Chapter 213 - Exit from a Bad FortnighF
She has been going down hill, impacting both of us emotionally.
Last Monday she was unable to raise herself from the loo & adjust her clothing at least 5 times. That same day I found her her stuck at the doorway into the hall, stooped & grasping the door jamb for support, her CB radio on the handle of her trolley too far to reach. She was coming to ask me something, I can't remember what. Lots of pain in her lower back & right leg.
The next day she was compelled to lay down at 11:30 because she had that shivering, shuddering feeling of, as she calls it, "someone walking over my grave." She needed help to the bed where she slept until 1PM. In mid-afternoon I cancelled our rain check lunch for the following day with our friends from Big Smoke (did I mention that I cancelled with them the previous Wednesday because she was just not functional when it was time to leave for the drive to the club?). That night about 10PM when I was helping her in the bath room she asked that the room light be left off (subdued light enters from the street light outside the window) so that she would not be bothered by the tile pattern on the floor (plain tiles, so it was the square pattern of the grouting that bothered her - I was unaware that the tiles in our bathroom had an impact on her, as does bright contrasting tiles in other places). Lots of pain. Someone asked me on the phone whether all this was due to the PD, how bad were the "shakes"? Others fail to realise that tremors are merely the tip of the iceberg. As she says herself, "If were only the shakes I could tolerate that."
Wednesday turned out to be a "reasonable" day - I took no notes. I think that was the day I became irritable with her while I attempted to set up a new BlueTooth head set for her to use with Skype. She began some embroidery for a quilt for an Ugly Sister. A call from the Bowen lady to set an appointment for next day cheered her.
The 45 minute trip up the country road for the Bowen appointment didn't bother her so much this time and she resisted the desire to sleep on the return trip. The gentle treatment left her feeling as if she had been kicked by a horse all over. On return home she became engrossed in embroidery & the patch work to make a wall hanging for Ugly Sister.
Friday found her very sore. For a very gentle treatment that Bowen lady certainly knows where to touch for maximum effect. She had risen at 6AM and later when I rose she needed the treadmill to gain a little flexibility & ease the pain. Mid morning she was doing her puzzles waiting for meds "kick-in" to enable her to resume quilting. I offered to help her onto the treadmill. Using her trolley, she made the hall doorway then asked for help to sit. "It's too scary" she said as I helped her onto a kitchen chair. She began some more puzzles, then later called me on the CB to ask for help to return to her favourite chair in the back room. She had begun to feel in danger of falling off the kitchen chair. By lunchtime she was moving about again & discovered her small LED torch (she keeps beside her pillow on her bed for when she rises during the night) on the floor near the foot of her bed. I was accused of "borrowing" it but not returning it to it's proper place - I hadn't. Then she wondered whether a prowler had been in the house - no one had of course. I assume she dropped during one of her trips to the loo. In mid-afternoon she called on the CB, unable to rise from her favourite chair, even very difficult with my help. She wanted to use the treadmill but needed to circumnavigate the kitchen table several times first pushing her trolley to limber up. After ten minutes on the treadmill she needed to return to her chair to have some cold water. About 10 minutes later "things were beginning to work" so she rose, went into the sewing room to attack the patchwork project. That evening I heard her call (fortunately I had no music playing). She had been in her sewing room without her CB. On the way to the loo she found the back room in darkness and froze. I helped her there & with necessary adjustment then back to her chair, ringing wet. She asked for cold water & I switched on the A/C. She is frequently in a lather of sweat, even her hands & arms.
Yesterday was average, a few calls for help, some pain & stiffness. She asked for some mentholated gel to be rubbed on her back - I hate touching the stuff - and she often applies it to her legs & lower back. After much frustration she now has the majority of the wall hanging together, needed when we meet with the Ugly Sisters on Monday.
This morning has started well, working on the patchwork project. A little after 11AM I was called to extricate a needle jammed into the dog on her machine. At this point she decided to have a rest from the work because she felt she was in danger of ruining it.
Last Monday she was unable to raise herself from the loo & adjust her clothing at least 5 times. That same day I found her her stuck at the doorway into the hall, stooped & grasping the door jamb for support, her CB radio on the handle of her trolley too far to reach. She was coming to ask me something, I can't remember what. Lots of pain in her lower back & right leg.
The next day she was compelled to lay down at 11:30 because she had that shivering, shuddering feeling of, as she calls it, "someone walking over my grave." She needed help to the bed where she slept until 1PM. In mid-afternoon I cancelled our rain check lunch for the following day with our friends from Big Smoke (did I mention that I cancelled with them the previous Wednesday because she was just not functional when it was time to leave for the drive to the club?). That night about 10PM when I was helping her in the bath room she asked that the room light be left off (subdued light enters from the street light outside the window) so that she would not be bothered by the tile pattern on the floor (plain tiles, so it was the square pattern of the grouting that bothered her - I was unaware that the tiles in our bathroom had an impact on her, as does bright contrasting tiles in other places). Lots of pain. Someone asked me on the phone whether all this was due to the PD, how bad were the "shakes"? Others fail to realise that tremors are merely the tip of the iceberg. As she says herself, "If were only the shakes I could tolerate that."
Wednesday turned out to be a "reasonable" day - I took no notes. I think that was the day I became irritable with her while I attempted to set up a new BlueTooth head set for her to use with Skype. She began some embroidery for a quilt for an Ugly Sister. A call from the Bowen lady to set an appointment for next day cheered her.
The 45 minute trip up the country road for the Bowen appointment didn't bother her so much this time and she resisted the desire to sleep on the return trip. The gentle treatment left her feeling as if she had been kicked by a horse all over. On return home she became engrossed in embroidery & the patch work to make a wall hanging for Ugly Sister.
Friday found her very sore. For a very gentle treatment that Bowen lady certainly knows where to touch for maximum effect. She had risen at 6AM and later when I rose she needed the treadmill to gain a little flexibility & ease the pain. Mid morning she was doing her puzzles waiting for meds "kick-in" to enable her to resume quilting. I offered to help her onto the treadmill. Using her trolley, she made the hall doorway then asked for help to sit. "It's too scary" she said as I helped her onto a kitchen chair. She began some more puzzles, then later called me on the CB to ask for help to return to her favourite chair in the back room. She had begun to feel in danger of falling off the kitchen chair. By lunchtime she was moving about again & discovered her small LED torch (she keeps beside her pillow on her bed for when she rises during the night) on the floor near the foot of her bed. I was accused of "borrowing" it but not returning it to it's proper place - I hadn't. Then she wondered whether a prowler had been in the house - no one had of course. I assume she dropped during one of her trips to the loo. In mid-afternoon she called on the CB, unable to rise from her favourite chair, even very difficult with my help. She wanted to use the treadmill but needed to circumnavigate the kitchen table several times first pushing her trolley to limber up. After ten minutes on the treadmill she needed to return to her chair to have some cold water. About 10 minutes later "things were beginning to work" so she rose, went into the sewing room to attack the patchwork project. That evening I heard her call (fortunately I had no music playing). She had been in her sewing room without her CB. On the way to the loo she found the back room in darkness and froze. I helped her there & with necessary adjustment then back to her chair, ringing wet. She asked for cold water & I switched on the A/C. She is frequently in a lather of sweat, even her hands & arms.
Yesterday was average, a few calls for help, some pain & stiffness. She asked for some mentholated gel to be rubbed on her back - I hate touching the stuff - and she often applies it to her legs & lower back. After much frustration she now has the majority of the wall hanging together, needed when we meet with the Ugly Sisters on Monday.
This morning has started well, working on the patchwork project. A little after 11AM I was called to extricate a needle jammed into the dog on her machine. At this point she decided to have a rest from the work because she felt she was in danger of ruining it.
posted by Kilpike | 9:57 am
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