Wednesday 12 August 2009

I was hoping ...

... that I'd have a lot of photo's to post tonight. My balloon flight had been rebooked from the no-go last week and it was due today. Not bad weather overall but - it was too windy! Didn't even leave the house today - well, not for the flight anyway. Oh well, here's to the next time but for now here's a photo of my hibiscus shrub in the front garden. A couple of years ago it was chopped right down to the ground ...


Had a phone call from Dad's morning carer on Monday morning. He ran out of pain relief over the weekend. Seemed odd to me 'cos he'd had his normal monthly prescription and that usually lasts. Then a light went on! Dad used to self-medicate and he took the pain relief as he needed, which wasn't all the time, so they lasted him. Since the carers have started medicating him they have been doing so by the med label which states 1 or 2 a time, up to 4 times a day. They'd been giving him 2, 4 times daily without checking whether he actually needed them - because there's nothing on the label relating to a 'need' basis. Anyway, called on Dad yesterday and took some paracetamol with me to tide him over until I could talk to his doc. Asked him if he wanted a couple of the pills, thinking he'd need them if he'd had no pain relief since Saturday and he said he'd have them to 'be on the safe side'. Further conversation told me he didn't need them and that he'd not actually had any pain. Seems, because he's no longer moving around as he used to, his pain isn't as great. In fact, it seems pretty non-existant, which means he really doesn't need the heavy duties with all the added side effects! I have to say I thought he was a lot brighter than of late and he seemed more aware and little more 'with it'. Today I managed to speak to his doc and she's changing his script to lighter pain relief, to be given only when needed and, she says that we might see a bit of a difference in him. Not only do the heavy duties cause constipation and the probs that go along with that but they can cause, or increase, confusion! After seeing him so much more alert yesterday perhaps there's something in what she said.

We had an appointment with somebody from the local Day Centre with a view to him going once a week or so. Trouble is, they didn't turn up. Seems they thought he wasn't interested. Don't know how they got that idea because nobody has spoken to them, as far as I know, since they made the appointment. It's rescheduled now for next week. He's said he'd give it a try so I hope he doesn't change his mind after the meeting. It will give him something to look forward to each week. Different things to do and people to talk to. We'll find out more when we have the meeting ...

Photo of Dad taken on camera phone last week, so not a good photo but then he wasn't looking good either! He's lost so much weight (although they tell me he's eating well and he says he's not hungry) that his glasses fall off when he nods off - bless! He looked better this week :O))

Thanks for dropping by .....

1 comment:

Rae said...

I hope that balloon flight happens for you soon. I am looking forward to those photos.

Your photo of the hibiscus is giving me hope. I had a beautiful huge hibiscus in my yard. I made the mistake of pruning it at the wrong time of year and it has suffered. It is now two years later and it is struggling to bloom this year. If yours came back from a severe chopping, then maybe there is still hope for mine.

Thank you for adding a comment to my blog.