Friday, April 04, 2014
Lots of positives from a difficult time.
Many amongst my family and friends will have seen my updates today already.......the panic may be over, but the pain is not.
Lots of health activities today.
First Bill had the echo scan on his heart - I am happy to report that he has one!
I think even my inexperienced eye could see the irregularity.
Sometime soon we will know if the hernia operation can go ahead or if he should be seen by a heart specialist.
We then went to the emergency treatment centre. I saw Dr Patil again and he confirmed what I was told last night before leaving the hospital.........the blood test almost certainly confirms that there is no dangerous blood clot.
Good news indeed.
And it is good news too that Dr Patil still wants to proceed with a scan on my leg, just to be 100% certain.
It is most likely a build up of fluid......but we have to ask ourselves about the reason.
One of my friends had already suggested it might have something to do with the removal of a lymph gland in the groin on the same side.
There have been slight problems before - some swelling and some pain, though nothing like has happened this week.
Dr P agrees that the lack of lymph gland will affect drainage of excess fluid.
The scan should be next week. Either Dr Dullo or a lymphodaema specialist can then follow things up.
I have been told, of course, to take it easy and get my leg up.
Bill was funny.......
Dr P asked me what plans I have for the weekend, "Going out hunting for antiques?" he asked.
I replied, like a good girl, that hunting must wait.
Bill had assumed that he was being asked the question and replied that he would go home and put his feet up.
Hang on, Bill......that was an instruction to me!
I shall see Dr P straight after having the scan, because he will get the results very quickly.
Dr Dullo also wants to see me.
We then went to the other end of the hospital for Bill's blood test - the routine one that checks that the medication for rheumatoid arthritis is not causing any problems. Great - hardly a queue this morning.
And vampire Margaret was on the job. We know her quite well now and also know some of her family - her uncle was the athletics timekeeper who died about a year ago (Dave O).
Time then to get home and make some breakfast and get those feet up.
I had already planned that we would attend the Forget Me Not Group that meets on Fridays. I thought it best not to miss it completely and we arrived as the group were finishing lunch.
Bill was happy - there was pudding left over and he was offered some raspberry cheesecake. I had carrot cake with my mug of tea.
Bill then spotted plates of biscuits and tucked into those. Then he spotted the big box of chocolates.....and helped himself to more than his fair share.
Perhaps a good thing - because it made him feel more positive about the group.
The helpers got out a bowling game - a bit like a huge bagatelle, played with large soft balls and a target with holes in for the scoring of points.
The men played. The men mostly are the people with dementia. Some like to be sociable.
Bill tended to wander off between goes and bang the solid plug on his ball along the table.
Eeeeeek!
I think the helpers can see that Bill must be distracted from this.
But he did play the game and seemed to be happy.
It was good to have been greeted by our friend, Mandy, when we arrived. The group is council run and Mandy is employed by the council as the head grounds person at the athletics track. She added dementia care to her skills and qualifications.
Next week we will arrive much earlier and I have booked lunch for both of us.
I did tell the helpers that Bill can be distracted if they ask him to help with clearing up and getting things tidy.
I was happy talking with other women - comparing notes. Janet I had already met at the other carers' group. She is going into hospital next week for a hip replacement. Just a reminder that carers of people with dementia are often getting older and succumb to many of the ailments and problems that getting old entails.
We all had very awkward husbands, in their own unique ways and I am certainly not alone in having pain and physical and mental problems to deal with as well as my man.
Home then for some more getting feet up time......and some sleep.
I was awakened by the phone ringing......but there was no way I could get myself up from the sofa to answer the phone. It took ages to get up.
The sofa is not the best place for me right now - just because getting up is almost impossible and causes such pain round my cracked ribs.
We had a small meal - I finished cooking the potatoes in their jackets which I had begun last night before going to the hospital.
And we had strawberries and a good mango icecream, which I had bought in Taj, one of the good oriental shops in town.
Bill has gone to bed early.
He can stay in our bed if he behaves himself - no noise and no nose tweaking, Bill, please!
But we must actually change one of the spare rooms into a room where one or other of us can escape to when the need arises.
Quite a lot of positives to take from today. We are both being well looked after by health professionals, who actually show that they care by treating us in such a friendly way and with respect.
The Friday group looks like it will be a permanent fixture - seems to suit us well. I am so grateful for a facility like his.
And from this group I am learning about other good facilities too.
I feel more cheerful and getting my feet up has had a positive effect too.
Time for more painkillers and bed soon.
Tomorrow will be another day of rest - maybe a little stroll to a pub would be nice. But it would have to be soda and lime for me - no alcohol along with strong pain killing drugs. If the sun is out we could drive to Devil's Dyke (or any where) to enjoy the view.
Lots of health activities today.
First Bill had the echo scan on his heart - I am happy to report that he has one!
I think even my inexperienced eye could see the irregularity.
Sometime soon we will know if the hernia operation can go ahead or if he should be seen by a heart specialist.
We then went to the emergency treatment centre. I saw Dr Patil again and he confirmed what I was told last night before leaving the hospital.........the blood test almost certainly confirms that there is no dangerous blood clot.
Good news indeed.
And it is good news too that Dr Patil still wants to proceed with a scan on my leg, just to be 100% certain.
It is most likely a build up of fluid......but we have to ask ourselves about the reason.
One of my friends had already suggested it might have something to do with the removal of a lymph gland in the groin on the same side.
There have been slight problems before - some swelling and some pain, though nothing like has happened this week.
Dr P agrees that the lack of lymph gland will affect drainage of excess fluid.
The scan should be next week. Either Dr Dullo or a lymphodaema specialist can then follow things up.
I have been told, of course, to take it easy and get my leg up.
Bill was funny.......
Dr P asked me what plans I have for the weekend, "Going out hunting for antiques?" he asked.
I replied, like a good girl, that hunting must wait.
Bill had assumed that he was being asked the question and replied that he would go home and put his feet up.
Hang on, Bill......that was an instruction to me!
I shall see Dr P straight after having the scan, because he will get the results very quickly.
Dr Dullo also wants to see me.
We then went to the other end of the hospital for Bill's blood test - the routine one that checks that the medication for rheumatoid arthritis is not causing any problems. Great - hardly a queue this morning.
And vampire Margaret was on the job. We know her quite well now and also know some of her family - her uncle was the athletics timekeeper who died about a year ago (Dave O).
Time then to get home and make some breakfast and get those feet up.
I had already planned that we would attend the Forget Me Not Group that meets on Fridays. I thought it best not to miss it completely and we arrived as the group were finishing lunch.
Bill was happy - there was pudding left over and he was offered some raspberry cheesecake. I had carrot cake with my mug of tea.
Bill then spotted plates of biscuits and tucked into those. Then he spotted the big box of chocolates.....and helped himself to more than his fair share.
Perhaps a good thing - because it made him feel more positive about the group.
The helpers got out a bowling game - a bit like a huge bagatelle, played with large soft balls and a target with holes in for the scoring of points.
The men played. The men mostly are the people with dementia. Some like to be sociable.
Bill tended to wander off between goes and bang the solid plug on his ball along the table.
Eeeeeek!
I think the helpers can see that Bill must be distracted from this.
But he did play the game and seemed to be happy.
It was good to have been greeted by our friend, Mandy, when we arrived. The group is council run and Mandy is employed by the council as the head grounds person at the athletics track. She added dementia care to her skills and qualifications.
Next week we will arrive much earlier and I have booked lunch for both of us.
I did tell the helpers that Bill can be distracted if they ask him to help with clearing up and getting things tidy.
I was happy talking with other women - comparing notes. Janet I had already met at the other carers' group. She is going into hospital next week for a hip replacement. Just a reminder that carers of people with dementia are often getting older and succumb to many of the ailments and problems that getting old entails.
We all had very awkward husbands, in their own unique ways and I am certainly not alone in having pain and physical and mental problems to deal with as well as my man.
Home then for some more getting feet up time......and some sleep.
I was awakened by the phone ringing......but there was no way I could get myself up from the sofa to answer the phone. It took ages to get up.
The sofa is not the best place for me right now - just because getting up is almost impossible and causes such pain round my cracked ribs.
We had a small meal - I finished cooking the potatoes in their jackets which I had begun last night before going to the hospital.
And we had strawberries and a good mango icecream, which I had bought in Taj, one of the good oriental shops in town.
Bill has gone to bed early.
He can stay in our bed if he behaves himself - no noise and no nose tweaking, Bill, please!
But we must actually change one of the spare rooms into a room where one or other of us can escape to when the need arises.
Quite a lot of positives to take from today. We are both being well looked after by health professionals, who actually show that they care by treating us in such a friendly way and with respect.
The Friday group looks like it will be a permanent fixture - seems to suit us well. I am so grateful for a facility like his.
And from this group I am learning about other good facilities too.
I feel more cheerful and getting my feet up has had a positive effect too.
Time for more painkillers and bed soon.
Tomorrow will be another day of rest - maybe a little stroll to a pub would be nice. But it would have to be soda and lime for me - no alcohol along with strong pain killing drugs. If the sun is out we could drive to Devil's Dyke (or any where) to enjoy the view.
