Australia Day

Tuesday 26th January was Australia Day when, if you have been here for less that 222 years, you celebrate the arrival of the First Fleet lead by by Capt. Arther Phillip in Botany Bay. The original inhabitants are less happy. It is a Public Holiday so, in true Australian fashion, a massive number of workers took a "sickie" on Monday to make it a four day weekend. Employers were outraged. Employees didn't care. The weather was perfect. The beaches crowded and Margaret and I stayed at home resting in the air-conditioned comfort of out home.

Actually not much happened during the day. Margaret has become more confused in the last few days and she was still on about visiting the Doctor's, getting lost on her computer and muddling up real life with the Sims but she was not in too much pain and quite happy. After dinner she decided to have a shower as she had to get up early next day to see her optometrist to arrange for new reading glasses for use in bed. Her multi-focal lenses in her normal glasses have too narrow a slot for reading with and Margaret looses concentration. After the shower she fell over, luckily she landed against her vanity bar and sink and didn't hit the ground but caused a lot of mess by knocking several bottles of skin cream and hand wash on the floor. I helped her from the mess and tidied up her bathroom while she dried off and got into her nightie.

When I got up yesterday morning Margaret had a skin tear on her arm. She had got out of bed during the night and stumbled against something while going to the bathroom. I managed to pull the tear back in place and cover it with an Opsite Dressing. I checked it later in the day and there is no infection so just covered it with another dressing.

She was in a foul mode because she thought that going to the optometrist at 9.00 am was unreasonable. She wouldn't have any breakfast which upset Louis as he normally shares it! She made trouble about getting dressed and all in all was very naughty. We got there on time and S her optometrist for several years soon had her cooperation. He is a lovely charming , to me, young guy. He got Margaret to read in several positions and levels of lighting. He worked out the best lens combination for her eyes and we chose a nice pair of frames. The new glasses will be available next week. He also said that Margaret should have a fairly bright light to read by.

On the way home I took Margaret to the library to get a couple of large print books in anticipation of the new glasses and also to her hairdressers where she made an appointment to have a new hairstyle and a dark brown colour rinse that afternoon.

At 2.30 pm she was back in Tewantin having her hair done and I went in search of a suitable lamp for Margaret to use when reading in bed. I managed to get a standard lamp with a single spotlight on a flexible wand. When we got home, Margaret resplendent in her new dark hair style and me covered in sweat as it was very hot, we positioned the new lamp by the head of the bed. By pointing the spot light at wall behind the bed head we managed to get a bright even light over the area of the bed where Margaret reads.

Later I was asleep in front of the TV when Margaret started shouting at me. I really had no idea why but worked out that she had been trying to contact her friend using the computer without success and had coupled this with not seeing her Doctor and what was written on the calender. I had to get the calender and have her point out to me where the trouble was and calm her down. She went to bed soon after and actually read her new library book for a while. The bright light helped a lot and when she gets her glasses with a wider field of view should be more comfortable.

This morning Margaret's arm with the skin tear is still infection free and comfortable so I shall leave the dressing on for a few days. It is a waterproof Opsite dressing which can be left on without attention for sometime. After shopping this morning I made an appointment for Margaret to see A, her GP, new Tuesday morning when her latest blood test results should be available.

Tomorrow we both have blood tests. Mine will be early as I have to fast and are to check that my Type 2 Diabetes is under control. Margaret's will be later when we go out to lunch and are to check her kidney function and mineral levels.