Monday, June 12, 2023

Catching up with the personal

You may remember last weekend we journeyed to Torquay to celebrate the twin boys' first birthday. It seems it was a not a safe event. Thursday their father Firefighting Nephew felt unwell and tested positive for Covid, his wife and daughter the next day. They are doing their best to ensure the twins don't catch it but I am sure that is very difficult.

Nephew was due to fly to Canada to fight the terrible fires there. If all stayed normal with his children, his wife could cope. There was support she could call on if things went wrong. He has decided not to go now.

This Saturday Bone Doctor brought Jo to Melbourne to visit Comic-Con, Jo had invested a bit of money and learnt how to use a sewing machine to make her costume. With a short black wig and skillful makeup, she looked fantastic. They came back here and we went out for an early dinner. They then went back into town to see The Rocky Horror Show.

Mother is in hospital again and no one is telling her what is happening and what her treatment is. Bone Doctor suggested she and Jo stay the night and she and I visit Mother the next day where Bone Doctor could speak to someone. It worked perfectly. Bone Doctor discovered Mother is perfectly aware that the hospital is adjusting drugs for her mental health, that is to reduce her anxiety, and trying to get her off Panadeine Forte onto a better pain relieving drug that won't upset her digestive system. It is a battle to change Mother's mindset about these 'drugs that work', very old fashioned drugs, onto to newer and better drugs with less side effects. Haha, Bone Doctor told Mother if she keeps turning up at hospital like this, she will be judged as needing to go into nursing home care. We were back home by a bit after 11 and Bone Doctor and Jo, who had been out for breakfast with R, dashed off home.

Meanwhile Bone Doctor's wife, Sister, has been sunning herself in Queensland for a few days.

39 comments:

  1. I do hope that you and R escape the Covid monster. Is there any end to Jo's talents? Sewing a costume is yet another string to her bow.
    Hopefully Mother's hospital stay will achieve the desired results. That was quite a threat about the need for nursing home care. Do you think it registered?

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    1. EC, if there was Covid exposure last Saturday, I think on the Monday over a week later, we are fine.
      Jo constantly amazes us.
      Yes, it will have registered. She is much more aware of what is going on than she lets on (no one tells me what is happening).

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  2. Most of my acquaintances are in Queensland for the winter down in Melbourne. Frequent admissions to hospital in the short period of time suggest a crisis at home despite the best care.

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    1. Roentare, it boils down to the hospital trying to her old drugs and newer and better drugs with less side effects. She is resistant.

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  3. There are several fire crews from Oregon up fighting the fires in Canada currently. Hope you two do not get covid. Fortunately what I have is not covid, just a cold, which is making the rounds in the valley.

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    1. Strayer, we are past that point if the infection was over a week ago. Plenty here have colds too as winter arrives.

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  4. The oldies do love anything with codeine in it. And then wonder why they need other drugs to get things moving. Often with disastrous results. The threat of aged care might just jolt her a bit. It's fucking hard and horrible being old and lonely.

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    1. Exactly Caro. Yes, constantly feeling unwell with no end in sight must be hard. But she must listen to and do what doctors tell her.

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  5. The bushfires in Canada have been terrible, but I am so proud of the Australian response. Your nephew did exactly the right thing, at least until the dreaded covid intervened. Quick recovery, to that part of your family!

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    1. Hels, I don't think that family is feeling too bad. More worry though about the twin boys catching Covid.

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  6. I'm afraid covid hasn't played itself out yet. If your nephew and his family has been vaxed, then they should recover easily.

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    1. Kirk, yes they are vaxxed and are feeling ok.

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  7. Out on the Rock we have escaped the dreadful fires but only because the wind is blowing it all away from us and we have had glorious fog and foghorns blowing for 3 weeks straight. Nova Scotia is only a lick and a promise away from us via ocean. The world is rallying to our aid which is wonderful but hell, there are 300 such fires raging across the rest of Canada as I write now.
    Gawd Andrew I hope you dodge this Covid bullet.
    XO
    WWW

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    1. WWW, I didn't realise there were fires in NS. So close to you. I am sure the fires will settle down soon. Fingers crossed.

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  8. I do hope the twins don't get covid, have they had any vaccinations? There are some available for babies.
    Jo sounds like my grand daughter E who also designed and sewed her own Comic-Con costumes and those for friends as well. E now designs and makes costumes for theatre plays and is quite well known.
    I hope your mother can make the adjustment to better medications.

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    1. River, they would have the normal child vaccinations.
      I wonder where E's design and costume making skills came from?

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    2. My mother and mother-in-law were both dressmakers and my daughter T, E's mother, inherited that. I can sew but am limited to simple patterns and can't design anything then make it.

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  9. Smart, dedicated family support is rare. ~grrr~ Best wishes to you and yours, my dear.

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  10. I hope all those suffering recover well and the twins don't succumb.
    Quite some talent in your family.

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    1. JB, Jo is really the only artistic person among family. Yes, fingers crossed for the twins.

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  11. Stay safe and hopefully the family that have Covid are not too sick and recover quickly.
    Jo is doing well being able to make her costumes, good on her, nice to see the young people sewing.
    I laughed when Bone Doctor said that to your mum.

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    1. Margaret, Jo just sat down at a sewing machine and away she went, after having patterns cut at Spotlight.
      Yes, I am sure what Bone Doctor said will make Mother think a bit.

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  12. I hope that you managed to avoid the Covid bug. When I was unwell with a bad cold a few weeks back it turned out that I had actually had Covid. I felt a bit cr@p for 3 or 4 weeks but seem to have bounced back.
    Take care of yourself.

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    1. JayCee, it seems to be not severe now for people who catch it. Nine days after the gathering, we are ok, so I guess missed out again.

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  13. Glad you missed getting Covid, although most people now hardly know they have it. Hope the change of medication for your mother makes her feel better.

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    1. Thanks Sami. Generally infections do seem milder now. Is this the end of it coming?

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  14. We have also watched everyone around us falling to the covid bug, but escaped it every time. I'm not sure how that happens, really. I've read that some folks are covid resistant, and they don't understand why. I guess that Tim and I are two of them.

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    1. Same here Debby. We were always cautious, not so much now, and we've had five vaccinations. Maybe just good luck or as you suggest, Covid resistant.

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  15. That's a shame about the Covid, as I'm sure the Canadians could use all the help they can get. Hope everyone is feeling better there -- even your mom, if she consents to those medication changes.

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    1. Steve, it is not looking like the fires are going away in a hurry. Thanks.

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  16. Sorry just sent you an email because I couldn't comment ! Now I found "Atom" again. I am glad to read that you are traveling again and your mood is better. Your mother is getting old, I think she would be better in a home. I didn't know that Covid still exists ? Long time I haven't heard of it or somebody who got it. Here it is so hot that even moving the little finger is too much !

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    1. Gattina, I really don't know what is better for her. She likes where she lives and her own things around her. There a few thousand new Covid cases here a week and people are still dying.

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  17. Was Torquay, by any chance, the supposed setting of Fawlty Towers (I loved that show)? I'm sorry to hear about your mother. Thinking of her brings to mind the term unexpected consequences in regard to the problems we create when we try to do good, such as by enabling people to live longer.

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    1. Quite different towns Snowy. Yes, seeing my mother's quality of life, it does make you wonder about such things.

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  18. I'm glad you seem to have escaped the dreaded Covid.

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