Still Waiting for Pathology Reports

Well we didn't get a phone call from Margaret's GP on Wednesday. On the plus side Margaret did take a shower before she got dressed and S came to take her out at 12.00 noon. Unfortunately noon came and went and no S. I phoned up Blue Care and was told that the shopping trip was scheduled for 10.00am on Friday and they were sure that they had phoned me about it on the 28 th October. As that was before the first shopping visit on a Wednesday two weeks ago they admitted that this was not so.

Margaret was dressed and ready so I took her to the shops instead and we had a light lunch out.

After lunch Margaret rested while I waited for the GP's phone call which as I stated above never came.

Margaret's confusion continued to be very high and I managed to get her to bed early and finish off my book before going to sleep myself.

On Thursday I phoned the GP's surgery and was told that the pathology results weren't back and they would phone when they were. Well they didn't and Margaret continues to be extra confused. It is several days since she has been able to have a rational conversation. She is quite happy and relatively easy to manage. The hope is that the extra confusion is caused by a UTI – if not it may be increased vascular dementia which could be permanent.

We went out to our usual weekly lunch at Margaret's favourite restaurant (for the time being) and she had her present favourite meal, sizzling garlic prawns. During the meal she kept asking if this was where the child had drowned. I think that she has been dreaming about the two little kids who have had accidents in home swimming pools over the last couple of weeks. I assured her that Bowling Clubs without swimming pools rarely have drownings but she repeated that question time and time again. Towards the end of lunch she began to get cramps in her hands and legs. She finished her meal and I got her home to rest up.

The rest of Thursday was fairly quiet and I tucked Margaret up in bed by 9.30pm with her Teddies and doll. She complained that she had lost her fish which after some gentle questioning turned out to be the elephant which I retrieved from under her bed.

This morning she is still not with it. While I dole out her medications she normally takes it without any trouble. Today she was choking and I discovered that she was trying to swallow all 10 tablets without drinking any water because “that was the way she was supposed to”! She also has one additional tablet to take on Fridays 30 minutes before or after food. I told her to take it after 8.00 am, left the room for a minute and when I returned it was gone just 10 minutes after breakfast. I shall now have to monitor every tablet she takes.

I shall phone her GP in a little while to see why we haven't had Margaret's pathology results yet.