Chapter 446 - Just Too Tired
We're going to bed in daylight; daylight saving must have at least a month to run. Last evening the sun broke through the storm clouds making our street appear as at midday as the Wild Dog helper assisted her to bed. I was sweeping the floor of sewing threads and crumbs. Someone comes nominally at 7PM; I suspect their arrival time depends on whether another "client" follows us; especially in the morning when someone may turn up 5 to 15 minutes late, giving a reason as "delayed with previous client", "alarm didn't go off because ..." or as a couple of mornings ago "our house lost power" - the whole street? I asked, "don't know" was the answer. I'm tempted to install some form of Bundy clock in the shape of one of our Surface Pro's on the kitchen bench top, just in case the management demand an extension for each visit from the allotted half hour. I have noticed they tend to run over time when they don't have an immediate next client, and such time becomes welcome social contact for her.
Most evenings she is disinterested in TV, DVD's or NetFlix. I tend to go to bed early now as well, read an eBook for a short time until I tend to drop the eReader as I nod off. I am too tired to pursue family history and anyway, this dungeon is too hot. I attempt to watch the ABC's "The Drum" whenever possible, since it is on early evening; whereas other political/social comment are shown too late for me to maintain my concentration. Thankfully, my interest can be piqued by that meat head Trump buffoon; reality TV played in a white house.
I am stressed by the time a Wild Dog carer arrives, placing her on the loo, wiping her bottom when needed, helping her clean her teeth, getting out day clothes or nightie plus incontinence pants & pads.
When they are running late, even only a few minutes, she becomes stressed and uncomfortable sitting either on the loo or the commode, which stresses me all the more. I realise the difficulties for carers to arrive exactly on time; it's impossible; in years gone by I experienced the same issues with customers in a big city.
A message during the week told us that Dr H., the lady who was to do her colonoscopy suffered an injury from a fall so will not be doing the job. Someone else will.
In the two weeks since her rough throat and stuffy nose (which I then caught and am now largely over the problem) she continues to experience excessive saliva and/or phlegm, spitting large dollops into tissues. This morning I noticed dark mucky stuff on a tissue. She says that has not happened before, that it came from her throat. I should have photographed the mess; I will the next time to show our GP. A blood test for Dr H. for her thyroid on Thursday last at our GP's surgery.
In our local free paper this week was mention of a "neural knitting workshop" at our shopping centre today, Saturday.When I asked her, she was interested in attending. So we went in the middle of a thunderstorm down pour. After asking what the workshop was all about I remain puzzled. The project will make a display of neuron shaped objects somewhere but for what exact purpose I don't know. I assume "brain plasticity" came into it somewhere but was not mentioned. There were two methods of making a "neuron"; by knitting or by wrapping wool around straws or sticks; she opted for knitting. She began following a pattern, beginning with the cell body well enough but when the pattern continued onto dendrites and axons she began to do her own thing, the result becoming a cancer deformed neuron. The straight forward (not to me) knitting instructions for the body she readily followed but when it came to making the root-like extensions she was at a loss, unable to imagine how to proceed. I suspect this was much the same experience she has with her sewing projects at home. I left her there while I did some food shopping; when I returned her legs were very dyskinetic so I quietly, almost, wheeled her away to the car. I needed to bang my way between tables and chairs of the food hall to get out. I felt embarrassed; she wasn't.
After some lunch and a big poop she sleeps. She had a large motion when I first took her to the loo this morning. After both sessions her senses had her believe there was more to come, as in the recent past causing her to wish to remain on the loo for extended periods. Dr H. suggested Benefiber in addition to Movicol and she is now passing greater bulk; I just hope the sense of incompleteness goes away.
This morning when I changed her Duodopa pump for daytime running I reduced the flow rate from 5.0 to 4.9. Since the increase from 4.8 to 5.0 her breathing worsened, several panic attacks were averted by taking two soluble Panadol (it's the thought that counts) and once by a Kalma that she particularly asked for. At these times her dyskinetic legs move quite rapidly. As always, mornings are mostly good and her condition deteriorates during the afternoon, when she usually wishes to raise both legs onto a chair or lounge. Yesterday I rested her legs across my knees, stroked her legs and she fell asleep.
A few days ago as she sat on the loo and "pushed", her left leg below the knee went numb. Dr H. suggested concrete blocks in front of the loo so that she was in more of a squatting position; I bought some but her leg dyskinesias still kick them out of the way because they are not heavy enough.
A little while ago at 3PM she clicked the CB radio call button after sleeping slightly over an hour. I left her joining dots in a colouring-in book we bought the other day.
I must ask Wild Dog to quote for a week of respite to see whether her Level 4 package budget can tolerate the expense.
Most evenings she is disinterested in TV, DVD's or NetFlix. I tend to go to bed early now as well, read an eBook for a short time until I tend to drop the eReader as I nod off. I am too tired to pursue family history and anyway, this dungeon is too hot. I attempt to watch the ABC's "The Drum" whenever possible, since it is on early evening; whereas other political/social comment are shown too late for me to maintain my concentration. Thankfully, my interest can be piqued by that meat head Trump buffoon; reality TV played in a white house.
I am stressed by the time a Wild Dog carer arrives, placing her on the loo, wiping her bottom when needed, helping her clean her teeth, getting out day clothes or nightie plus incontinence pants & pads.
When they are running late, even only a few minutes, she becomes stressed and uncomfortable sitting either on the loo or the commode, which stresses me all the more. I realise the difficulties for carers to arrive exactly on time; it's impossible; in years gone by I experienced the same issues with customers in a big city.
A message during the week told us that Dr H., the lady who was to do her colonoscopy suffered an injury from a fall so will not be doing the job. Someone else will.
In the two weeks since her rough throat and stuffy nose (which I then caught and am now largely over the problem) she continues to experience excessive saliva and/or phlegm, spitting large dollops into tissues. This morning I noticed dark mucky stuff on a tissue. She says that has not happened before, that it came from her throat. I should have photographed the mess; I will the next time to show our GP. A blood test for Dr H. for her thyroid on Thursday last at our GP's surgery.
In our local free paper this week was mention of a "neural knitting workshop" at our shopping centre today, Saturday.When I asked her, she was interested in attending. So we went in the middle of a thunderstorm down pour. After asking what the workshop was all about I remain puzzled. The project will make a display of neuron shaped objects somewhere but for what exact purpose I don't know. I assume "brain plasticity" came into it somewhere but was not mentioned. There were two methods of making a "neuron"; by knitting or by wrapping wool around straws or sticks; she opted for knitting. She began following a pattern, beginning with the cell body well enough but when the pattern continued onto dendrites and axons she began to do her own thing, the result becoming a cancer deformed neuron. The straight forward (not to me) knitting instructions for the body she readily followed but when it came to making the root-like extensions she was at a loss, unable to imagine how to proceed. I suspect this was much the same experience she has with her sewing projects at home. I left her there while I did some food shopping; when I returned her legs were very dyskinetic so I quietly, almost, wheeled her away to the car. I needed to bang my way between tables and chairs of the food hall to get out. I felt embarrassed; she wasn't.
After some lunch and a big poop she sleeps. She had a large motion when I first took her to the loo this morning. After both sessions her senses had her believe there was more to come, as in the recent past causing her to wish to remain on the loo for extended periods. Dr H. suggested Benefiber in addition to Movicol and she is now passing greater bulk; I just hope the sense of incompleteness goes away.
This morning when I changed her Duodopa pump for daytime running I reduced the flow rate from 5.0 to 4.9. Since the increase from 4.8 to 5.0 her breathing worsened, several panic attacks were averted by taking two soluble Panadol (it's the thought that counts) and once by a Kalma that she particularly asked for. At these times her dyskinetic legs move quite rapidly. As always, mornings are mostly good and her condition deteriorates during the afternoon, when she usually wishes to raise both legs onto a chair or lounge. Yesterday I rested her legs across my knees, stroked her legs and she fell asleep.
A few days ago as she sat on the loo and "pushed", her left leg below the knee went numb. Dr H. suggested concrete blocks in front of the loo so that she was in more of a squatting position; I bought some but her leg dyskinesias still kick them out of the way because they are not heavy enough.
A little while ago at 3PM she clicked the CB radio call button after sleeping slightly over an hour. I left her joining dots in a colouring-in book we bought the other day.
I must ask Wild Dog to quote for a week of respite to see whether her Level 4 package budget can tolerate the expense.
posted by Kilpike | 4:12 pm
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