Just after I posted my blog on Tuesday morning Margaret phoned me to say that she had been told that she was coming home that morning which surprised me as I had been told Wednesday. I phoned the Nurses Station and they denied that she had been spoken too. When I got into visit at 9.30 am all her medications had been removed and were returned at 10.30 am all packed up and listed as if for discharge which gave some support to Margaret being told that she was coming home.
I hung around until her specialist dropped by and he said that her arm was strong enough to steady her on her wheely walker so she could go home on Wednesday. They had to unpack her meds to give them to her during the day. We had managed to dress Margaret in a proper nightie for the first time since her fall and she sat up until after lunch when I put her back to bed to rest.
She had a quiet night but her legs were still weeping and were very swollen.
On the way home I bought a commode chair to prevent Margaret having to get into her tiny en-suite during the night which is when she has had several falls. By re-arranging the bedroom furniture she now had clear access to the commode and most of the other furniture is the other side of the bed. This took some time and effort but I managed to complete it on Wednesday morning.
Louis continued to improve but was very quiet all of Tuesday. When he woke up on Wednesday he was back too his old boisterous self. This would make Margaret's homecoming much happier.
I arranged to pick Margaret up at 10.00 am and she was dressed in a clean nightie and a full length housecoat. I had brought her wheelchair from home. Before she left her specialist dropped by to wish her well. I asked about her legs and other problems. He had said that it was all up to her GP from now on as there was no real remedy to her problems and it would remain a balancing act to keep her kidneys functioning without causing a heart attack by fluid overload. He had arranged for Margaret to have a follow up visit to an orthopaedic surgeon in two weeks time but he wouldn't see her again. Apparently the hospital policy is to treat acute patients only and Margaret was now classed as chronic and could be cared for at home as she could "transit from bed to the toilet"
We got home at 11.00 am and Margaret sat up until after lunch before going to bed and resting while watching a DVD on her Television. I hid the remote control so she could not switch it off. I did show her how to activate the intercom on our house phone system and she called me 12 times in two hours and then forgot how to use it once again. She had a very small dinner and went to bed early. At present she has a Valium, sleeping tablet and a powerful pain killer before going to sleep and this works so I had a quite night.
On Thursday the Blue Care RN called and she was very blunt about Margaret's condition which she believes will not improve and is probably terminal. She is arranging more support as Margaret is now a high care patient requiring special palliative treatment. She was also very kind to Margaret and showered her and settled her back in bed. This RN was normally called "that woman" by Margaret but is now her best friend who gives her loving support.
The rest of the day passed quietly. Margaret has a lot of pain but the patch and Endone tablets keep her comfortable most of the time and I can supplement them with Osteo strength paracetamol. She spent her day watching DVDs in her bedroom and sitting with me in the lounge.
Today I will take her to see A. her GP. To top up he prescriptions and ask his advice on her future care. Providing she remains mobile and upright I can cope.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Problems with Louis and Interesting News
Poor little Louis has had and embarrassing problem. On Saturday he appeared to have difficulty pooing this was much worse on Sunday and he collapsed half way through his afternoon walk. I had to carry him most of the way home. As he is a solid (fat?) little dog and weighs 15 Kg I had to put him down and he walked the last 100 M. I think I carried him for about a kilometre. I managed to get into see an after hours vet who took X-Rays which showed that he was blocked up pretty solidly. She kept him in overnight, gave him an enema and put him on a drip for hydration and giving antibiotics. In the morning he was no better and in some distress so they anaesthetised him and using instruments cleared the bowel. I picked him up at 4.30 pm and he was still groggy but I was told to take him for a short walk as there was still a plug to come out and he was being coy in the hospital. Luckily the walk in his home park did the trick and he is performing OK this morning, He is still very quiet so I cut his walk short.
There was no obvious cause for the blockage but a as a precaution chicken wings are out from now on and all bones are banned for four weeks to allow his tummy to recover. The only pain left is to our bank account which is nearly $1,000 lighter.
Over the weekend Margaret has been very emotional and actually lost her temper with a nurse. She appears to have had too much Valium and they are weaning her off it. The DVD keeps her happy and the nurses busy sorting it out when she switches it off. On Sunday morning I walked in to find her in tears complaining that she had been "locked up". Actually the nurse who she had been rude to on the previous day had found her fast asleep right on the edge of her bed and had raised the rails to prevent her falling out. On waking Margaret has panicked as she could not get out. She began to scream and the nurse soon sorted her out and was comforting her when I arrived. The silly thing is the rail was only up on one side of the bed and Margaret had forgotten about the nurse's call button which was right next to her.
After her shower she said that she wasn't going to bed again as "they locked her in!" Margaret has bars on her bed at home to stop her rolling which she used to do regularly so the nurse's action was well justified.
While I was away having my morning coffee she was visited by her specialist. On my return she said that she was being discharged!! I managed to catch up with the specialist who said that he had arranged for her to be discharged on Wednesday. This was a big surprise as the first hospital had said seven weeks minimum before she would be safe to send home on a wheely walker and her specialist had originally said six weeks at Noosa Hospital which would have been a couple of days under seven weeks total. Wednesday is five weeks and two days so she must have had a miracle healing. I shall follow this up with the specialist this morning.
There was no obvious cause for the blockage but a as a precaution chicken wings are out from now on and all bones are banned for four weeks to allow his tummy to recover. The only pain left is to our bank account which is nearly $1,000 lighter.
Over the weekend Margaret has been very emotional and actually lost her temper with a nurse. She appears to have had too much Valium and they are weaning her off it. The DVD keeps her happy and the nurses busy sorting it out when she switches it off. On Sunday morning I walked in to find her in tears complaining that she had been "locked up". Actually the nurse who she had been rude to on the previous day had found her fast asleep right on the edge of her bed and had raised the rails to prevent her falling out. On waking Margaret has panicked as she could not get out. She began to scream and the nurse soon sorted her out and was comforting her when I arrived. The silly thing is the rail was only up on one side of the bed and Margaret had forgotten about the nurse's call button which was right next to her.
After her shower she said that she wasn't going to bed again as "they locked her in!" Margaret has bars on her bed at home to stop her rolling which she used to do regularly so the nurse's action was well justified.
While I was away having my morning coffee she was visited by her specialist. On my return she said that she was being discharged!! I managed to catch up with the specialist who said that he had arranged for her to be discharged on Wednesday. This was a big surprise as the first hospital had said seven weeks minimum before she would be safe to send home on a wheely walker and her specialist had originally said six weeks at Noosa Hospital which would have been a couple of days under seven weeks total. Wednesday is five weeks and two days so she must have had a miracle healing. I shall follow this up with the specialist this morning.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Whose Smart Idea Was It to Buy A DVD PLayer?
Actually it was mine! As I said last time Margaret was getting bored so a DVD player appeared to be a good idea at the time. For Margaret it has been a great but for me it is a PITA. It has a remote control with no less than thirty buttons on it and I have given up trying to teach Margaret to use it. I have been trying to teach her how to use the manual controls on the player itself istead. The player sits on her over bed table within easy arm's reach so it is quite easy for her to use.
There are four buttons on top, two of which are set up and she doesn't need to use them. The other two are play/pause and stop. There is ,of course, the normal control for navigation through the DVD i.e. an OK button surrounded by four buttons with arrows. On the side is a volume control and an on/off switch plus a couple of socket for headphones, AV connections and the external power pack. These are all too much for Margaret. I forgot the cover for the DVD which has its own release button.
The first problem is getting her to remember how to insert a DVD. She should press the release button and the lid flips up. Now she should press the centre of the DVD with her finger while easing her thumb under the DVD to lift it out. She can't do it in spite of having a good right arm. No worries I load a new DVD each morning and evening and she has up to four hours of play time to keep her happy. She just has to switch player on and use the DVD's menu to play what ever she wants.
Next problem she can't remember where the on/off switch is - I shall put a label next to it and while I am at it label the volume control and play/pause and stop buttons. Another problem when a DVD starts it normally presents a menu which you use the navigation controls for. There is no standard menu and therefore Margaret can't get past the menu or if she does ends up where she dosen't want to be. She then just unplugs the power supply - she has forgotten the on/off switch and lets the DVD players internal battery discharge or if we are lucky the screen-saver kicks in and it shuts down after 10 minutes.
The solution is that I load the DVD and set it to play all the normal contents i.e. the complete movie or all episodes of the TV series she is watching. She remembers that she can use the play/pause button (I think) so she can go to the loo etc. At the end the DVD returns to the menu, the screen-saver kicks in and after 10 minutes it all shuts down, The nurse removes the power pack from the wall and I set it all up again when I next come in.
Luckily she loves it. She has watched the complete first series of "Some Mothers Do Have 'em", "Father Ted" and "George and Mildred" all UK comedy series from way back. Last night I left her watching "Beauty and the Beast" which she says she hasn't seen before but she bought it for herself several years ago and watched many times. I shall have a bit of a problem keeping her supplied but I think that I can start rotating them every couple of weeks and she wont notice.
On the health front it is not too good. The leg binding and TED stockings have been discontinued as her toes were not receiving any circulation and turning grey. Gangrene was a distinct possibility. Her feet and legs are once again very swollen. I don't know where she goes from here.
Her arm is still very painful but healing. She can use a wheely walker under supervision. It helps her stop wobbling but she cant use her left arm for support. If it was only the arm she would probably come home in two weeks but now I don't know.
There are four buttons on top, two of which are set up and she doesn't need to use them. The other two are play/pause and stop. There is ,of course, the normal control for navigation through the DVD i.e. an OK button surrounded by four buttons with arrows. On the side is a volume control and an on/off switch plus a couple of socket for headphones, AV connections and the external power pack. These are all too much for Margaret. I forgot the cover for the DVD which has its own release button.
The first problem is getting her to remember how to insert a DVD. She should press the release button and the lid flips up. Now she should press the centre of the DVD with her finger while easing her thumb under the DVD to lift it out. She can't do it in spite of having a good right arm. No worries I load a new DVD each morning and evening and she has up to four hours of play time to keep her happy. She just has to switch player on and use the DVD's menu to play what ever she wants.
Next problem she can't remember where the on/off switch is - I shall put a label next to it and while I am at it label the volume control and play/pause and stop buttons. Another problem when a DVD starts it normally presents a menu which you use the navigation controls for. There is no standard menu and therefore Margaret can't get past the menu or if she does ends up where she dosen't want to be. She then just unplugs the power supply - she has forgotten the on/off switch and lets the DVD players internal battery discharge or if we are lucky the screen-saver kicks in and it shuts down after 10 minutes.
The solution is that I load the DVD and set it to play all the normal contents i.e. the complete movie or all episodes of the TV series she is watching. She remembers that she can use the play/pause button (I think) so she can go to the loo etc. At the end the DVD returns to the menu, the screen-saver kicks in and after 10 minutes it all shuts down, The nurse removes the power pack from the wall and I set it all up again when I next come in.
Luckily she loves it. She has watched the complete first series of "Some Mothers Do Have 'em", "Father Ted" and "George and Mildred" all UK comedy series from way back. Last night I left her watching "Beauty and the Beast" which she says she hasn't seen before but she bought it for herself several years ago and watched many times. I shall have a bit of a problem keeping her supplied but I think that I can start rotating them every couple of weeks and she wont notice.
On the health front it is not too good. The leg binding and TED stockings have been discontinued as her toes were not receiving any circulation and turning grey. Gangrene was a distinct possibility. Her feet and legs are once again very swollen. I don't know where she goes from here.
Her arm is still very painful but healing. She can use a wheely walker under supervision. It helps her stop wobbling but she cant use her left arm for support. If it was only the arm she would probably come home in two weeks but now I don't know.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Margaret is having a lot of pain.
Since Monday morning Margaret has been having a lot of pain. It is mainly in her broken shoulder but her back is also causing problems. She has osteoarthritis of the spine and has also suffered a few crush fractures in the lower spine due to osteoporosis. These are not helped by only having one arm to manoeuvre herself in bed. Monday night she got very little sleep and was absolutely exhausted when i saw hew yesterday morning. She was kept in bed for most of the day and didn't have her usual physio session.
I managed to speak to her specialist who has prescribed morphine injections at night to help her sleep. He also believes that the bandaging of her feet and legs has failed to reduce the fluid build up and there were signs that the circulation to her big toes was failing and he was scared of gangrene setting in if he continues. The only alternative will be more diuretics which always affects her kidney function. At present she has about a 40 mm build up of fluid all over her feet and ankles which could cause a stroke and/or congestive heart failure. She would be in hospital even without her broken arm.
To help her feel a little happier I am going to buy her a portable DVD player so that she can watch her favourite comedy DVDs from home. I will set up a DVD when I leave her in the evening which should run until she gets her pain killer at 10.00 pm and hopefully she will be able to sleep in a happier frame of mind.
Today I am going to present a short tutorial at my computer club. It wont affect my visiting but poor old Louis will miss out on his afternoon walk.
I managed to speak to her specialist who has prescribed morphine injections at night to help her sleep. He also believes that the bandaging of her feet and legs has failed to reduce the fluid build up and there were signs that the circulation to her big toes was failing and he was scared of gangrene setting in if he continues. The only alternative will be more diuretics which always affects her kidney function. At present she has about a 40 mm build up of fluid all over her feet and ankles which could cause a stroke and/or congestive heart failure. She would be in hospital even without her broken arm.
To help her feel a little happier I am going to buy her a portable DVD player so that she can watch her favourite comedy DVDs from home. I will set up a DVD when I leave her in the evening which should run until she gets her pain killer at 10.00 pm and hopefully she will be able to sleep in a happier frame of mind.
Today I am going to present a short tutorial at my computer club. It wont affect my visiting but poor old Louis will miss out on his afternoon walk.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Back on the Job
My enforced break in visiting Margaret ended on Saturday so I visited her as normal just before 10,00 am. She was in the shower and then having her feet and lower legs bound to try and ease the fluid away. Her feet were still very swollen but she was in a pretty good state otherwise. Her heart and kidneys are stable, her skin tears are healing and her arm, while still very painful, is now out of its sling and she has begun physio on keeping the shoulder joint working. I should stay away more often:)
I sat with her until after lunch and helped her to the loo a few times and cut up her lunch for her. This gives the nurses a little more time for their other tasks around the ward. As Margaret is still in isolation anybody caring for other patients have to wear gowns and gloves when attending to Margaret so it is really a chore to come and tend to Margaret for the minor things which she can't manage by herself.
I visited again for dinner 5.00 - 6.00 pm and she was quite happy watching TV when I left her.
When I visited on Sunday morning she was showered and back in bed. She had had a bad night with pain and had little sleep. The RN looking after her had checked her medication and discovered that she had not had her overnight painkillers due to a mix up. When I saw the stand in specialist, actually the hospital's Chief of Medicine who knows Margaret well, he apologised to Margaret and assured her that her had re-written her medication charts to ensure that their would be no more mix ups. She spent the morning resting apart from her daily walk with the physios and her simple arm exercises. Imagine being a monkey and swinging you arm gently from the shoulder. She does this to and through and in small circles ten times each twice a day. As the arm is unsupported it gets quite sore at the break but it beats a permanently frozen shoulder. The physio commented on how much better Margaret was from the previous couple of weekends when he had looked after her. She is much stronger and gets less puffed when walking. She is still very wobbly but this is normal and they hope that she can get back to using her wheely walker in the near future.
In the afternoon I took my laptop in and logged into Facebook to look at M's photographs of her son's wedding and R's photos of her Mum and Dad's fiftieth wedding anniversary. Margaret loved them and I now have the task of copying them to a SD card so she can see them on her Electronic Photo Frame.
Margaret looks like being in hospital for another three weeks. I hope that she will be able to come home for a while before we have to make the final decision on what the future holds. I have deferred having her Aged Care Assessment carried out until she is at home.
I sat with her until after lunch and helped her to the loo a few times and cut up her lunch for her. This gives the nurses a little more time for their other tasks around the ward. As Margaret is still in isolation anybody caring for other patients have to wear gowns and gloves when attending to Margaret so it is really a chore to come and tend to Margaret for the minor things which she can't manage by herself.
I visited again for dinner 5.00 - 6.00 pm and she was quite happy watching TV when I left her.
When I visited on Sunday morning she was showered and back in bed. She had had a bad night with pain and had little sleep. The RN looking after her had checked her medication and discovered that she had not had her overnight painkillers due to a mix up. When I saw the stand in specialist, actually the hospital's Chief of Medicine who knows Margaret well, he apologised to Margaret and assured her that her had re-written her medication charts to ensure that their would be no more mix ups. She spent the morning resting apart from her daily walk with the physios and her simple arm exercises. Imagine being a monkey and swinging you arm gently from the shoulder. She does this to and through and in small circles ten times each twice a day. As the arm is unsupported it gets quite sore at the break but it beats a permanently frozen shoulder. The physio commented on how much better Margaret was from the previous couple of weekends when he had looked after her. She is much stronger and gets less puffed when walking. She is still very wobbly but this is normal and they hope that she can get back to using her wheely walker in the near future.
In the afternoon I took my laptop in and logged into Facebook to look at M's photographs of her son's wedding and R's photos of her Mum and Dad's fiftieth wedding anniversary. Margaret loved them and I now have the task of copying them to a SD card so she can see them on her Electronic Photo Frame.
Margaret looks like being in hospital for another three weeks. I hope that she will be able to come home for a while before we have to make the final decision on what the future holds. I have deferred having her Aged Care Assessment carried out until she is at home.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Resting At Home
I had a full day doing absolutely nothing at home. Well I did drop four rolls of Mentos and some little chocolate bars into Margaret at 9.00 am but other that that I played with my computer, read or watched a replay of the Tour De France.
I called Margaret twice and she appears to be getting on OK. Her legs are still very swollen and she has now had her feet bound to try and assist her lymph glands move the fluid up to her abdomen. She told me it made her feet warm for the first time in days.
Today I shall make up a new set of photos for her electronic photo frame using pictures from Facebook posted by my two nieces R and M. She will love the wedding shots and photos of my stepbrother and his wife, C and G, at their fiftieth wedding anniversary.
Apart from some shopping and a little housework its back to reading and the tour.
I called Margaret twice and she appears to be getting on OK. Her legs are still very swollen and she has now had her feet bound to try and assist her lymph glands move the fluid up to her abdomen. She told me it made her feet warm for the first time in days.
Today I shall make up a new set of photos for her electronic photo frame using pictures from Facebook posted by my two nieces R and M. She will love the wedding shots and photos of my stepbrother and his wife, C and G, at their fiftieth wedding anniversary.
Apart from some shopping and a little housework its back to reading and the tour.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Now Its my Turn
First, I visited Margaret early Sunday morning and she was quite calm. The hallucinations had stopped but she still believed that they were true. I spoke with her doctor who put them down to a bad reaction to her painkillers which are morphine based. He has changed them from one big dose every eight hours to half the dose every six hours and has allowed her to have an additional sleeping tablet. The main concern was her swollen legs which was still posing a threat of a stroke or congestive heart failure. They still haven't been able to get a blood sample to check her kidneys so are laying off the diuretics for a while.
The rest of Sunday wasn't too bad but Margaret's short term memory was very bad and she demamded more painkillers just ten minutes after I witnessed the nurse giving her some. This makes it very difficult for the nurses as Margaret gets very annoyed if she thinks that she has missed some medication. See some of my earlier posts. Fortunately the painkillers kicked in quickly and she settled down and, of course, forgot about them.
Monday was much the same. She told me that she was in pain and needed her patch replaced. I ignored this as, normally, it has been replaced on Tuesdays. When the nurse came in she complained. The nurse, who after giving her a painkiller, said that the patch had been replaced about ten minutes before i came in. This I checked for Margaret's sake and there it was signed and dated for that day. I explained to the nurse that I hadn't doubted her but it is really necessary to make sure that Margaret understands that she has received the correct medication or a patch has been put on. As her dementia increases this is becoming more of a problem. Later the doctor told me that they had been able to get a blood sample and we will know how things were with her kidneys tomorrow, Tuesday.
On Tuesday I visited early and she was being looked after by a first year student nurse, He was a mature age student, married with three kids and had really made a hit with Margaret. He was dressing her skin tears and I helped get Margaret's arm back in its sling. Margaret was much brighter due to the nurses lovely nature. He looked like a footballer and used to drive ambulances for a living but now, with his wife's support, was trying to make a new career out of nursing. I can only say if he maintains his caring and kind manner hr will be a great nurse.
I found out that Margaret in still a "no contact" patient. I must wash my hands before and after entering her room and have no contact with any other patients on the ward. The nurses, physios, doctors and ward staff must wear gowns and gloves before entering the room. Meals are left at the door and I normally bring them in to Margaret. I also help Margaret to and from the loo otherwise the nurses have to gown up each time.. The problem is a highly resistant urinary tract infection, which although responding to antibiotics, is spread by physical contact and can remain in the system for many months. She will be a "no contact" patient for all her stay in hospital and for the next six months.
Her normal specialist returned and checked her blood test results. Her kidneys are stable, albeit at a chronic failure level, and he is beginning to increase the diuretics to see if they can get her fluid overload down before it causes more problems.
Now I start to cause problems. About a week ago I had a funny turn while walking Louis. I was on my own as B, my afternoon walking companion, was away. I was quite coherent in my thoughts and actions except that I had difficulty walking straight and felt extremely tired. I ended up with an back ache. I had a brief rest before I visited Margaret and had something to eat and drink. As I felt better I forgot about it. On Monday I was walking with B when she asked me what was wrong. Apparently I was walking tilted to the left and I was also having the same problems from the week before. B is a retired nurse and told me to see my GP ASAP so I made an appointment for Tuesday afternoon.
When I saw him, C who is a London born and trained Indian and also a personal friend, did a few tests which eliminated a stroke or anything more sinister. Apparently I have a chest infection which is why I have also developed an irritating little cough in the last week or so. I have fairly restricted breathing which in some way causes me to run out of puff when walking and causes my problems. The treatment is a course of antibiotics for ten days which should clear it up. If I am still having problems by Saturday I must see him again but I must finish all the antibiotics in any case.
Now comes the problem, because of Margaret's poor health I must not visit her until Saturday morning. I phoned the hospital to let then know and tried to explain to Margaret that I was in no danger but more a threat to her and would keep in touch with her by phone. I can also drop off anything she needs at hospital reception for the next three days. I thought she had understood but later i got a concerned phone call from Helen as Margaret had told her that I was very sick and wouldn't be visiting for at least two weeks. She also complained that I hadn't left her any mints to eat. She gets a roll of Mentos everyday from me. I shall drop a few rolls later this morning.
The rest of Sunday wasn't too bad but Margaret's short term memory was very bad and she demamded more painkillers just ten minutes after I witnessed the nurse giving her some. This makes it very difficult for the nurses as Margaret gets very annoyed if she thinks that she has missed some medication. See some of my earlier posts. Fortunately the painkillers kicked in quickly and she settled down and, of course, forgot about them.
Monday was much the same. She told me that she was in pain and needed her patch replaced. I ignored this as, normally, it has been replaced on Tuesdays. When the nurse came in she complained. The nurse, who after giving her a painkiller, said that the patch had been replaced about ten minutes before i came in. This I checked for Margaret's sake and there it was signed and dated for that day. I explained to the nurse that I hadn't doubted her but it is really necessary to make sure that Margaret understands that she has received the correct medication or a patch has been put on. As her dementia increases this is becoming more of a problem. Later the doctor told me that they had been able to get a blood sample and we will know how things were with her kidneys tomorrow, Tuesday.
On Tuesday I visited early and she was being looked after by a first year student nurse, He was a mature age student, married with three kids and had really made a hit with Margaret. He was dressing her skin tears and I helped get Margaret's arm back in its sling. Margaret was much brighter due to the nurses lovely nature. He looked like a footballer and used to drive ambulances for a living but now, with his wife's support, was trying to make a new career out of nursing. I can only say if he maintains his caring and kind manner hr will be a great nurse.
I found out that Margaret in still a "no contact" patient. I must wash my hands before and after entering her room and have no contact with any other patients on the ward. The nurses, physios, doctors and ward staff must wear gowns and gloves before entering the room. Meals are left at the door and I normally bring them in to Margaret. I also help Margaret to and from the loo otherwise the nurses have to gown up each time.. The problem is a highly resistant urinary tract infection, which although responding to antibiotics, is spread by physical contact and can remain in the system for many months. She will be a "no contact" patient for all her stay in hospital and for the next six months.
Her normal specialist returned and checked her blood test results. Her kidneys are stable, albeit at a chronic failure level, and he is beginning to increase the diuretics to see if they can get her fluid overload down before it causes more problems.
Now I start to cause problems. About a week ago I had a funny turn while walking Louis. I was on my own as B, my afternoon walking companion, was away. I was quite coherent in my thoughts and actions except that I had difficulty walking straight and felt extremely tired. I ended up with an back ache. I had a brief rest before I visited Margaret and had something to eat and drink. As I felt better I forgot about it. On Monday I was walking with B when she asked me what was wrong. Apparently I was walking tilted to the left and I was also having the same problems from the week before. B is a retired nurse and told me to see my GP ASAP so I made an appointment for Tuesday afternoon.
When I saw him, C who is a London born and trained Indian and also a personal friend, did a few tests which eliminated a stroke or anything more sinister. Apparently I have a chest infection which is why I have also developed an irritating little cough in the last week or so. I have fairly restricted breathing which in some way causes me to run out of puff when walking and causes my problems. The treatment is a course of antibiotics for ten days which should clear it up. If I am still having problems by Saturday I must see him again but I must finish all the antibiotics in any case.
Now comes the problem, because of Margaret's poor health I must not visit her until Saturday morning. I phoned the hospital to let then know and tried to explain to Margaret that I was in no danger but more a threat to her and would keep in touch with her by phone. I can also drop off anything she needs at hospital reception for the next three days. I thought she had understood but later i got a concerned phone call from Helen as Margaret had told her that I was very sick and wouldn't be visiting for at least two weeks. She also complained that I hadn't left her any mints to eat. She gets a roll of Mentos everyday from me. I shall drop a few rolls later this morning.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
