Chapter 18 - Weirdness in the Early Hours
After rising late morning yesterday she could "feel" her hips but there was no pain there. Her appointment to see the local caring physician at 2:45pm was delayed on advice at 2:15pm when she rang. "One with him now, two waiting; come at 3:30pm". We did so & still waited about an hour. Another eager patient made a false start by rushing in before us out of turn, only to be herded out of the surgery by a staff member. The poor coot had probably been waiting before we had arrived, so thought he was next in queue. The doctor was interrupted by several phone calls while he was attending to us, so we left about 5:45pm. He gives value with his time. I was disappointed with our visit however, presenting a 14 point list of her present state, only to be advised to keep things going as they are. And where is that toward I might ask? I had intended to give him a printed copy of this blog, chickened, then she mentioned it, I said "No, not now" and he pointed out that blogging was not confidential. Tell me about it. Without the aid of the NSA & some of our local chaps the ordinary citizen (dumb user) would have difficulty determining our personal details from this blog. I am confident of that.
A call from a dear friend thanking her for a birthday card. She remembers these things; I don't. To bed without settling well by 11:30pm so up to sit outside a half hour later. I woke at 1:30am to help her into bed. She called me at 3:30am for assistance to the toilet. Stiff, shaky & unsure of herself we did our shuffle dance, me in the lady's position backwards, into the bathroom. "Hold me" as I pulled up her nighty & she attempted to pull down her undies - I was, my arms were around her, she felt unstable. She felt the need of a tranquiliser, a Kalma, a pill she tries to avoid unless she feels panic. She had "Loosened up" a lot by 4:15 when another dance to the toilet was required. Again at 6am. She wonders whether she is dehydrating from so many visits. I point out that when dehydrated the body does not piddle at all (I think that's correct) & she is taking plenty of fluids from the XP bottle Bill Gate's minions gave me years ago. There must be a new version of that bottle due for release soon. We had laid her down wind on her bed to rest her right side. Within a half hour she called "I'm falling backwards". I looked, she remained centrally on her bed. "How about I lay behind you & hold you?" so I snuggled in on the window side of her bed. OK for a little while until "I have to sit up, I'm falling." Sitting on the side of the bed, she tilts to her left. "Sit up straight & relax." "I can't - I'm trying not to fall that way" she indicates her right side. I release my arms from around her. She slowly tilts to the left. I lay her down on her left side, she is comfortable but feels she has to force herself to remain in that position. She must think she will float away. I remember having such sensations after one too many glasses of red. By now 7am I think it best she has her meds; that disturbs her, she must sit up and that on the recliner in the lounge room. A time there until she must draw her legs up which causes the recliner to not be so. So back to bed doing our shuffle dance. "Be careful today, nothing must happen to you, I can't get by without your help" she says. I feel that too, and it makes me afraid that someone is physically dependent upon me. I must avoid the luxury of even laying in bed with the 'flu - which reminds me, the doctor gave her the injection yesterday, so the prescription from the GP is not needed. I will return to the GP for my "free" prescription (I am now in that age bracket) although the visit will not be.
She sleeps soundly, even through our doorbell barking (yes it "barks", none of your jingoistic or sentimental clapcrap for us) as a delivery lady delivered the last of her entitlement of incontinence pants. There was a moratorium on the supply until we re-established our middling poverty rating with our friends at CentreLink. You may not believe this, on the whole they are caring & considerate people.
Almost forgot. As she dozed off, she noted that the dull headache (a secret she kept from me) she has had for a couple of days has now gone. I remember her experiencing similar with some types of medication; those bumps ("olives" do they call them?) on the back of her head is where she has the ache.
I just discovered that the spell-checker on Blogger does not recognise "blog" or "blogging". Is that an over-sight?
A call from a dear friend thanking her for a birthday card. She remembers these things; I don't. To bed without settling well by 11:30pm so up to sit outside a half hour later. I woke at 1:30am to help her into bed. She called me at 3:30am for assistance to the toilet. Stiff, shaky & unsure of herself we did our shuffle dance, me in the lady's position backwards, into the bathroom. "Hold me" as I pulled up her nighty & she attempted to pull down her undies - I was, my arms were around her, she felt unstable. She felt the need of a tranquiliser, a Kalma, a pill she tries to avoid unless she feels panic. She had "Loosened up" a lot by 4:15 when another dance to the toilet was required. Again at 6am. She wonders whether she is dehydrating from so many visits. I point out that when dehydrated the body does not piddle at all (I think that's correct) & she is taking plenty of fluids from the XP bottle Bill Gate's minions gave me years ago. There must be a new version of that bottle due for release soon. We had laid her down wind on her bed to rest her right side. Within a half hour she called "I'm falling backwards". I looked, she remained centrally on her bed. "How about I lay behind you & hold you?" so I snuggled in on the window side of her bed. OK for a little while until "I have to sit up, I'm falling." Sitting on the side of the bed, she tilts to her left. "Sit up straight & relax." "I can't - I'm trying not to fall that way" she indicates her right side. I release my arms from around her. She slowly tilts to the left. I lay her down on her left side, she is comfortable but feels she has to force herself to remain in that position. She must think she will float away. I remember having such sensations after one too many glasses of red. By now 7am I think it best she has her meds; that disturbs her, she must sit up and that on the recliner in the lounge room. A time there until she must draw her legs up which causes the recliner to not be so. So back to bed doing our shuffle dance. "Be careful today, nothing must happen to you, I can't get by without your help" she says. I feel that too, and it makes me afraid that someone is physically dependent upon me. I must avoid the luxury of even laying in bed with the 'flu - which reminds me, the doctor gave her the injection yesterday, so the prescription from the GP is not needed. I will return to the GP for my "free" prescription (I am now in that age bracket) although the visit will not be.
She sleeps soundly, even through our doorbell barking (yes it "barks", none of your jingoistic or sentimental clapcrap for us) as a delivery lady delivered the last of her entitlement of incontinence pants. There was a moratorium on the supply until we re-established our middling poverty rating with our friends at CentreLink. You may not believe this, on the whole they are caring & considerate people.
Almost forgot. As she dozed off, she noted that the dull headache (a secret she kept from me) she has had for a couple of days has now gone. I remember her experiencing similar with some types of medication; those bumps ("olives" do they call them?) on the back of her head is where she has the ache.
I just discovered that the spell-checker on Blogger does not recognise "blog" or "blogging". Is that an over-sight?
posted by Kilpike | 8:15 am
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