Chapter 230 - Testing Times
On Monday she began the new course of anti-biotics after I collected a sample for pathology and tested a separate sample myself, taking photographs at 30 second intervals. Both the leukocyte and nitrite tabs changed to dark mauve & medium pink respectively. I have done my own tests every second morning. Wednesday morning the colour changes were much diminished, Friday's hardly a noticeable change for the leukocyte tab, and now this morning there are no noticeable change in colour of any tab, even after two hours since the stick was immersed (the leukocyte tab is meant to be noted 2 minutes after dipping and I have seen that the color then deepens further with time) when both leukocyte & nitrite tabs as white as the driven snow. Having said that, I just compared today's used stick with an unused one and perhaps there is the slightest discolouration of the leukocyte tab, maybe it's still damp. By the way, the anti-biotic she has been on is Ibilex 500, 1x3 per day, this being a generic of Cephalexin Capsules BP.
Did I say last time that the GP suggested magnesium tablets for her leg cramps? She has been taking them since last weekend. When I ask about pain & aches her answers tend to relate to that point in time. I have noticed however that this week there have been fewer & fewer exclamations of pain "grabbing her" in the legs so I take that as a qualitative measurement that her cramps have lessened considerably. She continues to comment from time to time about aches and yesterday she said her right hip (I think) was painful. I repeatedly point out that she is sitting on an office swivel chair in her sewing room, usually crookedly at that, and that is not good for her hips. She brushes away my comments by saying she has to sit just where she flops. She has difficulty getting on & off a kitchen chair on the carpeted sewing room but not as much when at the kitchen table where she does much of her patchwork - of course that area of the house has a bare timber floor. Each evening when going to bed I rub cream into her feet before she places them onto the circulation booster. So exactly what has reduced her leg pains? Who knows, we will keep up more of the same so that the pain does not make her cry and make her fearful of falling.
Since last week our lounge room floor has been covered with the makings of another quilt. When sitting in her favourite chair in front of the TV she usually is completing the puzzles in her two weekly puzzle magazines or she is progressing through the 4 volumes of the puzzles from the TV show "Letters & Numbers". So she remains busy in mind & body. Some mornings she has asked for the treadmill.
Of a night time there is no hesitation in using the commode because she can hardly shuffle to the end of the bed where it has to be placed carefully the most convenient distance from the built-in wardrobe and her walker trolley near by with its brakes on because the wardrobe shelving and the handles of the trolley need to be used to assist her rise from the commode then turn back to the bed. Sometimes she needs assistance to get back into bed. She continues to use the side-sleeper pillow (sort of banana shaped) even though she finds it a curse on those rare times she wishes to lay on her other side. ; it may not last very long. She usually has me heat her larger seed bag to place around her neck to ease aches & get her to sleep. I am distressed to see her, during , bent over, touching our two beds for stability as she shuffles between them to the commode. During the day when she is "on" she walks stooped, the living caricature of an old lady. One night this week she only rose once; usually it's 3 - 4 times between 1AM & 3AM and most often she does not wake me unless she is fearful of falling. Some mornings I need to assist after her shower & with dressing. She continues to change her incontinence pants twice a day.
Last week I caught a snotty disease. She accused me in advance of giving it to her, so I did. So this week she suffered but now she is pretty well free of it.
Soon we must make the decision to attend an important family event; we feel we want to go, we feel we should go but I cringe at the thought of putting her through the stress of travelling & the discomfort of staying in motels; and probable panic attacks. I also hate the thought of us hardly ever leaving fortress home except for local shopping & doctor's surgeries.
Did I say last time that the GP suggested magnesium tablets for her leg cramps? She has been taking them since last weekend. When I ask about pain & aches her answers tend to relate to that point in time. I have noticed however that this week there have been fewer & fewer exclamations of pain "grabbing her" in the legs so I take that as a qualitative measurement that her cramps have lessened considerably. She continues to comment from time to time about aches and yesterday she said her right hip (I think) was painful. I repeatedly point out that she is sitting on an office swivel chair in her sewing room, usually crookedly at that, and that is not good for her hips. She brushes away my comments by saying she has to sit just where she flops. She has difficulty getting on & off a kitchen chair on the carpeted sewing room but not as much when at the kitchen table where she does much of her patchwork - of course that area of the house has a bare timber floor. Each evening when going to bed I rub cream into her feet before she places them onto the circulation booster. So exactly what has reduced her leg pains? Who knows, we will keep up more of the same so that the pain does not make her cry and make her fearful of falling.
Since last week our lounge room floor has been covered with the makings of another quilt. When sitting in her favourite chair in front of the TV she usually is completing the puzzles in her two weekly puzzle magazines or she is progressing through the 4 volumes of the puzzles from the TV show "Letters & Numbers". So she remains busy in mind & body. Some mornings she has asked for the treadmill.
Of a night time there is no hesitation in using the commode because she can hardly shuffle to the end of the bed where it has to be placed carefully the most convenient distance from the built-in wardrobe and her walker trolley near by with its brakes on because the wardrobe shelving and the handles of the trolley need to be used to assist her rise from the commode then turn back to the bed. Sometimes she needs assistance to get back into bed. She continues to use the side-sleeper pillow (sort of banana shaped) even though she finds it a curse on those rare times she wishes to lay on her other side. ; it may not last very long. She usually has me heat her larger seed bag to place around her neck to ease aches & get her to sleep. I am distressed to see her, during , bent over, touching our two beds for stability as she shuffles between them to the commode. During the day when she is "on" she walks stooped, the living caricature of an old lady. One night this week she only rose once; usually it's 3 - 4 times between 1AM & 3AM and most often she does not wake me unless she is fearful of falling. Some mornings I need to assist after her shower & with dressing. She continues to change her incontinence pants twice a day.
Last week I caught a snotty disease. She accused me in advance of giving it to her, so I did. So this week she suffered but now she is pretty well free of it.
Soon we must make the decision to attend an important family event; we feel we want to go, we feel we should go but I cringe at the thought of putting her through the stress of travelling & the discomfort of staying in motels; and probable panic attacks. I also hate the thought of us hardly ever leaving fortress home except for local shopping & doctor's surgeries.
posted by Kilpike | 9:48 am
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