23rd of August 2020 - Daily Trials with my broken wrist!

Sunday 23rd of August ... I cannot believe that it's almost two weeks since I last blogged, mainly because I find typing with my left hand so frustrating. Almost more than dealing with my Mum although now I have the pleasure of listening to my sister's tales with Mum. Though Mum wasn't well enough to go out properly until last Monday, however I did do my bit the weekend before despite being in plaster I walked Mum up to Dotties for an ice cream or a waffle. Mum declined the waffle as she said she had, had a large lunch but plumped for a large Milk Shake, which she claimed all the way home had given her tummy ache! Not the fact that she had eaten too much! I thought one scoop of ice cream would be enough but of course Mother knows best!

The following Monday my sister Michelle took Mum to B&M's on Vicarage Lane as she claimed she needed some wallpaper, despite us having moved at least a dozen rolls to the bungalow!  Anyway as it was Mums first proper outing to a shop for nearly 5 months, I knew it would be tricky!!  Apparently it took my Mum nearly an hour to go round the shop, all the while complaining about her mask.  We know she could be exempt but as Mum always has a nasty asthma cough we think it's best she wears a mask as we are certain she will be thrown out if she starts coughing!! Anyway Michelle had to keep pulling Mum's trolley back, to remind her about the social distancing and yes Mum finally realised how trying shopping is now.  As she has been telling all my nieces how terrible it is to shop now, although that won't stop her going out again I am sure.  So long as she has a lift, as her instep problem is much worse! However Mum is off to have an x-ray on her instep on Wednesday, so my Aunt is taking her and no doubt there will be more tales...... I have to admit sometimes there are advantages being in plaster, not many but definitely some where Mum is concerned! 

10th of August - My Trip to Hospital!

 Well what a few days it's been! Yes thankfully Mum is feeling a bit better, especially since I found out she hasn't been using her Blue Salbutamol Inhaler. As last Thursday when Mum rang me & sounded breathless I suddenly thought she needed to use the Blue inhaler more but I couldn't remember seeing it on her table. So when I arrived to use the Nebulizer on Mum I asked where that Inhaler was. Humph went Mum and went off supposedly looking for it. She finally produced a brand new box out of the fridge, "Is this what you want?!" Me - " Yes but where's  your old one? " Mum - "Well I haven't been using it with taking Steroids and my  antibiotics." Me - trying not to shout " Why Mum?! " Mum - "Well you know I am taking that much medication, I didn't think I needed to? " Me "Well seeing as your prescription says take 4 times daily, I would say it's pretty important you do. " Tssk said Mum! I swear I never felt more like throttling her, after all we had been through this last week.  What a Nightmare!  It really took me all my patience to put away her shopping while Mum sat waiting to chat. Always an ominous sign as you just know there will be one task or another to do! However Mum couldn't remember what she wanted me to do until she said her bed needed changing. Duly done and sheets in the washer, I told Mum to put the washer on the next morning so I could hang it out when it was fine.

             We had plans that afternoon to take Olivia out on her blades on the prom. We had a great time watching her, as we pretended she was in a Gala. Anyone watching must have found it comical, as Gary, her Mum and I were clapping along while we saw a completely different side to Olivia as she really 'performed ', it was lovely! 

Friday morning I called on Mum who sounded a little better, I put the washing out and went down to garden at the park. Returning later to take the washing in but as I was on my bike I said I would collect it to iron but thankfully later when my sister Michelle called, she took it home.

Saturday I knew would be a tricky day as my niece was about to visit Mum with her 4 year old twin sons to tell Mum the family was moving to Cannock, near Birmingham, which I knew would upset Mum. Thankfully I wasn't there when Mum heard the news, in fact she seemed to take it quite well but I think she was stunned more than anything. As the next day when I called she was in floods of tears, fretting about not seeing the boys any more.  I told Mum to stop worrying about things she couldn't change and concentrate on getting better! "Humph" said Mum, "Well I think we should take a trip to B&Ma's on Vicarage Lane as I need some wallpaper for my lounge, I'm sick of looking at these plain walls!" Me - "Well I won't be shopping with you, there's no social distancing going on there and I am not going in to catch it!" Humph said Mum! "Well we will see" Me - "Well I am not going in!"

 .Monday Mum rang me before I left home to say "Don't call on me, I've not had a good night. Call after you have been volunteering down at the park." Me - " Okay Mum, make sure you use your inhaler and I will see you later. "  Spent a busy morning at the park, had a meeting with our council liaison park's officer, whilst everyone started to pack up and drift off home. As I ended up on my own I started to pack the tools away and went to pick up a water bottle in the nursery area. However as I turned and tried to avoid some willow poles on the floor, the poles started rolling and I fell. Putting my hand out to lighten my fall, my hand hit the floor with a solid bang! Ouch! That really took the wind from me and I almost crawled to get up again as I couldn't use my right hand! I rang Gary at work who arranged to come to my aid, then Scott our youngest son rang to say he would take me to hospital for an xray. Whilst waiting I rang Mum to explain I wouldn't be calling. "Oh so you won't  be collecting that plant for me then? " something I had said I would collect from a friend's for her.  As I groaned in pain, Mum then realised how bad the situation was "Oh dear, do you think you've broken your wrist then?" Me - "Well I am pretty sure I have! " Mum - "Well watch you don't catch the virus at that hospital there! " Me - "No Mum, I will ring you when I'm home."   There was little chance of catching much there, as having sent Scott home, the Triage Nurse then sent me to the Whitegate Drive Health Centre, as they were limiting the  number of hospital visitors! Grrr almost three hours later I was finally put in a temporary cast for a fractured radial bone at the wrist, ouch ouch ouch ouch!! Hmm my son laughed when he picked me up saying "This is my very own Daily Trial with Mother" - Cheeky Devil!

Wednesday 5th of August - Mum's Trip to Hospital

Wednesday 5th of August - Daily Trials with Mother.....

Well life hasn't much changed from yesterday apart from me knowing how prisoners must feel when they are deprived of sleep to get information out of them.  At the moment I feel half asleep but annoyingly cannot sleep as my mind is constantly going over a thousand things, but more about that later.

Tuesday 4th of August 2020 ... seemed like any other day with Mums demanding requests, like "you know that grass seed you got me, well it just needs spreading in the lawn.  If you rake it first and then plant the seed and put some plastic over it ...", Mum was requesting this while I was driving to see Olivia's Mum to help remove her old carpet so I said I would look at this later.  Upon hearing I was up near Oxford Square Mum then said "Oooh I tell you what you could get me, a bucket of KFC.  It's on special today only £5.99 for nine pieces." I reply "Okay Mum but I am sure you won't eat a whole bucket alone, Gary and I will have a piece." To which Mum replies "Oh that's okay treat yourself and use my card." I think no more of it and when I have finished helping Jamie-Lee, I pop to the KFC for Mum's bucket which I take round. Mum grabs the bucket from me and wanders off to the front room. I call after her "Don't you want a plate Mum?" Mum replies - "No it's okay I will eat it like this, it looks Delicious!" I can almost hear her mouth watering as she tucks in, I look at her puzzled as I haven't yet taken two pieces out for Gary.  "Are you okay, where's yours, is it in the car?" asks Mum.  Me - "Well I was going to take two pieces from your bucket but obviously you want them all." Mum replied "Well I told you to get a bucket each!" Me - "What?" I ask incredulously  "I cannot believe you thought we would eat 27 pieces between us! In fact I don't often eat it anyway as it isn't gluten free so sometimes it makes me ill." "Oh says" Mum rather despondent "well take two pieces for Gary in fact take three because I suppose I won't be able to eat them all."  Mum asks me how she looks and I say "okay why? your breathing is whistling a bit but you look okay, just take things easy and don't rush your chicken!" I leave and let Mum enjoy her feast!

            Less than an hour later Mum rings obviously struggling for breath so I go round immediately, I tell Mum to pull the chord but she says she will wait until I am there.  I take one look at Mum and know she is not well as she is a sort of grey - purple colour, not healthy at all and her breathing is rasping. I put the nebuliser on her to see if that helps but it makes little difference, so we pull the chord.  Rachel from Vita line is really helpful and asks do we need an ambulance at which Mum shakes her head, I tell Rachel that I think Mum just needs checking over by a Paramedic to make sure she is doing what she should be doing with her Inhaler, etc.  We wait an hour or so and Kevin and Kelly arrive all the way from Kendal, they are really lovely but tell me that I have been doing all the right things whilst checking on Mum each day and are generally really nice.  They take Mum's stats and ask if she has COPD. I tell them that I know she is on COPD meds for her Asthma but the Dr and Hospital ruled that out two years ago.  Hmm says Kevin, "her stats are definitely indicating that that is the problem", which does not surprize me.  

        They are incredibly kind and ask lots of questions which Mum struggles to answer due to her breathing so she is glad I am there to tell them that she has not been seen by a Doctor but had both steroids and anti-biotics prescribed.  I know that is unusual but put it down to the Covid problems, they look at one another and I can tell they are not impressed.  I tell them how the Dr thinks Mum has caught an infection from gathering up the grass outside. They go off to speak to their superior, saying they know Mum doesn't want to go to hospital and they really don't want to take her under the circumstances with Covid, etc however they need to get advice from their superior.  Twenty minutes later they return saying Mum has two choices she can ask for a second opinion from a duty doctor who may send her to hospital anyway or they suggest Mum goes in just to be checked over and have an x-ray, possibly coming home later.  We opt for the latter as no point wasting any more time.

        Mum isn't too happy but says she has a bag well two bags ready for hospital! The ambulance people smile when I bring the two small bags out, one with a housecoat in, the other with her nightie and make-up and wash stuff inside. Kevin smiles and says it looks as though Mum plans on staying a fortnight!! I smile and check that Mum has her mobile phone - although she is useless at using it - and anything else she might need including her keys.  Mum starts to panic because she hasn't got her curlers and tells us that she cannot sleep without them!  The ambulance staff smile and reassure us that it  will possibly only be a flying visit and advise me to ring in a couple of hours around half past eleven.  I go to lock the front door, just as Mum's next-door neighbour shouts "see you soon Phyllis",  Mum turns, smiles and gives a Royal wave as though she is off for a night out!  She has already excitedly told the ambulance staff that this is her time out since 'Lockdown' apart from us walking her around the block.  I lock up, having let both my sisters know what has happened, but I can tell my youngest sister who has just returned from America is concerned however I tell her this is not the first time this has happened.

        I return home and tell Gary that Mum has gone off to have her bloods checked and she is to have another chest x-ray as the ambulance people feel it needs doing.  Gary says "That bloody woman should be glowing for the amount of x-rays she has had done, especially on her chest!!" I smile and say she really didn't look well and of course I couldn't go with Mum due to the Covid precautions at the hospital.  An uneasy silence settles between us, as I relate the nights details and we realise this is probably going to be a recurring incident.  We wait until 11.30 p.m. to ring up only to be told that it is one of their busiest nights and Mum is just about to go for her x-ray so advised to ring back in an hour.  I duly ring back to be told that Mum is only just back and waiting to see the Doctor, they advise me to ring back in an hour if, I am still awake - their words - which I possibly should have heeded as by now it was half past twelve.  However we wait another hour, Gary snoozing while I sit doing some more colouring therapy, very relaxing and at least it keeps me awake.  I ring back at 1.30 a.m and speak to a young lady who sounds quite harassed, I apologise for bothering her and ask about my Mum.  To which she replies, "Oh yes did she come in with an injury?" Me - "No, but knowing my Mum she could have had one whilst there?" To which the young lady replies "oh no she has just been discharged, she must be on her way home".  I explain that I am worried as I expected to pick Mum up and she doesn't have any money or bank cards with her.  The young lady suggests I ring her mobile and if I get no joy to ring her back.  As expected I ring Mums mobile only to receive a message saying it is switched off!! I ring the A&E department back and someone else tells me that Mum has gone home in a hospital taxi but they cannot tell me anything more.  At nearly 2 o'clock having tried Mum's home phone, without any luck, Gary and I trudge off to bed.

Wednesday 5th of August 2020 - Daily Trials with Mother .......Gary reluctantly gets up for work the next morning and leaves me to have a lay in.  8.30a.m. Mum rings!! "Hi sorry I didn't ring you back last night, all I wanted to do when I got home was have something to eat so I had the rest of my KFC!" Me - "Really? Well you sound a bit better but still breathless." Mum "Hmm, all my tests were all clear, they think the anti-biotics will clear up the chest infection and I think they said to ring the Dr for some more steroids. You know how I hate those!!  Are you okay you do sound tired?" Me - "Yes just a bit Mum we stayed up til 2 o'clock as I thought I might have to pick you up?" Mum replies "Oh I am sorry I didn't realise, but a hospital taxi brought me home.  The hospital organised it when I told them I hadn't got my money or bank card as I am not used to going out due to the lockdown!" Me - "Okay Mum I will see you later." Mum - "Okay maybe you can spread that grass seed then once you have given me my Nebuliser dose as the hospital Dr said I must continue to use that!"   Unbelievable but Yes, I go round to find Mum still looking rather pale and breathless.  However after a Nebulizer doze and an 'Inhalation mixture' that I suggest she sounds a bit less breathless just looks tired.  However she is happy that I have put her grass seed down and adds that the sun and rain will help.  I leave Mum watching TV and come home hoping to doze off myself, but of course it is impossible!  Now you know why I said I feel like a POW about to be interrogated! I would sell my soul just to get some sleep and hopefully will now I have written this .......

Tuesday 4th of August 2020 - "I don't want to go to Hospital!!"

Tuesday 4th of August 2020 - Daily Trials with Mother ....

I must say I really cannot believe it is only a few days, well almost a week since I last wrote my Blog, truly it feels like a month.  No Mum hasn't been well at all this last week although she has changed from day to day, one day feeling much better and then the next not feeling well at all.  This usually occurs after she has done something she shouldn't like sit out in her garden room on a windy day or eating three bowls of ice cream - I kid you not!!  Truly this week seems like a blur as I have tried to carry on and get back to the new normal. I say the new normal as I think life in Blackpool is gradually waking from its' Covid slumber as you see more people on the street going about their shopping - in their masks of course.  It's also good to see the Hotels along Blackpool promenade looking more like they normally do with cars parked on their forecourts, plus the Pleasure Beach is open although I don't think there is much 'social distancing' going on there.

        Thursday 30th of July .... Thankfully Mum seems a bit better, when I call with her shopping. I pop the Nebuliser on her and she instantly starts to talk, why does she do this?!! It drives me insane, I decide to switch it off until she has stopped talking. Mum asks "What did you do that for?" Me - "Because you are supposed to be relaxing and breathing in the medicine to help you breath."  Mum - "Well I can talk much easier when I have the machine on." Me - "Well that's not the idea!" Humph goes Mum as she agrees to sit quiet if I switch it back on. When the dose has finished I tell Mum that if her breathing doesn't improve she will have to take the anti-biotics or end up going to hospital.  Mum - "Oh no I don't want to go to hospital, I will end up catching the virus!!"  I have to agree that that is a possibility and don't really want her to go to hospital as I mention we wouldn't be able to visit. Mum - "Really well what would I do about snacks and drinks and change of clothes?"  I almost smile as Mums first thought is about food so a sure sign she is possibly feeling better?  I reply "they will obviously feed you and give you drinks and more than likely supply hospital gowns for you to sleep in. Anyway let's not talk about that hopefully it won't come to that, if you stay in and rest whilst sitting in here. Please don't go to bed and lay flat as you will end up with pneumonia again." Mum - "Oh no I don't want that."  Me - "Okay I will put something on YouTube for you to watch again, how about Michael Jackson?" Mum - "Oh yes that would be great."  I set that up and leave before I am given any other jobs although the bungalow is clean and as tidy as it can be with all the extra boxes of stuff that Mum insists keeping.  

                                                             

                                                             Friday 31st of July 

Despite not falling asleep until gone 12 midnight, the night before, I wake up at 4am and cannot sleep. I am concerned about Mum, having called on her the night before after we have held a lovely outside Park Committee meeting.  I am not so sure that the Steroids alone will cure Mum.  Plus I have lots of other things on my mind to do with the Park and projects that we have had to put back until next year due to the Covid Pandemic. I get up and read the paper for a couple of hours, but when I still cannot sleep at 6.30am and Gary is awake too I suggest going for a walk on the promenade. Gary is literally delighted, he loves this time of the day.  Whereas I have never been a morning person but the chance to walk on the promenade with the sun on our backs is just the tonic we need, a chance to think clearly and discuss what is happening. 

I know the Doctor has said Mum mustn't take the anti-biotics unless Mum is really poorly, but decide if she does not improve in the next couple of days she will start them, otherwise she will end up in hospital fighting to breath!

            Thankfully when I call on Mum later she seems a bit better, the nebuliser helps her and I leave her listening to Rodgers & Hammerstein's music in a Proms concert.  I try showing Mum how to use the remote control to look for stuff but she explains with her feeling ill she hasn't any patience to do that, so I leave.  Later on I pop round to give her the nightly nebuliser dose and drop off some more Trout that I have bought for her while we were shopping in Lytham, along with some 'compressed face powder' that Mum has requested. "Hmm I don't think that will be the right shade" says Mum, I reply "well here's the receipt so you can change it for a shade You prefer, whenever you next go there." Mum - "Hmm goodness knows when that will be as I don't think I will be fit to go out tomorrow or next week."  I have to admit I am relieved as this is a definite change from her wanting to hop on the first bus she can get. I mention to Mum that we have got Olivia the next day so I won't be able to stay long when I call in the morning and ask if she still wants the nebuliser dose. "Oh yes I want to continue as my chest is still not right!" I reply okay and leave.

            Saturday 1st of August.... while Gary and Olivia are having breakfast I pop round to check on Mum and give her the nebuliser dose but I do not think she looks so good, when I tell her that she replies "It is probably that new powder you got me, I told you I thought it was the wrong shade!" Me - "Well why did you open it?" Mum - "I needed something to make me look better!" I give up and set the nebuliser up, but get the anti-biotics out as I think Mum needs to start them. After her nebuliser Mum tells me she feels much better and may even be all right for her friends Birthday party the next day, I am not convinced but tell her to rest in the living room and consider taking the antibiotics.  Mum says "No I mustn't unless it's an emergency the Dr said" I leave her watching more of the Proms concerts on YouTube. 

            We have a great time with Olivia playing 'school games' in the Living room as it is raining, but as soon as it stops we are off to the Beach, although Olivia distracts me from my worries about my Mum I am still worried that she is not okay.  Not long after we reach the beach Mum rings me, "your sister has called and thinks I should start the anti-biotics, what do you think?" Me - "Of course you should I said as much yesterday!"  I call round as soon as I can and decide to put Mum on the Nebuliser, having suggested I take her to the Walk In Centre and she refuses as she is till worried that she will end up in hospital!! 

            The next couple of days pass quietly with me giving Mum the nebuliser to help her breathing, but Monday night really is a trial when Mum is literally coughing her guts up when I try to give her the nebuliser. It is almost impossible but every time I say we should ring the Doctor Mum says "No, I don't want to go to hospital, I think it's just the ice cream that I had tonight affecting my throat." I agree and say it's probably not the best thing to have when you have a chest infection. To which Mum says "Well I had to eat it up, because you brought me the new tub today, so I had three bowls!" Me - "Well you asked me to get you ice cream and bread when I came this morning!!" Mum - "Yes but I didn't think you would get it straight away!" I shake my head which is absolutely banging from Mum's coughing and say if she is no better in the morning I will be taking her to the Walk in Centre.

        Tuesday 4th of August.... I go prepared to let myself into Mums and just as I pull up outside Mum rings. "Hello I thought I would ring you to save you coming round, I have spoken to the sheltered housing lady. My windpipe is sore from coughing last night but she said the ice cream would not have helped. Anyway I am much better and I really don't want to go to the Walk In Centre in case they send me to hospital!" I agree that she does sound better and relent to not ring and book an appointment.  

        I have to add that Mum used to be up for a trip to the Hospital, almost treating it like a day out!! However since the Pandemic and an earlier bad experience this year, her attitude has changed and hopefully that will continue.  Although at times I do worry as she admitted to me the other day that she was really frightened one night as she was struggling so much to breath.  I told her that's why she is in sheltered accommodation so she can pull the cord and someone will come.  Then she reminds me what happened earlier this year in February, when she pulled the chord and they sent an ambulance out.  The next day I couldn't get a decent word out of her while she was cursing the ambulance team and saying how rude they were! (Not like my Mum as she is usually polite about the NHS) However I must explain that even in February Mum had still got boxes to unpack, and ornaments/nick naks absolutely everywhere!  However Mum insisted that one of the officers kept picking up her ornaments and making rude comments about them and was really rude when she told them she had already got her hospital bag packed!!  (Personally I wasn't surprized at Mums comment, as I know what my Mum is like). 

        Mum didn't end up going to hospital as they decided there was nothing wrong with her but two days later Mum was diagnosed with severe Pleurisy, not something that would have appeared overnight according to the Doctor.  As Mum was still ranting about how rude the ambulance man was, I did report it, an investigation was made and they said it was a case that warranted further investigation following talks with the staff involved.  However this has definitely tainted Mums experience and made her scared of pulling her chord, so along with all the complications of the Covid problem it really isn't helping when we are trying to look after her but as I have said before 'Nothing is simple where Mum is involved' .....