General Chat

Well, it wasnt B12, but the extra thyroxine hadnt kicked in. It is now having some effect, but as have a bad water infection am still not feeling my best. Have done more lately, though.

LOL, Perse, I know what you mean about a performance. I sometimes am like that stepping over a small stream or getting up the bank if we have waded over.

You take care now.

Huia.

The money given to local health authorities to fund respite for carers has been largely spent on other things.

God in Heaven,we really don't count do we?

Still no sign of Bob, I hope he and his wife are alright.

Huia.

I think I have seen Bob on other threads, Huia, cant call to mind which, but am sure it was recent.

Hi All

Though it is difficult now to thread a needle, I have not been threading elsewhere for a long time(as far as I can remember).No I have not lost the plot either (although some friends may question even that) just plodding on catching up on MYOB updates and then catching up on ten months accounting and checking out the mis-posted items which gravitate into the Suspense Account. Care giver on holiday, alternative caregiver so I can play golf, car to be serviced, golf, support group, golf, 53rd Wedding Anniversary, golf, coffee with family, golf, looking for next stage housing and oh I almost forgot, golf.

So you can see that caregiving has been for me like some of the skaters at the Winter Olympics or the Giant Slalom heart in the mouth stuff not wanting to trip up. Right, none of us expect to get the gold medal this side of eternity but I would like on the other side to hear the words "Well done thou good and faithful servant!"

Heard a great interview the other day on that radio station listened to by dinosaurs like me. The guy (Mitch Albom) who had written a best seller "Tuesdays with Morrie" impressed me so much I went and bought his next book, "Have a Little Faith", about his being asked by his old rabbi whom he had not seen a lot of, if he would do the eulogy at his funeral. I don't get a lot of time nor make any time for reading these days so I was pleased that I have done exactly that and am half-way through. Fascinating reading and certainly worth getting from the library.
Off to golf tomorrow and to the optician today. Got my priorities on those two appointments right didn't I?

Best Wishes to all

Bob

Sharron, i saw that on the news. I am not a carer now though I used to be. It is now 1 in 10 of us that is a carer, that is a staggering figure when so little help is forthcoming, and so randomly provided at that.

My very best wishes to those who continue to care with such devotion, in spite of the exhaustion and damage to their own health also. May whatever god you believe in bless you.

Bob, I am so pleased that you are still ok and with your sense of humour intact. Please just drop in occasionally to say Hi. Even if that is all you say. We will have been married 52 years on the 21st. Not too far behind you.

Huia.

Just popped in to say hi to y'all.

Huia has been concerned about you Bob - glad to see you are up to 'par' again and will be hitting a few birdies after being to the opticians you will be able to see a fair way. (groan)

53rd Wedding Anniversay that is quite an achievement. We had ours the other day and we are nowhere near that - I will have to pedal a lot faster to reach that milestone. .

Cheers all take care.

Persey

Congratulations Bob on the stupendous anniversary.
I knew the name Mitch Albom rang a bell, I have his book the Five People you meet in Heaven and it's a good read, very thought provoking.

I dread o.h. becoming more unwell, what with his bleed on the brain, high bp, and cholesterol and now his diabetes, and his memory becoming worse and worse, I don't want to be trapped into spending the last years of my life as a carer! Sorry if that sounds wicked but he is 7 yrs younger than me and I have my own problems which he doesn't acknowledge except by leaving me to sleep when I seem to be in a deep sleep and bring the very occasional cup of tea to me, never seems to think I could be starving to death but too tired to get down the stairs. My knees are getting worse, o.arthritis, and with the cold weather and mostly unheated house, I am often better in bed than sitting downstairs but he forgets about me, part of his memory problem lol

I was at my dr on Monday and she has given me more Vit d tablets, the ones she first put me on. Apparently it's all very trial and error at the mo but she was told by her consultant friend that I would need the jab which I had in November and it was supposed to last a year, now she has been told to add the Adcal tablets with vit d and to test me in May, 6 months after the jab. Since it hasn't done anything for my tiredness yet I am happy to try more tablets and see how it goes, it does seem to have perked my hair into some slight regrowth tho so that's a bonus!

Hope the vit b12 works for you Jean, and love to you all especially my slothful 'sister' Huia

Lizxx

Slothful, Liz? What ever do you mean?

I told a lie earler, it is only 51 yrs since we married, not 52, so 2 yrs to catch up on Bob and his wife.

I visited Phil today and he woke up for lunch. I gave him the spoon and he was feeding himself for a while, ate half the first course. Then they brought peach halves with something brown (choc blancmange?) and thin custard I think and he was tucking into that quite well when once I had chopped up the fruit (he has no teeth). But he ate only half of that too. I stayed only an hour. I am afraid I dont have a lot of patience when I have to keep encouraging him to stay awake and to feed himself or open his mouth for me to feed him. No conversation. The poor fellow, I am sure he had no idea that it would come to all this. Neither did I in a way. I envisaged caring for him at home more or less 'forever' but I am glad I didnt have to keep caring for him, I would have finished up a cot case. I was getting close to one when he finally went into care. Life is so unkind.

Huia.

Life and the lack of it is tough Huia - we think we are invincible when all is going well - but it is hard when ones health deteriorates and you or they end up in a vegetative state.

You keep taking your tablets Liz - and stay on here - keeps your brain alert. You know the joke - we need more lerts. Try and keep warm nothing worse than being cold all the time. And nourishment is important not just a cup of tea. Maybe a thermos of soup beside your bed for when you wake. Have a slowcooker plugged in by the bed.

On the other hand Huia I hope you have got your clothes on - the heat has died down now and we have been having cooler mornings.

Take care all
Persey

Hi my Kiwi pals,

Huia, I am sure you have enough patience doing what you do when you visit, it must be soul destroying to be unable to have a conversation with someone you once shared so much with, and I can understand your sadness seeing Phil like that. You did all you could for him almost at the expense of your own health and wellbeing so do not feel bad for letting Phil go to be cared for elsewhere. Better that than being burned trying to rescue him if he had tried to cook at home and set the house on fire, or seeing him badly injured, or lost and not found till too late, all things that could have happened had he stayed with you... He has a cruel illness that is taking him from you and all who loved him slowly but surely, we can only hope that one day soon he has a gentle sleep and doesn't wake.

Perse, don't worry love, I won't starve, I would crawl downstairs if I was that hungry, it's just the attitude of the dope here! He once said to me in earlier years, If you ever get ill I will look after you, but he didn't realise then how bad he would get himself with his memory altho it was poor even when he was in his early forties . I never promised anything in return lol so I don't feel duty bound.

Take care of yourselves, and make the most of the last days of summer/autumn. Be thankful you don't have to look forward to a winter such as we have had this year, if we get another one next winter I will hibernate or emigrate, lol

love
Lizxxx

Thanks all for your congratulations and words of humour and support

I did recount something good and something bad and sad. I have reflected again on what I had posted and have deleted it as being injudicious for the sadness related to so many people who were more closely affected and who will have to come to terms with it as best they can.

"I will walk through the valley.........."


Bob

Bob, my first thought when you mentioned your friends son,---Oh, dear God! My heart goes out to anyone with this dreadful death sentence, for that is what it is, a lingering one at that. May you have the strength to be a shoulder to cry on for this poor lady.

Check-in time, boys and girls. Where are you all?

I went to the Brain Day at Auckland University yesterday. I wanted to know the procedure for donating Phil's brain when he finally dies. As we are both down on our driving licences as organ donors I know he would appreciate the thought that his brain could be helping find a cure or preventative for this accursed Alzheimers.

My love to all you wonderful people.

Huia.

Huia, I am glad you got to the place you wanted to visit, did you find out what you wanted to know, and has it helped you in any way? I think anything that can help scientists move towards curing or preventing Alzheimers is worth doing.

Lizx

Hi All

Yes I am unaccustomed to being so quiet but thought I should do something about it, having had a swift "kick in the pants" . I hope I was not the only one singled out. If my warped humour is missed, there is always Channel 6 with the English programmes to bring a smile. What about "Waiting for God" that seems very appropriate for someone of my age.

Golf and everything else is going reasonably smoothly (showering excepted, though I can still manage mine fine). My cooking must be doing the trick even though each evening one is still the worst meal ever. Some slacks no longer fit and the others need a little tension to do them up. I know that later elastic tops are required when in full-time care, but call me old-fashioned (like I have never worn jeans in my life) but I have never liked BH in the proverbial track suits that were the rage some years back. Sorry, always thought they looked sloppy even though they may have been comfortable. On the farm I did rough and ragged (barbed-wire fences) but never sloppy. Did favourite hand spun (even some of my own) holey jumpers. Quaint, yes, bizarre, almost certainly, but once again never sloppy. Spinning and weaving our own various coloured wools was our fascinating hobby. On a rainy day it was always nice to sit. card and spin some yarn which was later knitted into plain or fair-isle jumpers. BH wove many cushion covers which we still use.

Hope all is well with others

Bob
PS Maybe it's the jelly and ice cream dessert.

Bob, Waiting for God is one of the best programmes on the tele about older people and shows theres life in the old dogs yet. Basil the stud amuses me. I've met some like that!
The pair of us look after each other at the moment and its quite funny sometimes, with us both trying to do housework and both bending rather too much in the middle where we cant stand up straight.

I seem to have lost interest in TV, Bob. I cant be bothered with any programme longer than 30 mins - except for Coro St! and the news. I cant get any stations except TV1 now, used to get 2 and 3 but they didnt excite me. And even 1 is not good reception. I think our aerial has been turning itself around. I must remember next time son comes up to get him to turn it while I watch the screen to see if it improves. I must also remember to get him to check that I put the smoke detector back properly when I changed the battery a month ago. It was d****d difficult to put it back up, and I forgot to ask him when he was up a couple of weeks ago. He is tall so should have no trouble sorting it out.

Off out today to visit Phil again and have a meeting with the principal staff members in his hospital to discuss his management. And ask questions if I remember.

My love to all.

Huia.