Chapter 525 - This Stuff Called Life Goes On
I have no idea who I referred to this blog many years ago for updates on our progression. Some still check it from time to time, most don't. She is never curious about what I write here; perhaps she has forgotten that I do so. But since I sometimes write things that may bother her please do not refer to the blog when in conversation with her. Should she ever ask to read any of this blog material I will not deny her access and will display it on her PC screen for her. After all, this blog is in the public domain. Her PC, an early MS Surface Pro, sits with an additional monitor on an over-bed trolley in our lounge room. She never attempts to use it, even to look at great grand daughter pictures unless I wheel her in front of it. Even so, I am ill at ease at such times because she can be inquisitive about pressing keys buttons and icons and I never was competent showing her how.
Her eyesight is part of her difficulty in using PC's, tablets and phones. Even with her newest phone, having a limited number of preset numbers and no screen she can have difficulties. And that's compounded when I muddle matters for her. Each evening, I place her phone into its plug in charger as well as my "old" phone (reserved for making and receiving calls, what else?) and my "new" phone (reserved for eBooks, radio, music, mindfulness, calendar, what else?) on their induction chargers. Some nights my phones aren't placed optimally and don't charge well. Some nights my phones update, reboot for unknown reasons. Anyway, some mornings she is unable to call me out here in my cold dungeon where I am seated closely to my small heater. This morning I compounded her problems by having her phone in my cardigan pocket, my "phone" phone in my trouser pocket but switched off, which I don't remember turning off, fully charged. I faintly heard her calling, needing urgent help to get to the loo. There was a problem of her phone becoming lost when it hung from the head rest on her wheel chair until I velcroed its case onto a cross member at the front of her wheel chair, and that works well so long as I remember to place it there.
On Friday after she saw her doctor about the blemish on her left cheek (now OK) we had lunch at the Soldier's after which she asked to go up the street, to Dimmy's where she bought some Mandala colouring-in books. Her attempts fail to keep within the lines but on the whole look very effective, especially when she applies glitter filled ink as well. We also went to the bank to sort out her account for which I had forgotten the online password as well as the phone number supplied to receive SMS (her new phone has no screen thus no SMS capabilities). Flashing her photo ID (since she has no driver's licence) we were attended to in a tiny office where a machine generated password was sent to my "new" phone because to my horror I found my "phone" phone was turned off because its battery was flat and I had to phone the bank person's phone from my "new" phone (it's number is hidden from prying eyes, including mine) so that it can be the one for SMS's for her bank account. I pointed out to the bank person that he was the only one to now have that phone number. With all this muddling I was sure the cops would have been called except for the fact that the two of us were two old aged farts and obviously confused.
During our visit to her neurologist at West Beer last Thursday I learned, both from the Clinic Nurse (on hand to replace the PEGJ fitting, rather than we attending the clinic in the bowels of the hospital) and Dr F that the three events that caused me to press our emergency button to summon an ambulance (and once a hospital visit) may have simply been she was "Off" (in PD parlance) producing a non-compos behaviour as well as very poor mobility. The same probably applies to her bouts of sleepiness. Dr F had forgotten to send a script for an Alzheimer patch following our last visit but will do so this time. I am to increase the Duodopa flow rates (above what I have already done of my own accord) along with applying the patches. I have set flow rates at 7.0 during the day and 2.5 overnight. I am sure she either adjusts to higher doses or her progression dictates higher doses.
She experiences few hallucinations lately; a stack of wood outside our house recently and a Queen Victoria likeness noticed in a pencil pine growing against a brick wall at the rear of the Soldier's.
I often find her examining cash register dockets and such like with a magnifying glass. While attempting to read a letter I had typed and printed she found the lines "too close together" to read.
My lower back is very painful each morning as I rise. Usually 30 minutes each morning on the treadmill helps a lot, except today when it's almost lunch time as I type this. I should discuss this with the GP but I don't wish to hear anything serious that may change our lifestyle routines. My problem is probably caused by assisting her to stand while pivoting my trunk to swing her onto the loo or commode. Having her stand into the Sara Stedy is easier on me because she expends a lot of effort in her arms pulling herself up, causing stress in her arms and shoulders. Catch 22.
Her eyesight is part of her difficulty in using PC's, tablets and phones. Even with her newest phone, having a limited number of preset numbers and no screen she can have difficulties. And that's compounded when I muddle matters for her. Each evening, I place her phone into its plug in charger as well as my "old" phone (reserved for making and receiving calls, what else?) and my "new" phone (reserved for eBooks, radio, music, mindfulness, calendar, what else?) on their induction chargers. Some nights my phones aren't placed optimally and don't charge well. Some nights my phones update, reboot for unknown reasons. Anyway, some mornings she is unable to call me out here in my cold dungeon where I am seated closely to my small heater. This morning I compounded her problems by having her phone in my cardigan pocket, my "phone" phone in my trouser pocket but switched off, which I don't remember turning off, fully charged. I faintly heard her calling, needing urgent help to get to the loo. There was a problem of her phone becoming lost when it hung from the head rest on her wheel chair until I velcroed its case onto a cross member at the front of her wheel chair, and that works well so long as I remember to place it there.
On Friday after she saw her doctor about the blemish on her left cheek (now OK) we had lunch at the Soldier's after which she asked to go up the street, to Dimmy's where she bought some Mandala colouring-in books. Her attempts fail to keep within the lines but on the whole look very effective, especially when she applies glitter filled ink as well. We also went to the bank to sort out her account for which I had forgotten the online password as well as the phone number supplied to receive SMS (her new phone has no screen thus no SMS capabilities). Flashing her photo ID (since she has no driver's licence) we were attended to in a tiny office where a machine generated password was sent to my "new" phone because to my horror I found my "phone" phone was turned off because its battery was flat and I had to phone the bank person's phone from my "new" phone (it's number is hidden from prying eyes, including mine) so that it can be the one for SMS's for her bank account. I pointed out to the bank person that he was the only one to now have that phone number. With all this muddling I was sure the cops would have been called except for the fact that the two of us were two old aged farts and obviously confused.
During our visit to her neurologist at West Beer last Thursday I learned, both from the Clinic Nurse (on hand to replace the PEGJ fitting, rather than we attending the clinic in the bowels of the hospital) and Dr F that the three events that caused me to press our emergency button to summon an ambulance (and once a hospital visit) may have simply been she was "Off" (in PD parlance) producing a non-compos behaviour as well as very poor mobility. The same probably applies to her bouts of sleepiness. Dr F had forgotten to send a script for an Alzheimer patch following our last visit but will do so this time. I am to increase the Duodopa flow rates (above what I have already done of my own accord) along with applying the patches. I have set flow rates at 7.0 during the day and 2.5 overnight. I am sure she either adjusts to higher doses or her progression dictates higher doses.
She experiences few hallucinations lately; a stack of wood outside our house recently and a Queen Victoria likeness noticed in a pencil pine growing against a brick wall at the rear of the Soldier's.
I often find her examining cash register dockets and such like with a magnifying glass. While attempting to read a letter I had typed and printed she found the lines "too close together" to read.
My lower back is very painful each morning as I rise. Usually 30 minutes each morning on the treadmill helps a lot, except today when it's almost lunch time as I type this. I should discuss this with the GP but I don't wish to hear anything serious that may change our lifestyle routines. My problem is probably caused by assisting her to stand while pivoting my trunk to swing her onto the loo or commode. Having her stand into the Sara Stedy is easier on me because she expends a lot of effort in her arms pulling herself up, causing stress in her arms and shoulders. Catch 22.
posted by Kilpike | 12:00 pm
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home