Chapter 55 - Return to the Rut
It's her birthday. She woke me near 5:30am to help her out of bed for the loo. I remained awake waiting for the 6am alarm, she returned to sleep. Many chirps from the alarm before she woke. I helped her recline on her right elbow while she sipped her Modepar Rapid prepared last night in a pill bottle. Some extra water needed to be added to swill down the dregs. She slept again while I showered then walked around the village. As has become our habit lately, I woke her at 7am by which time the MR should have licked-in for her to have sufficient movement to have a shower. Today she was unable to move her legs sufficiently to drop them over the side of the bed, so I pulled them over the edge then helped her to a seated position. "I'm as stiff as a board" she said. With fists pushed into the bed forcing her upwards she attempted to stand; failed. More attempts. She moved her bottom further over the edge. She rocked backwards & forwards trying to stand. She was unable to lift her body even though her centre of gravity was well over her legs. If she continued like that she was likely to fall forwards onto her face. So I grasped her hands and raised her. She slipped her feet into her shoes & shuffled to the wardrobe. Once vertical, her movements were sluggish. After preparing her clothes & things she came to the door of my dungeon to say that she couldn't yet shower, so took a little breakfast. I just checked; she is showering & washing her hair. That will have a debilitating effect on her; good days are not hair washing days.
On Saturday our friends suggested we all go to one of the local pubs for lunch to celebrate her birthday. We agreed. Yesterday she decided she preferred the Club so she could have a roast dinner, although I know she is inclined to avoid unknown eating places likely to be crowded or cramped and she is familiar with the layout at the Club.
Since returning from our van trip last Friday she has been very tired, frequently sleeping in her chair. Yesterday afternoon after I went to visit a friend in the Village she slept on her bed for over an hour. (She just called my name on the CB radio; she had showered, washed her hair, dried but was unable to put on her underclothes, so needed help.) Our trip through north central towns in the state to the opal mining town and return lasted 3 weeks. We always stayed at least two nights and always travelled less than 300km each day. That way we both had a relaxed time away. She mostly used the shower & toilet facilities in our van because most van parks either lacked or had unsatisfactory disabled facilities (creators of signs should label such facilities "disabled persons" showers & toilets instead of suggesting that the equipment is out of order). Her decision to take MR at 6 and rise at 7 fitted in well with our travels and now that we are home has "encouraged" me to rise early rather than lay in bed until 9 or so. Unfortunately, I flake out between 10 & 11pm, leaving her up until she takes her midnight meds.
An amazing incident while we were away. We were near the countryside described in one of the important books I have read, titled "A Million Wild Acres". I told our friends (they travelled with us but came home a couple of days earlier) about the book but the author's name escaped me. One of those times when my mind was unable to search its index system. Most annoying. A day or so later, completely out of the blue, she said "That author. Eric Rolls!" Now why should she remember, let alone know the name? I think the book was written in 1981 or thereabouts and I bought & read it within a year or two. I bought several more of Rolls' later books, the last more than 10 years ago. She never read any of them. Neurologists have said her cognitive skills are unimpaired (and I know that because of her ability with the weekly puzzle magazines) and now this example of memory. I am alarmed at my poor retention of recent memories and frequent inability to recall things. If only she was able to move her body easily.
I am not one to bother about parking our van neatly and squarely or level. She is bothered by her bed not being level, or rather, level to her senses. For even when the van is dead level according to the bubble level on the A-frame she may be restless, unable to fall asleep, because she senses that her bed is not level. A few days into our trip I bought a couple of pieces of 12x40mm pine to pack beneath one side of her bed so that she tended to roll toward the wall of the van (the platform that supports the mattress is hinged on the wall side). Strangely, some nights she needed one or no pieces beneath the bed, even though the van had not moved. After our first night home she mentioned that she had felt more comfortable in the van because she was able to rest against the van wall. I was about to re-arrange the bedroom so that she would be hard against the wall, but she decided that bed-making would be too difficult. No further problems about this.
I ordered her birthday present yesterday. It won't arrive until week's end.
On Saturday our friends suggested we all go to one of the local pubs for lunch to celebrate her birthday. We agreed. Yesterday she decided she preferred the Club so she could have a roast dinner, although I know she is inclined to avoid unknown eating places likely to be crowded or cramped and she is familiar with the layout at the Club.
Since returning from our van trip last Friday she has been very tired, frequently sleeping in her chair. Yesterday afternoon after I went to visit a friend in the Village she slept on her bed for over an hour. (She just called my name on the CB radio; she had showered, washed her hair, dried but was unable to put on her underclothes, so needed help.) Our trip through north central towns in the state to the opal mining town and return lasted 3 weeks. We always stayed at least two nights and always travelled less than 300km each day. That way we both had a relaxed time away. She mostly used the shower & toilet facilities in our van because most van parks either lacked or had unsatisfactory disabled facilities (creators of signs should label such facilities "disabled persons" showers & toilets instead of suggesting that the equipment is out of order). Her decision to take MR at 6 and rise at 7 fitted in well with our travels and now that we are home has "encouraged" me to rise early rather than lay in bed until 9 or so. Unfortunately, I flake out between 10 & 11pm, leaving her up until she takes her midnight meds.
An amazing incident while we were away. We were near the countryside described in one of the important books I have read, titled "A Million Wild Acres". I told our friends (they travelled with us but came home a couple of days earlier) about the book but the author's name escaped me. One of those times when my mind was unable to search its index system. Most annoying. A day or so later, completely out of the blue, she said "That author. Eric Rolls!" Now why should she remember, let alone know the name? I think the book was written in 1981 or thereabouts and I bought & read it within a year or two. I bought several more of Rolls' later books, the last more than 10 years ago. She never read any of them. Neurologists have said her cognitive skills are unimpaired (and I know that because of her ability with the weekly puzzle magazines) and now this example of memory. I am alarmed at my poor retention of recent memories and frequent inability to recall things. If only she was able to move her body easily.
I am not one to bother about parking our van neatly and squarely or level. She is bothered by her bed not being level, or rather, level to her senses. For even when the van is dead level according to the bubble level on the A-frame she may be restless, unable to fall asleep, because she senses that her bed is not level. A few days into our trip I bought a couple of pieces of 12x40mm pine to pack beneath one side of her bed so that she tended to roll toward the wall of the van (the platform that supports the mattress is hinged on the wall side). Strangely, some nights she needed one or no pieces beneath the bed, even though the van had not moved. After our first night home she mentioned that she had felt more comfortable in the van because she was able to rest against the van wall. I was about to re-arrange the bedroom so that she would be hard against the wall, but she decided that bed-making would be too difficult. No further problems about this.
I ordered her birthday present yesterday. It won't arrive until week's end.
posted by Kilpike | 7:22 am
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