Chapter 260 - A Postponed Appointment
Most mornings this past week she has risen around 7am, returning to bed after meds at 8am and she may remain asleep until 10am. She has continuous pains in her lower legs. I queried that she never mentions lower back & hip pain any more; she replied "It's still there but my legs are much worse." I watched her last night, sitting in one of her chairs, feet in pink slippers, both raised some inches from the floor, unsupported, both feet prancing up & down. She frequently calls on the CB for help to rise from a chair or the toilet.
She has been waiting for what seems ages to see the PD nurse down in Hot Air City. We made a relaxed trip down there, arriving at the hospital a little after 1pm, she having taken her meds at a rest stop not far from home. After verifying the exact location we were to see the nurse in the rabbit warren of a hospital (aren't they all alike?) we had a sandwich for lunch then waited for the appointment time of 2.30pm, then only to learn that the nurse had gone off sick. Other staff were most apologetic, most concerned we had traveled so far, I said "It's only 80k's" although later when I checked the odometer (I had zeroed it when I filled the fuel tanks on leaving home) the distance was closer to 100kms to that side of Hot Air City. So we headed home again, on the promise of a future call for another appointment.
I tried to talk her into some shopping on the way home; she wasn't interested. However she had shown interest in a "cheap" TV with inbuilt DVD that was to be on sale in our town on Saturday. This might be used in our bedroom for when she can't sleep. As we drove near the airport I mentioned that the new Big W outlet may have some cheap TV's that may save me going down the street early on Saturday. So in we went, then left with a small TV with DVD, some DVD's (for me, she found nothing to her taste) plus some new towels, bath mats & shower curtains.
Her current meds
Sifrol 1mg 0600, 1200, 1800
Stalevo 250/200mg 0800, 1200, 1600, 1000
Deralin 10mg 0800, 1200, 1600, 2000, 2400
Sinemet CR 200/50mg 2400
Astrix 100mg 0800
Caltrate 600mg 1200
Vitamin D 1000iu 1600
Magnesium 325mg 2000
Crestor 10mg 0800
I sometimes mention various utilities that she finds helpful.
Her bidet with remote control above the grab rail on the wall, shower chair (sometimes needed) beside the bidet. Note the small box with a blue button above the toilet cistern; that's a wireless "door bell" the bell of which is mounted on my bed side table. The dark vertical bar (actually stainless steel) is what we refer to as her "Fireman's Pole", without which she has little chance of rising from the toilet and adjusting her clothes, even with my assistance. Low down on the wall to the left of the Fireman's Pole is the Alarm Button for our Smart Phone back-to-base alarm system (the actual phone is on our bedside table)
A full length view of the Fireman's Pole. This is a length of about 35mm diameter stainless steel with a flange fitted at the bottom which is bolted onto the floor. The upper end goes through the plaster ceiling then through a clearance hole in a piece of timber fitted across the rafters. This allows some movement and flexing of the pole without stressing the ceiling.
A view into the shower recess. Notice that there are no steps or water retaining barrier.
One of her two firm chairs she finds comfortable and from which she can usually rise without assistance. The other chair of this type is at the foot of her bed.
Some people are surprised she is able to do so much sewing and patchwork quilt making on our kitchen table.
A firm stable upright chair from which she watches TV. The small foot rocker is needed quite often these days to relieve the stress and pain in her legs.
Her laptop workstation with additional monitor. Note that she uses an additional keyboard and trackball mouse because the keyboard and pad on the laptop she finds very difficult to use. She now uses her collapsible wheelchair to help her move easily to and from the desk as well as to the other side of this room to where her embroidery machine is positioned. She locks the wheelchair's wheels for stability and confidence when she is in position.
Her hooped embroidery machine and her XP laptop to supply files to the machine. Janome do not supply drivers for Windows 7 used on the other laptop.
Her "trolley" on which she transports meds, water, and much else around the house. She does not usually walk more than a few steps without this device in front of her. Her second comfortable chair can be seen in the background at the foot of her bed.
The Wheely-Walker (our name for it) she uses for outside. She prefers to push it in front of her rather than hold my aging arm. The device folds easily for fitting into the car and it can be used as a seat or wheelchair.
A half-length satin sheet which she needs to assist her rollover and position herself in bed. It has plain cotton piece on each side for tucking beneath the mattress. A full length satin sheet is too slippery around the bottom end to allow feet to grip for turning and positioning. She has made a number of these herself after having bought several commercial versions. Until recently she had a bed pole on each side of the bed; these slipped beneath the mattress and gave her something to grasp when turning in bed or attempting to rise. We take one of these satin sheets and a bed pole whenever we stay overnight in a motel.
Our CB radios are set to CTCSS sub-channel 10 (any number will do) so that we do not hear the abuse and foul language usually heard on CB radios. Mine is blue, hers pink. We can rely on these for emergency contact from any room in the house and up to a few hundred meters away. For greater distances we rely on mobile phones, but the CB radio only needs a press of the transmit button for a few seconds to alert me. Her CB is usually hanging from a handle on her trolley.
The monkey bar (no not a gibbet) above her bed to aid her in positioning herself.
So it is readily apparent why she is never keen to be away from home, especially over night, and then we prefer a motel room with "disabled access" (we have noticed that there is a more politically correct term these days, although still a meaningless euphemism which I have forgotten) where the bathroom may be large and access is clear. Unfortunately, many motel owners think (or are permitted by local council regulations) that a small poorly positioned grab rail insecurely attached is sufficient to define a room as being suitable for persons with disabilities.
She has been waiting for what seems ages to see the PD nurse down in Hot Air City. We made a relaxed trip down there, arriving at the hospital a little after 1pm, she having taken her meds at a rest stop not far from home. After verifying the exact location we were to see the nurse in the rabbit warren of a hospital (aren't they all alike?) we had a sandwich for lunch then waited for the appointment time of 2.30pm, then only to learn that the nurse had gone off sick. Other staff were most apologetic, most concerned we had traveled so far, I said "It's only 80k's" although later when I checked the odometer (I had zeroed it when I filled the fuel tanks on leaving home) the distance was closer to 100kms to that side of Hot Air City. So we headed home again, on the promise of a future call for another appointment.
I tried to talk her into some shopping on the way home; she wasn't interested. However she had shown interest in a "cheap" TV with inbuilt DVD that was to be on sale in our town on Saturday. This might be used in our bedroom for when she can't sleep. As we drove near the airport I mentioned that the new Big W outlet may have some cheap TV's that may save me going down the street early on Saturday. So in we went, then left with a small TV with DVD, some DVD's (for me, she found nothing to her taste) plus some new towels, bath mats & shower curtains.
Her current meds
Sifrol 1mg 0600, 1200, 1800
Stalevo 250/200mg 0800, 1200, 1600, 1000
Deralin 10mg 0800, 1200, 1600, 2000, 2400
Sinemet CR 200/50mg 2400
Astrix 100mg 0800
Caltrate 600mg 1200
Vitamin D 1000iu 1600
Magnesium 325mg 2000
Crestor 10mg 0800
I sometimes mention various utilities that she finds helpful.
Her bidet with remote control above the grab rail on the wall, shower chair (sometimes needed) beside the bidet. Note the small box with a blue button above the toilet cistern; that's a wireless "door bell" the bell of which is mounted on my bed side table. The dark vertical bar (actually stainless steel) is what we refer to as her "Fireman's Pole", without which she has little chance of rising from the toilet and adjusting her clothes, even with my assistance. Low down on the wall to the left of the Fireman's Pole is the Alarm Button for our Smart Phone back-to-base alarm system (the actual phone is on our bedside table)
A full length view of the Fireman's Pole. This is a length of about 35mm diameter stainless steel with a flange fitted at the bottom which is bolted onto the floor. The upper end goes through the plaster ceiling then through a clearance hole in a piece of timber fitted across the rafters. This allows some movement and flexing of the pole without stressing the ceiling.
A view into the shower recess. Notice that there are no steps or water retaining barrier.
One of her two firm chairs she finds comfortable and from which she can usually rise without assistance. The other chair of this type is at the foot of her bed.
Some people are surprised she is able to do so much sewing and patchwork quilt making on our kitchen table.
A firm stable upright chair from which she watches TV. The small foot rocker is needed quite often these days to relieve the stress and pain in her legs.
Her laptop workstation with additional monitor. Note that she uses an additional keyboard and trackball mouse because the keyboard and pad on the laptop she finds very difficult to use. She now uses her collapsible wheelchair to help her move easily to and from the desk as well as to the other side of this room to where her embroidery machine is positioned. She locks the wheelchair's wheels for stability and confidence when she is in position.
Her hooped embroidery machine and her XP laptop to supply files to the machine. Janome do not supply drivers for Windows 7 used on the other laptop.
Her "trolley" on which she transports meds, water, and much else around the house. She does not usually walk more than a few steps without this device in front of her. Her second comfortable chair can be seen in the background at the foot of her bed.
The Wheely-Walker (our name for it) she uses for outside. She prefers to push it in front of her rather than hold my aging arm. The device folds easily for fitting into the car and it can be used as a seat or wheelchair.
A half-length satin sheet which she needs to assist her rollover and position herself in bed. It has plain cotton piece on each side for tucking beneath the mattress. A full length satin sheet is too slippery around the bottom end to allow feet to grip for turning and positioning. She has made a number of these herself after having bought several commercial versions. Until recently she had a bed pole on each side of the bed; these slipped beneath the mattress and gave her something to grasp when turning in bed or attempting to rise. We take one of these satin sheets and a bed pole whenever we stay overnight in a motel.
Our CB radios are set to CTCSS sub-channel 10 (any number will do) so that we do not hear the abuse and foul language usually heard on CB radios. Mine is blue, hers pink. We can rely on these for emergency contact from any room in the house and up to a few hundred meters away. For greater distances we rely on mobile phones, but the CB radio only needs a press of the transmit button for a few seconds to alert me. Her CB is usually hanging from a handle on her trolley.
The monkey bar (no not a gibbet) above her bed to aid her in positioning herself.
So it is readily apparent why she is never keen to be away from home, especially over night, and then we prefer a motel room with "disabled access" (we have noticed that there is a more politically correct term these days, although still a meaningless euphemism which I have forgotten) where the bathroom may be large and access is clear. Unfortunately, many motel owners think (or are permitted by local council regulations) that a small poorly positioned grab rail insecurely attached is sufficient to define a room as being suitable for persons with disabilities.
posted by Kilpike | 11:48 am
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