Thank you

My lovely step son (R) came yesterday to finish insulating the workshop roof so that it could be made watertight.  He got so far but then it rained, and the rain just didn't  stop.  So, he stayed over.

Today he and my brother finished the work DH was doing when he fell. They also moved the internal wall,  made up the second bench, and tidied up.     The shed is now weatherproof. The roofing shingles and the kitting out can wait until DH's arm is fixed.  DH may even ask for help in completing the shingles.

We're so very lucky, and we really appreciate their help.

Goodnight Poppet

One of our allotment chooks died. 

We found her this morning.  No obvious signs of cause.  She'd not looked right yesterday, I couldn't see anything wrong, she just didn't look right. I thought she might be brewing a softy.  I had given her some Nutridrops, but they didn't work their magic this time.  She was one of our lovely Welsh Blacks,  an Indian Game/Australorp cross.   She was only 3.

We've been lucky that it's been a while since we've had a loss. I've been expecting a couple of the older girls to go, I hadn't expected one of the (relatively) young ones.

Goodnight Poppet.

Procrastination strikes

With DH out of action, I've been busy tring to keep on top of everyday stuff,  and I haven't had time to do anything on my (new to me) multi needle embroidery machine.

I'm guilty of creative avoidance.

I haven't done much sewing (apart from adapting some tee shirts for DH.  And omne jersey tee shirt for me, which turned out to be too clingy for the fabric I'd chosen).

I am trying to clear my cutting table (aka the kitchen table) so I can draft a shorts pattern for DH. I keep getting distracted, although today I woke up deciding I was really really really going to do it (i.e. clear it) today.

I've made a lot of progress.  There's a lot of clearing to do.   I can see the tabletop on about 2/3rds of it now, the other 1/3rd is piled up with stuff which needs putting away.

I am going to do it.

Really.

Still broody. Two broodies.

Gloria has been broody since 18th May, 8 weeks now.  Poppy went broody about a week ago today, and they've been sharing the nest box in the Cube.

Gloria is, at last, considering not being broody any more.   I know this because she now comes out of the Cube at every conceivable excuse.  As soon as she hears me, she comes out to see if I have something worth eating.  And if I do, which I usually do,  she makes those cockerelesque encouraging burbles which mother hens also use to encourage their babies to eat.  I've even seen her pick up a bit of food and drop it, invitingly, next to one of the other girls.

But she then disappears back into the Cube, so she's not finished yet.

I've been enouraging her to practice jumping on to my outstretched arm, falconer style.  She doesn't need the practice, but I want to show the 3 youngsters how its done.   I wish I'd taught them when they were babies.    Progress is slow to non existent.   Sasha,  Appenzeller,  will just about stand on my arm, if I place her there and don't do anything to scare her.   Fay, Fayoumi,  runs away shrieking when I try and pick her up.  Fleur, Marans,  well, she's just too heavy.  I've tried sitting down and then putting her on my arm but she panics.  

I've missed having baby chickens this year, although it's probably been a good thing.

Moving on

The last few days have gone in a bit of a blur.

The first couple of days revolved entirely around helping DH with every task.  Getting a drink, taking tablets, having a shower, getting up, sitting down, eating....    I adapted a second tee shirt,  bought some more bits (Amazon Prime has been fabulous).

As the morphine has worn off, the pain has increased.  I've kept a detailed record of all the medications.

Gradually, DH has been able to do more and more for himself,  and he's been amazing.  Much better than I suspect I would have been.

We've got a routine now for the morning, which includes showering us both, medicating DH and medicating the cats, having breakfast and getting ready for the rest of the day.

We've been twice now to have the wound checked and the dressing changed.  

I saw a self-hoist thing for sale on Gumtree, not too far away. It was a bit of a bargain,  so we decided to get it.  I went out yesterday, calling in at Costco on the way home.  

The hoist is really designed for someone who can use both arms to pull themselves up,  not someone who can only use one arm.  It took some time to try and get the optimum position for it, and we have to have it angled to compensate.  It's hard work for DH, probably harder work than using me to pull against,  but it gives him a bit more independence.

He's gradually become more coherent, and he now seems fairly normal in that regard. .  He's much more mobile (once he's up).     The way he is now is the way I had expected him to be when he was discharged.


We think he has broken a rib,  the pain when he coughs is too intense to just be sore muscles.

A different kind of stress

DH was discharged on Friday.  We had instructions to get his wound looked at on Monday and to come back immediately if there was any bleeding.

I had prepared for DH coming home - or I thought I had.  I'd ordered one of those full arm plastic bags, so he could shower.  We already had a little bed table.  I had made some alterations to an old tee shirt, and was really proud of the results.  I was ready for a bit of hassle.

I was somewhat niaive.   I had imagined that D would come home,  have no use of his arm,  be a bit stiff.  I had not imagined that he would be barely able to put one foot in front of the other,  that he would be away with the fairies,  and that he wouldn't be able to lie down, or sit up,  or anything in between.

DH fell asleep while sitting on the sofa.  Unfortunately, he was holding a glass at the time.   It wasn't a problem.  He went to bed because he was so exhausted.   He couldn't lie down, so I made some sort of arrangement with numerous pillows so he could be in a bit of a half way down position.  

It was 5.15, and I went out to buy some sort of "sippy cup" so he could have it on the bed, and it wouldn't matter if it rolled over.   I decided to go to one of the nearby towns and see if I could get a V pillow or something at the same time.

The local department store was just about still open when I got there.  I raced up the escalators to the homeware department.  Their website had showed they sold V pillows,  but there weren't any to be seen.   I rushed through the shopping centre, googling the various shops to see who was likely to have something.  I passed a Wilko, open until 6pm, so I popped in there, and they had one.  I bought it. 

Boots next, for the sippy cup.   I don't have children, I have no idea about suppy cups.  The choice was overwhelming.  I bought 3 different sorts.

 Next was also supposed to sell such things, and the town had a massive Next which was open until 8pm.   No luck.   TK Max, open til 8,  no luck.  They did, however, have some "box" pillows, so I bought the only two they had.   I looked at the dog beds to see if I could find a beanbag type, but no luck.

On the way back to the car, I passed Hobbycraft, still open.  I went in and bought a massive bag of beanbag beans.

I was very stressed about how we were going to manage, scared that we might do more damage to DH by his not being able to lie as he needed to.

At home, I unpacked everything.   I started to make up the side arm for the bed, and then I realised it just wasn't going to work, even if DH slept on my side of the bed.    DH woke up, and I helped him get up and go to the toilet.  I tried out several combinations of pillows (myself) and found a combo that would provide more support.   DH went back to bed, and seemed marginally more comfortable.

I still wasn't happy.  I started looking online for wedge pillows,  then I remembered that Argos sold disability aids.   I searched the local ones, and found one in another nearby town that had some bits in stock.   They were open until 8.   I ordered online, and got there at 7.50.  

 I put the table in the middle of the bed between us, where he could reach it.  I put a sippy cup of water on it, and the control to the ceiling fan.   I asked DH to wake me whenever he needed anything, and he had to do that because he wasn't able to sit himself up.

It was a long night. 

Kindness

People have been very kind. 

Next door neighbour made sure I had her number when I got in to the ambulance, and she offered to come and get me from the hospital.

My next-door-but-one neighbour knocked this morning.  He'd just heard about DH (he was on his own shed roof, and our in between neighbour told him to be careful). 

Another friend emailed to say that they realised it would be difficult for DH in the car on the way home,  and he asked if he could drive me to the hispital to collect DH as he had a roomier car.

My brother has been fab.  As well as driving to the hospital to be with me and to bring me home, he offered to take me on Monday.  I declined. I don't mind the journey now that I know DH will be OK.  He's working at the mo (he's retired, and works when he can get jobs), otherwise he'd here each day to check I'm OK.  He's also planning to take me to collect DH, and he's planning to complete the work on the workshop that DH can't do.

DH's two best friends are visiting him.  One has been away working, only got back yesterday, so today will be the first opportunity.   The other is also going today,  plans to go yesterday were changed because of the op.

DH's eldest son has been to visit him twice.   Daughter had planned to come, but one of te DGC developed appendicitis and had to have an appendectomy.   Other son has offered to finish the roof when DH is out of hospital.

Everyone wants to help, we're so very lucky.




We're so very lucky.

Getting back on track

No food fails today.  although I was very tempted to buy chocolate from the vending machine at the hospital.   I was going to get a bag of something to eat on my way home,  but the vending machines were by reception, and reception had closed - and access was locked - by the time I left.   I was very tempted to stop at the services on the way home,  but I was making good time and I just wanted to get home.

At home,  I resisted temptation to snack,  and waited impatiently for an hour and a quarter for my baked potatoes to cook.  For the first hour, I did a mixture of clearing up (including changing the cat litter)  and looking for a new tablet for DH.

I did end up wating some of my hastily made tuna/mayo while I was waiting the last 15 minutes,  but I'd have eaten it with my potatoes anyway. That means it doesn't count as a fail.

The potatoes were OK.  They skins would have been better if I'd been patient for another 15 minutes, but I wasn't and they weren't. I still ate them.

Onward and onward.

Sabotage

I've been doing well with the Kefir, and was surprised to find that I'd lost 5.5kg in the last 3 weeks.  My clothes don't particularly feel looser,  and I know that my weight fluctuates by 3kg anyway when it's hot,  but 5.5kg indicates a definite improvement.

And then yesterday I sabotaged it all, by buying a pack of M&S currant buns and eating them one after the other, on the way home from visiting DH in hospital.  When I got home, I also chomped part of a family bag of vile crisps, until common sense made me throw the rest of the bag in the dustbin.  At least I managed to resist buying a box of Maltesers (which I would have eaten until the box was empty, or I was sick, whichever came first). 

It started by me buying a vaguely sugary drink because I was thirsty and needed an energy boost.  It was 1 am the day before.   This started a sugar craving.  I tried all day to resist.  I stopped to buy petrol. The attached shop was M&S and  I needed to buy some butter (we've run out of home made, and it's too hot to make more). So, I bought that, and some potatoes to bake for my dinner,  and then I saw the buns and couldn't didn't resist.

The first bun was small polite nibbles, and would have been excusable, acceptable, forgivable.   The other three were angry bites,  controlled 'loss of control' sabotage.

I'm tired and feeling a little fragile, and a little sorry for myself.  I'm also annoyed with myself for feeling this way, when actually I should be feeling happy that things aren't a great deal worse, they so easily could have been.


Lots of people are dealing with much worse stuff. 

I need to get a grip.