Chapter 499 - Is She Still at Home?

"Is she with Wild Dog Care or is she still at home?" he asked quietly as we both sat to the side of his desk, she in her wheel chair, I on an ordinary chair, in our GP's room. I had made an appointment early in the week when I became really concerned about her eyes but she had to wait until Saturday morning, yesterday. Her eyes had become more red-rimmed than usual, her eyes were always wet and the skin below her left eye sometimes looked blistered, scaly. A carer had suggested Vaseline below the lower eyelids; the chemist concurred when I asked whether there were any known issues with Optifresh eyedrops, a replacement for Celluvisc; there weren't. Our GP became concerned that she needed to be seen by an Opthalmologist. Since this was a Saturday, he gave her a referral to Emergency at the Hot Air City public hospital. We arrived there at 1430, leaving at 2030; 6 hours spent much in waiting. Fortunately everyone that dealt with us was kind and considerate, even though her dyskinesia problems made eye examination difficult. Wardsmen, looking like retired rugby players, were needed to lift her to and from the wheel chair to the optometrist examination seat (the chair contraption with examination lenses and the shelf to support a patient's chin). The ward doctor assigned to her was unable to obtain sensible pressure measurements; an eye specialist doctor eventually  said the pressures were 20 and 21 then requested us to return on Monday morning by which time swabs from her eyes would be analysed (I hope). In answering their repeated questions about events that had occurred three to four weeks ago, about the time I noticed changes with her eyes, I related how I had had my dose of Lingering Man Flu beginning about 2 months ago, the change from Celluvisc to Optifresh eye drops, her use of the eye shades bought on line about a month ago. I was reminded of my Kepner-Tregoe problem solving days! The eye specialist (who looked young enough to be just beginning his training) consulted with a superior, then asked us to attend the Eye Clinic on Monday and to not use the eye masks (possible source of infection), discontinue Simbrinza (hazardous since it is one of the two medications controlling her eye pressure) because one of its components is known to cause a delayed allergic reaction some 9 months after first use, and not to apply Vaseline beneath her eyes. We called into a MacDonald's on the way home but she didn't eat much of the chips and gravy she asked for. Even though the car is now 5 years old, this was the first time I had driven it any distance at night time.

Returning to my opening words, I find that when in a group her attention wanders, she seems to "turn off", tending to go about her own business. In a doctoring environment I tend to answer questions for her since she tends to dither and not respond; I really try not to do so but her silences waste time. I was quite taken aback by the GP's question, asked about half way through the consultation and to which I simply replied "At home". She seemed not to notice and made no comment then or later. He also commented that she had lost weight. Has she? I have not noticed and she hasn't been weighed in a long time, being wheel chair bound. Makes me wonder whether others think she is deserving of being institutionalised. Apart from the Dance for PD class at the church hall and her attendance at a ladies "sewing circle" on Thursdays in our village hall, the only social contacts she has are the Wild Dog carers who help shower and dress her, and also stay with her during my Wednesday respite 5 hours. A friend in our village never calls anymore; no one telephones her but in fairness, she doesn't call anyone either. She finds handling a phone difficult. Perhaps she has no conversation to share.

I am tending that way myself, and speaking of health matters, medications and such to others in our age bracket is simply a great bore. But when there seems little else, what does one do? I have a couple of friends with whom I have regular contact, yet with some conversational difficulty, when one or the other of us admits to not watching/listening to current news and politics, reading books, watching current TV programmes or movies. None of us are interested in sport thank goodness.