Chapter 614 - The Unwashed Crowds

 A smiling woman told me "You don't have to do that anymore!" as I scanned the QR code on the chemist's door. I knew she was smiling because she was not wearing a mask. I replied "I do!". The same from a resident of our village as I was about to enter the hall to check on our mail. That same morning the carer from Wild Dog entered our house without wearing a mask. When I checked with Wild Dog management and our village management both were waiting on directions from higher management. I placed a notice on our front door telling visitors that masks must be worn. Village management later distributed memos stating the state government directions. No feedback from Wild Dog although all carers enter our place wearing masks; none do a QR code scan but I record who is here. On Friday staff and patients at the doctors were wearing masks. The state health minister repeated a statement made at a university that by the end of January there may be 25,000 COVID cases each day. The graph of the state's  case numbers is trending toward vertical as the number yesterday exceeded 2,500. News suggest that northern hemisphere countries are trending toward panic as they enter the depths of winter. Here in GodZone country we are entering the season of pagan celebrations with a flourish, sporting events, wild parties at clubs and pubs, surely a few "musical" (is that what the noise is called?) concerts and of course the Land of the Free interpretation of what Xmas once was, soon to be followed by that great release of energy and emotion because this small polluted ball of rock has once again returned to an arbitrary position in space. The other day I read in a learned magazine that it will be incinerated by the sun an about 600 million years; in the scheme of things that sounds almost too soon. Meanwhile, back to the present, we Old Farts need to avoid catching whatever flavour of COVID will come our way because at our ages I doubt we will endure its ravages to discover how "Long COVID" may impact us. At this time I am almost proud that we have avoided any signs of common cold and 'flu in this calendar year; a first for me ever and probably because I have not mixed with the great crowds of unwashed.

After an hour she as almost completed folding the four grocery bags in which our groceries were delivered yesterday. She began yesterday, giving up when unable to fold the second bag, the first having been folded but not held in place with a rubber band. She seems to lack a sense of how long such a simple task takes her; no sense of frustration or annoyance.

Although I used four screws to hold the soft seat on her commode in place so that that part of the seat did not remain stuck to her bottom, there was danger that her skin might be damaged so I now wipe eucalyptus oil (suggested by the nurse consultant at West Beer to remove sticky tape residue from her tummy) around the commode seat. Masks other less pleasant odours as well. Now I find that as she is lifted in the sling lifter from the commode I have to ensure that she does not swing forward a few centimetres otherwise the prolapse sometimes "wipes" the lip of the commode seat.

She continues to take a Symmetrel at breakfast each day. I'm unsure whether her dyskinesia is lessened due to the Symmetrel; I have yet to compare current FitBit results with earlier ones. As I often say, if I can't measure it then I can't fix it (that is, know that symptoms have improved).

I had decided to give her the evening meal in bed after the Wild Dog carer has gone. Mainly to avoid rushing about to get the meal over and done with. She prefers not to eat in bed, "I can't get comfortable" she says. In a moment of sheer inspiration in the shower this morning I decided we will have our main meal in the middle of the day. This little Pooh Bear  is unable to grasp an obvious solution sometimes.

As a change each night from hearing the Betty Neales' book readings over and over (although she doesn't seem  to remember the titles or plots of any of the books  she hears; each seems to be "new" to her and doesn't recognise when I add a new one to the collection) I have been playing Xmas carols found on You Tube for her. The "A Better Visit" finger painting exercises still interest her, even tough her fingers have a tendency to bump things and the tablet enters functions she should not play with.