2012 17th January - Day Two at Home

Expecting a 9:30 or 11 am visit I had to get up and unlock the front door so the carer could get in.  Surprisingly a completely different carer (Maggie) arrived at 10:15 which was the time I was told.  As the woman from yesterday couldn't fit me on her list she'd been "allocated" (for want of a better word) me.  She did a few things, moved stuff about and made me a cup of tea.  I'd already had a yoghurt for breakfast and had my drugs, there was no way I was going upstairs, having a shower then tackling downstairs again.  Not like I've been playing in mud is it?  Plus I have lots of perfume and got a ghost set from my older sister which is really lovely, never sniffed that one before! Since it was nearly 11 and the actual times she'll be coming in future are 9am and 12pm she'd be back in an hour to do lunch.  For that ONE TIME ONLY I said don't worry I'll get something on toast later, I had breakfast quite late and forgot I had unfrozen bread that Sue had brought the day before.  Otherwise she'd have made a sandwich and I could have had it when I wanted it.  She was much more switched on and actually quite nice.  Nobody is talking to anyone though, nobody has a "red book" to write everything down in - what they do when they're here to monitor if my visits are required still, or if the level of care is high enough.  She had a go at the key safe but no success.

Nikki, my district nurse came by not long after she left and we had a catch up, she also took out my sub cut line because we were a running late going through the drugs and I'd put my jumper on and totally forgotten about it before I came home.  It's so unobtrusive I only realised because I saw it in the mirror when I put my pyjamas on.

As she was leaving she let Melanie, my new and lovely MacMillan nurse in.  Between us (me for my eyesight because there are tiny barely there arrows 2 of which were the wrong way round and bingo, sorted.  She set the code, put the key in and connected it to the wall mounted bit on  my wall.  It would take about 15 minutes if I had to come down, get to the back door to unlock it and then get upstairs for a shower, then there's shower time and dressing time.  I was obviously very happy to get it done.

Becky came about 17:45 and made us both a Chai before getting a bowl of lovely smelling foot soak.  Judy arrived at 18:15 and was really nice.  Again nobody had told her about the key safe (the actual code had been agreed with Maggie so was rather hoping there'd been some communication.  She also asked if there was a book to write in.......whose job is that?  While I was having my feet soaked Judy got my micro macaroni cheese, I told her the code and I'm sure she did a few other things but there wasn't much to do and the evening one is a 20 minute visit, hence I'll be having cold food or ready meals in the evening which is pretty much what I was doing myself.  Having someone to fetch it, put pepper on (she asked, good call I love pepper on most things) does make a difference.  It was a bit strange because I wasn't alone but obviously most of the time I am and you can't let visitors do things they're coming for or they cut your care back in the blink of an eye.  If it's her and Maggie most of the time I'll be quite happy, sadly Judy isn't back till Sunday so hoping I don't get Juliette back and that she just does early shifts.....shudder.

I've now got bright juicy red toenails and neat cuticles.  We both commented that my cuticles have barely grown in two months, the nail varnish and flowers from my birthday pedicure she did (I can't reach down there long enough anyway so they don't get done by me any more) was still on my big toes.  If I'd paid for that I'd think I'd got a real bargain! It's just so good to be in my house with visitors in more comfort.  There is obviously a slightly clinical feel about any kind of medical facility with plastic chairs and hospital beds, there's nothing like your own bed and sofa.

I dozed off on the sofa twice for an hour or so each time and finally went up at midnight, having taken my tablets and methadone nearly an hour late.  Proof of how comfy I was.  I woke up at 6 which was better, set an alarm for 7:30 to turn the heating on because for the life of me I couldn't change the on times for the heating, must have been tired.  Of course I only remembered to do it late at night.  A job for today.  I can't do the double stair trip again.

There may be multi daily posts this week, there's so much going on and I like being able to type on my laptop again with a full size keyboard, I'm blog happy!