Chapter 452 - Frightened
Last evening I heated a quiche, sweet potato chips and a few brussel sprouts (all from the supermarket) for our meal. I had placed our plates on the small collapsible tables near the TV in the back room and returned to the kitchen area. On turning around I saw her with mouth open, eyes wide open attempting to cough but making slight gurgling sounds. I began thumping her on the back until I asked myself how long I should keep this up before pressing the alarm system button; then she gurgled, expelling some brussel sprout. I think I yelled her name repeatedly during the back thumping. She coughed and spluttered; I gave her some cold water. She didn't eat the meal; it went into the bin. Her throat was sore. A short time later a Wild Dog carer arrived to help her to bed. Honey was recommended to ease her throat, I gave her a spoonful after she was in bed. A few drips ensured.
Her throat remains sore this morning, although she ate her breakfast of yoghurt, diced fruit in jelly followed by a waffle with malt and ice cream, then raided the fridge for the scrapings in the almost empty ice cream carton.
Having taken the comments by counsellor R (mentioned in the previous chapter) as meaning "creative" and "uplifting" I told counsellor D that I will have a stitched design to show her at my next appointment. The design of lilac against a wall was completed on Sunday not quite to my liking so version two must be started. Anyway, I thought the two of us may motivate each other by each working on embroidery designs. Yesterday I set up the Janome 10000 for her. This morning she is unable to to thread the machine without guidance; she has forgotten the procedure repeated thousands of time on a few short years ago. I hooped some calico and stabiliser for her, so the most difficult part for her to do was the threading, made easier by the 10000 having an almost automatic needle threader. Her failing eyesight and obvious immobility of her hands makes a hard job of it. She stitched about 4 colours of a design she used several years ago, taking about 2 hours, much of which was spent getting lights and a lens in position for her to see what she was doing. She acted as though this was her introduction to the machine, rather than being the one she hated to see me fumbling with when it was bought maybe 12 years ago.
On Sunday, the day that is tending to be our shopping day, I felt quite weak and "rubbery" and was disinclined to drive. So yesterday at 0900 I went on my own, leaving her at home where she had decided to count her collection of small change. I was home again a little over an hour later, having spent almost $300 to tide us over the silly season of Easter. As I walked in the door she had just finished counting the change, a total of $99.50 she said.
Cupboard re-arranging has slowed somewhat, but being a slow learner, I continue having difficulty finding items in the kitchen.
Most afternoons she has a sleep for an hour or two. A bolus dose just prior to her feeling of needing to lay down may benefit her, but she seems unable to remember to press the button unless told to do so. Yesterday I found her grasping the railing on the accessed side of her bed. "Why?" I asked, to be told that she was in danger of rolling off the other side, the side which is against the wall as well as having the railing up. While in bed she often asks me to check her feet for being twisted; by that she means "crossed"; she is unable to tell and usually her feet/legs are uncrossed.
Last Saturday I wanted to take her along the river path but no, she didn't want to go because if I felt "bad" there was nowhere for me to rest. Also, she is afraid I may tip her out of the wheelchair, even though the path is new, without cracks or bumps and is quite wide.
She has begun inspecting the seams on the insides of clothing and pillow cases and then trimming any loose threads. An old zip fronted cardigan was treated in this way; "I'm going to throw it out" she said, before changing her mind to modify it to have a V front - we'll see.
Her throat remains sore this morning, although she ate her breakfast of yoghurt, diced fruit in jelly followed by a waffle with malt and ice cream, then raided the fridge for the scrapings in the almost empty ice cream carton.
Having taken the comments by counsellor R (mentioned in the previous chapter) as meaning "creative" and "uplifting" I told counsellor D that I will have a stitched design to show her at my next appointment. The design of lilac against a wall was completed on Sunday not quite to my liking so version two must be started. Anyway, I thought the two of us may motivate each other by each working on embroidery designs. Yesterday I set up the Janome 10000 for her. This morning she is unable to to thread the machine without guidance; she has forgotten the procedure repeated thousands of time on a few short years ago. I hooped some calico and stabiliser for her, so the most difficult part for her to do was the threading, made easier by the 10000 having an almost automatic needle threader. Her failing eyesight and obvious immobility of her hands makes a hard job of it. She stitched about 4 colours of a design she used several years ago, taking about 2 hours, much of which was spent getting lights and a lens in position for her to see what she was doing. She acted as though this was her introduction to the machine, rather than being the one she hated to see me fumbling with when it was bought maybe 12 years ago.
On Sunday, the day that is tending to be our shopping day, I felt quite weak and "rubbery" and was disinclined to drive. So yesterday at 0900 I went on my own, leaving her at home where she had decided to count her collection of small change. I was home again a little over an hour later, having spent almost $300 to tide us over the silly season of Easter. As I walked in the door she had just finished counting the change, a total of $99.50 she said.
Cupboard re-arranging has slowed somewhat, but being a slow learner, I continue having difficulty finding items in the kitchen.
Most afternoons she has a sleep for an hour or two. A bolus dose just prior to her feeling of needing to lay down may benefit her, but she seems unable to remember to press the button unless told to do so. Yesterday I found her grasping the railing on the accessed side of her bed. "Why?" I asked, to be told that she was in danger of rolling off the other side, the side which is against the wall as well as having the railing up. While in bed she often asks me to check her feet for being twisted; by that she means "crossed"; she is unable to tell and usually her feet/legs are uncrossed.
Last Saturday I wanted to take her along the river path but no, she didn't want to go because if I felt "bad" there was nowhere for me to rest. Also, she is afraid I may tip her out of the wheelchair, even though the path is new, without cracks or bumps and is quite wide.
She has begun inspecting the seams on the insides of clothing and pillow cases and then trimming any loose threads. An old zip fronted cardigan was treated in this way; "I'm going to throw it out" she said, before changing her mind to modify it to have a V front - we'll see.
posted by Kilpike | 12:32 pm
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