauteed left over boiled potatoes and an egg on top. But I was involved for the first time in weeks.
After that we did the blood pressures - oh dear Grandpa's reading was 181 over 101. That's really bad.
Our plan was to go to the supermarket together later - I was ready to go (coat on) when Bill began to look through cuboards. There were perishable goods, well out of date and items that I will no longer be eating. A black plastic dustbin liner has been filled. It was my job to reject or keep things. This was just the start, there is still more to do. Anything worth eating that I have rejected has been put to one side to offer to others.
And then we set off to Asda. Wow! I drove an electric wheel chair round the store. It felt like fun! We planned to buy meals for just a few days but we have enough for over a week. Oh dear we spent very little time in the greengrocery department this time. I am sure that this time next week Bill will have been told to stuff himself on the very fruits and veg that I cannot have and I am sure that carrots, cauliflower and cabbage will start to get boring for him.
I am not completely sure about Bill's BP readings at 6.30 - he did both arms at a good time interval apart. The left was a scary 185 over 91 and later the right was 176 over 78. Maybe whilst he was waiting to do it a second time he had rested.
This evening we have snacked on things that I once thought I shouldn't have - we each had a couple of toasted crumpets.
I am not sure how I will spend the rest of the evening. I feel very tired - but then I slept quite badly again last night. I don't think I shall watch more of Echo Beach; the main story lines seem very shallow (as if I was a deep intellectual!) and Gwynneth appeared very little in the first part. I think though she was the most competent for her character looked and sounded genuine and surprisingly for a small Cornish seaside village she seemed to be the only person with a Cornish accent.
Maybe I will try a game of Boggle. I do have a go sometimes, but I can't manage to concentrate for too long and have not yet managed to do more than a very few games in a session. Where is the "just one more game" urge?
If today is a comeback then it is, in part, motivated by the feelings I have to try and lessen the load for Grandpa.
I really think that the £20 spent on the blood pressure monitor could turn out to be money exceedingly well spent.
Goodnight.
