2015 and It's Now or Never!

[Emmaline]

Thursday 10th April 2014

Woke just early enough to get up and do my ablutions and make a sandwich to take with me to the hospital. Back pain was very bad and it was so difficult driving as it affects my leg so badly. Had the injection of this nuclear medicine and then sat and ate my sandwich and waited for an hour before being taken in to have the scan done. Pain in my shoulder was only slightly less than before and had managed to get into a reasonably comfortable position but as the machine started to come over the nurse put her hand on my arm to make sure it didn't catch the machine but in doing so that slight pressure put my arm into a painful spasm and I screamed out and yelled for them to take the machine off. So then ensued a whole lot of.. well, you did it before!.. and.. we're only trying to help.. etc. etc!!! I didn't bother to argue or even try to explain as these young ones have no idea what it is to be in constant pain and just the addition of a fraction of an ounce more weight can make all the difference.
Eventually I did manage to get it done thank goodness.
I think I dreaded that so much that I am now in the depth of a very bad sobbing state... only cure is to go to bed and have a good sleep.
My neighbour popped out as I was about to come indoors and said that she had remembered that my pm op was on April the 15th (original date set).. so I was able to have a nice chat with her but ended up in tears again.. Am so pleased that she remembered me anyway.

May come back later if I can but otherwise hope you all had a nice day.

 

[mo53]

Hello Em. I hope you have managed to have a sleep and feel a little better. The hospital sounds like an awful experience and it is so good it is over and you were able to have the scan. Im thinking of you. Take care. Mo

 

[MinnieMel]

Evening Em,

I'm so sorry you were hurt whilst having your appointment. It is lovely your neighbor popped around to check on you. I hope you had some good rest and the injection has helped.

 

[Pommette]

Evening Emm and sending some of these your way :hug99:
One of the things mum alwasy complains about is people trying to "help" you do things . . . in the wrong way.
One of her shoulders is really painful and stiff with arthritis and you have to be really careful when helping her into a cardigan or jacket and remember to do her bad arm first.
The thing that drives her nuts is when someone just grabs her wrist and stuffs it into the sleeve as that really hurts.
I heard her say it time and time again in hospital and now in the care home.
The youngsters just don't seem to listen.

As you know I have a knackered back and knee (arthritis due to dance and gymnastics).
What always gets me hopping mad is when I'm asked to lie flat on my back without any support to go under my knees.
And vice versa when I have to lie on my stom,ach with no ankle support.
Doctors should know better - but they never do.

 

[Nelliduff]

Morning Emm - hope you've managed to get a good nights sleep and are feeling a bit better this morning. No wonder you were sobbing, I think I would be breaking my heart if I'd had to go through the stuff you'd had recently with the hospital. What happens next. did they say?

:bighug:

 

[MinnieMel]

Morning Em,

I hope today is a lovely day and you slept well last night.

 

[moonwatcher]

Morning Em,

I hope you slept well and are feeling better this morning.

 

[Emmaline]

Evening Emm and sending some of these your way :hug99:
One of the things mum alwasy complains about is people trying to "help" you do things . . . in the wrong way.
One of her shoulders is really painful and stiff with arthritis and you have to be really careful when helping her into a cardigan or jacket and remember to do her bad arm first.
The thing that drives her nuts is when someone just grabs her wrist and stuffs it into the sleeve as that really hurts.
I heard her say it time and time again in hospital and now in the care home.
The youngsters just don't seem to listen.

As you know I have a knackered back and knee (arthritis due to dance and gymnastics).
What always gets me hopping mad is when I'm asked to lie flat on my back without any support to go under my knees.
And vice versa when I have to lie on my stomach with no ankle support.
Doctors should know better - but they never do.

Thanks Bev... It's more to do with the nurses really as they are the ones who are usually in charge of any care giving...and even when they are listening it's always because they know best!
You're mum is so fortunate to have you to go with her on those occasions.. having a second voice is something I would so dearly love to have.

Morning Emm - hope you've managed to get a good nights sleep and are feeling a bit better this morning. No wonder you were sobbing, I think I would be breaking my heart if I'd had to go through the stuff you'd had recently with the hospital. What happens next. did they say?

:bighug:

Thanks Carol, I wasn't told anything but I was aware that as the two nurses spoke to each other it was mentioned that two of the leads are not correctly positioned so it may well be a re-do is in the offing but I'm not even going to think about that at the mo'.

Morning Emm,

I hope today is a lovely day and you slept well last night.

Morning Emm,

I hope you slept well and are feeling better this morning.

Thanks Mel and Mw... I did get a good sleep and feel very much better today.

I once read somewhere that being a patient is allowing others to care for you and to make decisions for your benefit.. and whilst the latter part of that may have been adjusted with todays standards to some degree it does still stand especially when you get to be an older person. Any disagreeing with the "care givers" decisions is taken as a sign that we are not fully compos mentis and when you have a walking stick that equals being deaf as well... all adding to be spoken to in a demeaning and patronising manner and the more protests there are the more they are convinced that they are right.
It becomes a diabolical and vicious circle that is so overwhelming... and that's why I didn't continue to say much whilst I was in the room preparing for the scan.
I have discussed this aspect of things on many occasions with people of my own age and like all experiences, it's not something you can truly understand until you get to be a pensioner.. and nor would I want anyone to anyway.

Now going over all that in my mind again has put me back to square one... but never mind.. I'll get over it!
I think I will now send an email to my D and let her know I am going over in May ..(whether she's there or not) just to have a good break.

 

[Emmaline]

Friday 11th April 2014

The dress was collected by the young lady's dad and whilst I had thought about apologising for not doing a 100% job I decided to be more positive about it as I had spent a fair bit of time trying to do as good a job as I could which made me feel a lot better anyway. Didn't accept anything for doing it so I won't get any feedback.

Spent the afternoon defrosting my freezer and changing a lead to my electric fire that I keep for the bathroom which meant hauling the F/F out from it's corner of the kitchen. So now the kitchen is left in a terrible pickle but I've no strength left to see to that and it will have to stay like that until tomorrow. I did intend to make some custard but that's a no-no as well..

Breakfast - Danone Yogurt 125g
Lunch - Bread 35g + Cheese 29g & Coffee decaf + Milk 90ml
Snack - Digestive Biscuits 2
Dinner - Tesco Chicken Kiev 125g + Carrot 68g + Garden Peas canned 100g
Supper - Peaches 80g + Finn Crisps 3 + L.C.Cheese 1
Extra - Milk 240ml .. Ginger Tea

Cals 1158 Carbs 102 Fat 45 Protein 58 Sugars 46 Fibre 17

 

[MinnieMel]

Evening!

I hope the girl sends you a proper thank you. You are much too kind.

There's time to sort things when you're feeling better or even when your household comes.

I'm glad you're much improved.

 

[Pommette]

I once read somewhere that being a patient is allowing others to care for you and to make decisions for your benefit.. and whilst the latter part of that may have been adjusted with todays standards to some degree it does still stand especially when you get to be an older person. Any disagreeing with the "care givers" decisions is taken as a sign that we are not fully compos mentis and when you have a walking stick that equals being deaf as well... all adding to be spoken to in a demeaning and patronising manner and the more protests there are the more they are convinced that they are right.

Do NOT get me started on how people treat "old fogeys" (to quote my mum) with a walking stick.

Try being in a wheelchair!
I used to come over to collect mum from Manchester to bring her out to Spain and we always got a wheelchair for ease of movement through the airport - even when she was able to walk a lot more than she can now.
People would SHOUT AT mum in the chair or ask me what she wanted.
She got very adept at turning to me and saying in a clear and strong voice "Would you mind telling that stupid idiot shouting at me that I'm not deaf or daft and I'm perfectly capable of answering for myself" - that got a few red faces.

And the thing that drove me nuts was the attitude of people to someone in a chair.
Bear in mind it would be me, mum in chair, plus me dragging 2 sets of hand luggages. So actually moving around and/or stopping was no mean feat.
People just seemed to ignore the chair and would not be at all helpful.
On several occasions someone would walk straight across our path causing me a major problem in stopping the chair and bags.
I got very adept at actually NOT stopping and just running into them and saying "Oh sorry you didn't see us. Would you like to borrow my specs?"
Even more red faces and quite a few bruised ankles ensued.

Once I was waiting to push mum into the lift and 6 youngsters in their mid-twenties (who were stood behind us) scrambled round us to get in before we could. Well - I just pushed the chair in and thumped into 2 or 3 of them. They were about to say something when the lovely girl (about 18) who came in after us said in a very loud voice to me "Bloody kids - they need a good hiding for being so rude. Can I help you out with your bags, or push the chair for you?". Imagine the look on their faces.

Rant over.

 

[Nelliduff]

Had my first taste of this when I took my Microsoft Surface back to Currys because it wasn't coming on ( think I might have mentioned this before) - the lad looked at me and realising I was definitely the wrong side of 50, asked me in the most patronising voice if I had put the switch on when I was charging it. Boy did I enjoy telling him what I do for a living

Hope you had a good nights rest Emm - and are feeling a bit better this morning.

 

[Emmaline]

Evening!

I hope the girl sends you a proper thank you. You are much too kind.

There's time to sort things when you're feeling better or even when your household comes.

I'm glad you're much improved.

Thanks very much Mel... that's made me feel very much happier.
Just recently I replied to someone who was looking for old flower pots as she was potting up seeds and selling the plants on a charity stall on the market and as I have a whole load of them I invited her to come and help herself. When she arrived and had bagged up 2 large bin bags full of pots and seed trays from the greenhouse, I mentioned that I had more in my shed which she was welcome to too. However, I was quite taken aback by her determination to get into my shed especially as the lock had rusted up but she struggled on and on until I had to tell her to leave it for another day to which she looked really disappointed.
I was soo annoyed as I felt I had already given her a whole heap of stuff and quite honestly that was enough for her to be getting on with for the time being. :sigh:

Do NOT get me started on how people treat "old fogeys" (to quote my mum) with a walking stick.

Try being in a wheelchair!
I used to come over to collect mum from Manchester to bring her out to Spain and we always got a wheelchair for ease of movement through the airport - even when she was able to walk a lot more than she can now.
People would SHOUT AT mum in the chair or ask me what she wanted.
She got very adept at turning to me and saying in a clear and strong voice "Would you mind telling that stupid idiot shouting at me that I'm not deaf or daft and I'm perfectly capable of answering for myself" - that got a few red faces.

And the thing that drove me nuts was the attitude of people to someone in a chair.
Bear in mind it would be me, mum in chair, plus me dragging 2 sets of hand luggages. So actually moving around and/or stopping was no mean feat.
People just seemed to ignore the chair and would not be at all helpful.
On several occasions someone would walk straight across our path causing me a major problem in stopping the chair and bags.
I got very adept at actually NOT stopping and just running into them and saying "Oh sorry you didn't see us. Would you like to borrow my specs?"
Even more red faces and quite a few bruised ankles ensued.

Once I was waiting to push mum into the lift and 6 youngsters in their mid-twenties (who were stood behind us) scrambled round us to get in before we could. Well - I just pushed the chair in and thumped into 2 or 3 of them. They were about to say something when the lovely girl (about 18) who came in after us said in a very loud voice to me "Bloody kids - they need a good hiding for being so rude. Can I help you out with your bags, or push the chair for you?". Imagine the look on their faces.

Rant over.

I do well understand that Bev... and the wheelchair situation as well as my D did at one time start to come over and collect me to go back to hers and we met with much the same thing. I eventually put an end to that as she has a bad back as well and I said to her that after she has done all that for me to then arrive in Waterford, drive from the airport to her home and then she had to continue on with her housework and looking after the two dogs as well which I considered to be far too much for her.
If I go over on my own I am then attended to from the time I arrive until I get to the other end, even to the point of being taken to the loo and waiting outside the door for me!

Had my first taste of this when I took my Microsoft Surface back to Currys because it wasn't coming on ( think I might have mentioned this before) - the lad looked at me and realising I was definitely the wrong side of 50, asked me in the most patronising voice if I had put the switch on when I was charging it. Boy did I enjoy telling him what I do for a living

Hope you had a good nights rest Emm - and are feeling a bit better this morning.

Get that ALL the time Carol.. doesn't it just make you want to slap them!!
I even had someone show me with a particular item that wasn't working.. how to open the back to put in batteries!
I think the first of my embarrassing moments.. while we're on the subject.. was when I went on the market and had bought some fruit and looking up as I finished and prepared to walk away, noticed that the man was smiling very "nicely" so I smiled back and then turning realised there was a lovely young woman just behind me! ... :beam:

 

[mo53]

Hello Em. I hope you do hear from th girl you did the alteration for with a proper thank you. I must say the stories of Currys and batteries tickled me. I went to Currys to buy a wireless router for the internet. The young salesman near them looked at me and set off to walk hurriedly away but I manged to halt his flight with an 'Excuse me' in a school teacher voice. He helped me by pointing out which he would recommend for my internet provider but then I asked him what I would need to do to instal it. He replied with - it will tell you when you open the box at home. 'Yes' but I insisted -'is it complicated? ' what does it involve?' Reply - it tells you inside!!! So I said ' you dont know.' Assistant went a shade of beetroot at this point!!! I just laughed and paid for the router.

 

[MinnieMel]

Evening Em,

I hope you had a lovely day - it looks as if it was sunny here.

 

[Emmaline]

Hello Em. I hope you do hear from th girl you did the alteration for with a proper thank you. I must say the stories of Currys and batteries tickled me. I went to Currys to buy a wireless router for the internet. The young salesman near them looked at me and set off to walk hurriedly away but I manged to halt his flight with an 'Excuse me' in a school teacher voice. He helped me by pointing out which he would recommend for my internet provider but then I asked him what I would need to do to instal it. He replied with - it will tell you when you open the box at home. 'Yes' but I insisted -'is it complicated? ' what does it involve?' Reply - it tells you inside!!! So I said ' you dont know.' Assistant went a shade of beetroot at this point!!! I just laughed and paid for the router.

Good job you sussed him Mo, that really showed him up a treat!
Good on yer!

Saturday 12th April 2014

Woke up early enough to put on the radio for my C&W music and then stayed in bed for a while as my back was being awful and as usual dozed thro' the most of it! ..
Eventually got up about 11.30 and had some breakfast taking my tabs as well but forgot to write it down as I have to keep a running record of everything I take because otherwise I forget which is what happened today. and then too some more realising afterwards it was only 2 hours previous that I had taken the first lot..Was rather worried and Googled it and found that it shouldn't be too bad and then promptly dozed off again in my chair and didn't wake up until about 5pm..

So far I have only had a breakfast and dinner but most probably it will all catch up with me over night and still have supper to go as well.

Breakfast 11.30am - Oats 40g + Honey 1/2 Tablspn
Dinner 7pm - Quiche Lorraine home made + Peas cannes 90g + Tom Ketchup 25g
Supper - Finn Crisps 3 + L.C. Cheese 1 + Banana 1
Extra - Milk 240ml

Cals 918 Carbs 103 Fat 35 Protein 43 Sugars 41 Fibre 13

 

[Pommette]

Emm - sorry you slept through your C&W music again. Hope the weather's been kind to you over there.

Have you asked the pharmacy to put them into a blister pack (often called a dosette) for you?
Mum found this so much more convenient as they get put into up to 4 slots per day so you never take your pills twice.

Ifthey won't do that, mum had a nifty box before that. 7*4 slots and you just put yourown tabs in each Monday for the whole week.
Same principle as the dosette but you have to do the sorting out yourself.
It got too much for mum with her arthritis and she just couldn't manage screw caps any more to get the tabs out.

 

[Emmaline]

Emm - sorry you slept through your C&W music again. Hope the weather's been kind to you over there.

Have you asked the pharmacy to put them into a blister pack (often called a dosette) for you?
Mum found this so much more convenient as they get put into up to 4 slots per day so you never take your pills twice.

Ifthey won't do that, mum had a nifty box before that. 7*4 slots and you just put yourown tabs in each Monday for the whole week.
Same principle as the dosette but you have to do the sorting out yourself.
It got too much for mum with her arthritis and she just couldn't manage screw caps any more to get the tabs out.

Don't know why I get so het up about not hearing the C&W music... perhaps it's because I feel it's my link to my line dancing days... odd really because C&W radio stations are available on the net all day.

I do have one of those weekly tablet dispensers but as I have 2 paracetamol, 1 meptazinol and 1 codeine at various times during the day which starts off in the morning with all of them, so I can soon get confused as to which and when!
I can't be doing with those child proof bottles either so if I do have one I leave the top half off so it doesn't click back into that stage.
Even with the ordinary tabs I use one of those stitch remover gadgets to open each little pocket as my fingers get sore quickly after having that gout in my hands.

(taken from Amazon)

 

[MinnieMel]

Morning Em!

It is lovely and sunny here. I hope you get out and enjoy the day.

 

[Pommette]

Mum was given a handy gadget by social services to get into the dosettes.
Hard to explain but it was about 2" circular and 1" deep - bit like a big egg-cup - with a spike thing in the middle.
You hold it undder the doesette, run the spiker round the backing and out pop the pills into the cup.
Took mum a few attempts to get used to it but ince she did it saved her dropping tablets onto the floor (which she did a lot) and having to grovel for them. Or leave tham and not take them if she was having a bad day.