General Chat

It is sunny here this afternoon, I think there was some rain overnight, but not enough to fill our two barrels. I have just been in the Darden and 5here were some spots of rain, but not much
Your hand sounds sore Joan, I hope you haven’t broken a bone

It is overcast and drizzly here, but no grea5vamount of r ain.

My sister is improving, she can walk ok, but gets tired easily. Her speech is much better. She can talk quite fluently on FaceTime for a short while, but then suddenly stops because she can’t get the words. She is starting radio therapy in just over a weeks time. She will have to go five days a week for over six weeks. The treatment only lasts for five minutes, but it is an hour and a quarters drive each way. Her hair will start to fall out about the third week and she will start to feel sick then. Obviously she isn’t look forward to it.

Afternoon peeps
Its pouring hard here now although earlier on was dry, and i managed to get some towels on the line and dry.
Ive been tidying and dusting etc but cant really pack my case yet as too early.

My good friend who took over my job is going to pop in and water plants and keep an eye on the house and she has a spare front door key too which means im not worrying about the house being unoccupied.

Enjoyed half the fish and chips last night as just couldnt eat it all.Its been a week since I ate anything substantial really and my stomach has shrunk!

Im sure your broth will be lovely Joan. I could make soup but just not feeling like doing it!

A neighbour across the road passed away on Thursday eve and then yesterday tea time, there was a smash up at the bus stop a few yards from my house. Thankfully noone injured just shaken! But the police had to come and managed the traffic etc as debris every where from the 2 cars.

Never ending is it?
Linda how is your sister doing, any improvement yet?

Better crack on I guess

Florence in the hebrides

Today was Esme’s last day at school, so we hav3 six weeks to look forward to :-(
Eve is no bother as she would just stay on her computer or iPad all day. Prising her off to go for a walk etc is the problem.

It has been cold today, but we have only had a small amount of drizzle, which is no good. My sister said it has been raining hard all day in Shropshire, my garden could do with rain, the lawn is all brown.

No Ann as Joan was the last to post on the 13th and noone else did until i popped on yesterday.

Very heavy thundery day here today. Im sure it is going to plummet down very soon and im feeling a bit chilly today too.

Well daughter tel and said do you fancy fish and chips tonight from the chippy and i said fab. So thats cheered up my tea time and saves me cooking. She should be home before 5pm. Haddock and chips mmmmn lovely.

Hope you are having a lovely time Ann and hope you enjoyed your visitors too Joan.

Take care
Florence in the hebrides

Anyone any idea why on this thread I jump from 13 July to 21st was there anything in between. I am at my sons and not been on here since 17 July except or Mel’s thread.

Good evening peeps.
Thought I would just pop in and take a break away from things. Most is organised now just 2 or 3 things left.
They dont call me Mrs organiser for nothing lol. Funeral is on 5th Aug at 1pm.
Was stressy booking me flights as had to get 4 singles but all sorted now. And booked a hotel for 5 nights!! Long story.

So what have I missed? Coolest place here in uk at 16 degrees. How has everyone else managed in the heat?

So fancied fish and chips tonight but no chance as too far away from town. Ive had a cornetto and some cornflakes as just been too busy to cook but tomorrow gonna make a proper meal as daughter back. Shes been away for 2 nights elsewhere.

New neighbour next door on the right makes an awful lot of noise. Think she is putting together flat pack furniture but at midnight, thats a bit much!!!

Hope everyone ok and i shall pop in and out until im away on the 3rd-8th Aug.

Florence in the hebrides

Oh dear Linda, always something. Im guessing you bought it online? Have you checked online to see if you can find a number? Like try contact number for.... and see if you get anywhere else hope they reply to your email soon.

I am sorry you are feeling down Florence, hopefully your takeaway will cheer you up

It is really hot here today. We had a day off from the heat yesterday when it rained steadily all morning, that was good for the garden at least.

I took Eve with me this morning while I had a haircut. She had her long hair trimmed across the bottom as well. We had lunch in the town and she spent the Waterstones vouchers which she was given as her prize at school speech day.

It is Esme’s birthday next week, so we ordered a very substantial wooden triple swing frame. She has a swing seat, so we are going to transfer that to the new frame. We have also got a large nest swing for the frame. I made OH check it was all there. Just as well as the two wooden side braces and fittings aren’t there. Of course, there is no telephone number to ring, you just have to email. We got an automated reply saying they would get back to us within 24 hours. It is a good job, we have a week before her birthday. If the worst comes to the worst, OH will have to cobble something together. It is very annoying as it is an expensive one, not a flimsy cheap thing

Afternoon folks.
Nothing good about it as the weather is still rubbish!!

Mum is just the same but very confused, her dementia has really gone from bad to worse since she's taken the stroke.

I have a very grumpy old man in my family who really is making my life a misery by criticising everything I do and its getting me down. My only saving grace is that i live hundreds of miles away and not planning a trip anytime soon down south. Why do family older than us treat us like children? Im 61 this year for goodness sake!

Its just when people say "If I were you " etc...except they are not me, end of.

Having a down day today but the upside is daughter is on the bus with a chinese takeaway for tea as its been months since we last had one and we both need perking up. :-)

Hope you are enjoying your visitors Joan and everyone else ok.

Take care
Florence in the hebrides

Well its happened!! The storm force winds ripped the plastic off my little greenhouse and the frame was collapsed. Daughter was out in the pouring wind & rain last night trying to take it apart. So now I have the frame in my kitchen by the back door but the cover is ruined and in the bin.

My strawberry plants leaves were all brown but I cut off the damaged ones and managed to salvage them. A good water and no wind overnight seems to have perked them up. There is one strawberry but oh my its so tiny lol.

Still breezy here and showery 15 degrees :-(

Havent phoned hospital yet as they have a weekly discussion today but not til 3pm so will leave it til after then.

I have made Chinese chicken pieces for tea tonight, left them in the marinade for now with onions and mushrooms. Will serve it with some rice. Cant wait as ages since we had this.

Tumble drier is working hard to push up my bill that usually has a rest this time of year but I need the laundry dry!

Hope everyone ok

Florence in the hebrides

Good afternoon folks although its nearly evening lol. I have only had time for a coffee and some toast as have been busy doing paperwork nearly all day. Infact, I felt as if I was working in a office.

My brother found mum's bin still not emptied now after 3 weeks and after me tel last Monday with a promise of it being emptied by last Tues afternoon . So another 45 minutes in a queue. Eventually got through, referred to a supervisor assuring me it will get emptied asap, we shall see.

Dealt with various other bits and bobs, typed a few letters and printed out returns forms to send back 2 dresses(were awful) and my new keyboard as the keys were terrible to type on. Actually found the right keyboard at Argos so ordered it now and daughter will collect it.

Finally packed up the goods and now ready to post when daughter goes to town later in the week.

In between all that, the internet went off 3 times no less, so flipping annoying!!

Mum is just the same and when shown a picture of myself & my daughter, she didnt recognize us except she thought the 2 women were sisters lol We do look a bit alike though.

Unlike the rest of the uk, the weather is again still gale force winds with showers. I don't want 30 degrees, but some sun and 23 degrees would be pleasant, I live in hope.

Hope everyone else keeping ok and staying safe in the hot weather with keeping hydrated.

Florence in the hebrides

It is a problem when they pull the feeding tube out Florence. My dad did that and after several goes they couldn’t get it back in again. Luckily the next day was the weekend and there was only one consultant covering the hospital, but she knew my dad, so agreed to have one last go and managed to get it back. They said that if he pulled it out again, it would have to stay out because he obviously didn’t want it. When he improved and got a lot better, he had no recollection of taking it out and definitely wouldn’t have if he had known what he was doing. It gave him another eighteen months, but of such poor quality that I am not sure that it was worth it.

My sister saw the oncologist this morning, she has to go next week to have a special mask made to go over her head, so they can target the radio therapy. It will have eye holes and a nose hole, but she won’t be able to talk. She has to start the treatment in three weeks. It will be five days a week for six and a half weeks. The problem is that it is an hour and a quarters drive each way, just for a five minute treatment. The consultant was trying to persuade her to have it done at a hospital much closer to home, but she is refusing because she doesn’t like the consultant there. They have said that she is going to feel really sick and are worried about the long journey, but she just isn’t listening

Good morning folks.

Sorry Linda your sister couldnt get an ambulance to take her home, how distressing!! At least in her own home surroundings, she may feel so much better and her improvement might also speed up.

Today after speaking to my brother last night, I had to phone hospital for an update! Yesterday mum had pulled her feeing tube out and so overnight had no food going into her just fluids. Today i was told they tried 5 times to get a new tube without success and so now will need to do it via xray to see where the tube is going.The nurse said they check her blood sugars every 4 hours and can give meds if needed to keep sugar level up .
The nurse said they are extremely busy and so is the consultant and so she may not get a new feeding tune until early next week!! I got so distressed and said 5 days without any food or nutrition is dreadful. Mum is also hallucinating and wanting home to the place she lived as a child.

My brother will be seeing her later but he was upset last night as she couldnt remember his name.

Why is it always the weekend when things happen and depts are closed?
Its the same up here. We always say better to get sick on a Tuesday when all drs etc are available.

Sorry, I'm droning on but just needed to let off some steam.

So same old weather again...my poor greenhouse has partially collapsed and will have to wait until daughter comes back to sort it out. My poor strawberries have been battered by the wind and outside my large couldron of potatoes has been bashed too. The leaves have turned black so not sure if the potatoes will carry on growing :-P

I hope all ok with everyone else .Surely this weather has to give???

Florence in the hebrides

I am sorry to hear that your mum is not well Florence. It is a few years now, but after an operation, my dad nearly died and was very ill. He moved into the hospital rehab ward and was there for several months until they got him well enough to go home.

My sister came home on Sunday, she was sitting there most of the day with her discharge letter waiting for the ambulance to take her home and get her into the house. In the end they said that they couldn’t get an ambulance. She wasn’t prepared to stay, so her husband took her home. Between them, they managed to get up the steps into the house then very slowly up the internal staircase. How she managed, I don’t know. She stayed upstairs for a couple of days, then managed to get down again. It is tiring for her, but she is improving every day. She is still struggling with her speech. It is all going to take time. After about five weeks, she had to start daily radio and chemotherapy, so that is going to knock her back

Good afternoon folks.
Well the weather for the last few days has been so awful that i couldnt go out the front door as it was sooo windy, gale force and torrential rain! When will it end and summer begin.
The south east is set for another heatwave so why cant we please get a slice of the sun up here? Oh well we live in hope.

My mother has not improved at all. She can speak a little but very slurred except shes asking after her mother and when shes going home to the house she was born in? Her "dementia" has taken a turn for the worse.

However yesterday, they were talking about moving her to a rehabilitation hospital but I have no idea if that is in the same hospital or elsewhere. By the time little bro gets there at 5pm, not many drs about to discuss mum with.

The 5-7pm is staying for visitors because of the covid on the unit.

I have been ringing for updates after lunch but I only get a general update from the nurse.

Does anyone have knowledge of being moved from a stroke unit elsewhere?

One thing is for sure, she wont ever be returning to her home :-(
Im being kept busy sorting out things that i can do from here so its making me feel better for that.

Hoping everyone else is doing ok.

How is your sister Linda?

Take care all

Florence in the hebrides

Edit: Tesco delivery between 5-9pm today, so that will keep me busy awhile as its a big order. Not had a delivery for over 2 weeks!

Afternoon Joan and anyone else looking in.
Well its blowing a right old hooley here and heavy showers. Grass cutters came awhile ago after I didnt think they would come. There was a break in the rain so they came and all done now.

Bin day too...typical! They emptied the bin, left it on my parking space and within seconds it was on its side. Luckily my left sided neighbour is off from Tesco this week so he quickly picked it up and put it in the corner bit for me which was kind.

This weather Joan is lasting all week...so depressing and now im using tumble drier which Ive been not using saving the pennies.
Glad hubby is taking all his meds and washing up for you is a great help and at least he feels able to do something useful.

Have just been tidying up, bit of sorting out documents on PC and deleting old things.

So no other news so far today. Might pop on later.

Florence in the hebrides

Ann, I rather feel helpless tbh and little brother is the only one that drives. Middle brother or his wife dont drive. And if I was down, I could only go when someone could take me. other sil has a 5 year old in school.

Im always asking lots of questions but I dont get the answers. "A" said that yesterday as there was a skeleton staff with it being the weekend, noone had washed my mother all day!! That isnt good enough and I would have demanded to know why but he said there were very busy and wasnt many nurses around to ask. So yes it's very difficult for me but Im trying to stay positive.

Been raining all afternoon so no washing got hung out and im feeling it chilly too. not very summery at all.

Was keeping busy shortening two night dresses I bought awhile ago but they were far too long. I cut them and then used that wonderweb and they look ok so a good job done.

Florence in the hebrides

Yes Florence thanks I am ok. My neighbour has covid but luckily I had not been with her since Tuesday.

Well there was no gardening done yesterday as it rained most of the day. I mafe 9 greeting cards though, just simple ones but it boosts my stock.

Today I had a friend here for a couple of hours for a cuppa and a chat which was nice. Linda, I am surprised that they are letting your sister home if the house is not really suitable. Still maybe in her own surroundings maybe she will improve more.

Florence It is good that there are people to visit your mum and let you know how she is. But it is a worry for you not being able to see her.

Good morning everyone.
Mum is still the same and no change except last night she was feeling sick but wasn't.
Visiting hours have changed to 5-7pm so not hearing any news until 8pm once brother is home.

Been raining here and very windy so not nice at all. yesterday felt very warm in the morning when the wind was low but the midges were out again grrr. Plenty flowers on the strawberry plants but dont know how long it takes for them to grow fully?

Oh Linda, good that your sister can go home but the practicalities of steps is awful.
A bed downstairs for now sounds a better option. She must be so frustrated with her speech but in time it will improve. My mum can only slur out one side of her mouth and isnt understanding really why she cant eat or drink properly!

Hope your weather is better today Joan so you can get outside, no use gardening in the rain.

Ann, hope you are keeping well and enjoying good weather.Im sure you are busy with all your pots etc.

Off to put some washing on and maybe get it out. Not sure whats for evening meal yet, havent decided.

Florence in the hebrides