Well, it would seem that days out have their pay-back - too long in the car and not enough water have taken their toll and K hasn't been sleeping well. I'll spare you the details but we have both been very tired today. Anyway, I had to wake out of a very deep sleep this morning when my alarm went off, as Keith wanted me to get him a phone appt. with the GP, which I did. The PD nurse has now been in touch and he is to DRINK MORE. What I am always telling him!
Verbena bonariensis at Abercamlais House on Sunday.
I did manage a sofa nap and then a slow walk up across the fields to the little church where John Wesley leapt on a fallen tombstone to preach, and had a wander round the graveyard. I had been hoping for some more sloes but apparently had just missed a well-laden bush after the hedgerow had been cut. I enjoyed my walk anyway, and was able to think things through, and I sat in one of the fields and just looked at the sheep next door, and listened to a woodpecker drumming - then he noticed me and flew away. It was beautifully warm and the air was like wine.
I felt a bit more with it when I got back and checked out some more mobility scooters on Marketplace. I had some chap chasing me saying someone else has offered him X amount, so I would have to move fast if I wanted it. NO WAY was I going to drive to Gloucester to look at it, especially as I had checked HIM out and can see he was a dealer of various things, and so I told him I would pass - take the other offer. Of course, the one we would have bought and wanted to go and see, sold yesterday evening, but at least the girl got in touch to tell me.
Chicory at Abercamlais House.
I am awaiting the arrival of the new ramps yet anyway, and there's no point in actually going to view until I have them and can bring it back with me should I buy it.
No energy to process sloes or crab apples today, which I picked yesterday, so tomorrow I will set to an try out my new jelly bag and stand.
I've read a few chapters of the book I picked up at the Tesco donation stand recently - a WWII one called The Girl With No Name by Diney Costeloe. Nice light reading and I'm racing through it. Then I've got the one Sarah mentioned recently to start on - To Calais in Ordinary Time by James Meek. The pile never seems to shrink, for some reason!
Oh what a fun walk. Here where I live I would have to drive to a safe place to walk and I just have a hard time with that. We used to live on a country lane but then progress encroched on us and now our street sounds like a freeway. So glad you are doing ok. Keep smiling.
ReplyDeleteHello. Lovely to have you comment. I am sorry that you can't just walk out of the house and walk somewhere safe and pleasant. We are very fortunate as we live two miles from a small market town and I can step out of our gate onto a bridleway, and if I walk 100 yds along it to the lane, have miles and miles of lanes, footpaths and bridleways to walk along, and wonderful views too. I didn't take the camera yesterday. This link takes you back to doing this walk in winter: https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8569181568013465215/7610947467282200971
DeleteSo sorry you're having such a rough time of it. Drinking plenty is so important. I went through it with both my parents. Now I'm going through it, trying to make myself remember to drink. Once again, sleep is my enemy. I saw my specialist yesterday and was completely exhausted. So I thought I would sleep well, but no, I've been awake since 5:00 AM this morning.
ReplyDeleteMy garden is full of Verbena Bonariensis. I bought a couple of plants maybe about 20 years ago and they've gone forth and multiplied. I have never been without it since.
Sorry that you had a rough day yesterday too - but I hope that your specialist is able to improve your meds. Think Keith may need something tweeked again too, as he's all shaky now- and our PD nurse is on holiday until the end of the month.
DeleteAh yes, once you get Verbena Bonariensis, you have it for life! I have a shorter version in my garden which hasn't self-seeded everywhere yet.
Someone might have already suggested this to you, but something I used to do to con both my parents into drinking was to sit here with an empty cup in front of me. I would pick it up from time to time and just say cheers in hope that they would pick up and have a sip of theirs
DeleteKeith has a stein of water beside him all day to sip at - but it has a lid so unless I open it I can't see how little he has had! It's his stubborn-ness which is the problem!
DeleteSounds like you needed that breathe of air on your walk. I've noticed that Vebena B. is doing well in peoples gardens despite the dry weather, just one plant in the border here but right under the biggest magnolia so not spreading.
ReplyDeleteNot sure how you can get K to drink more apart from nagging ! but it certainly is important
Nagging is the only way!
DeleteYou're right, the official word for it is NAG! He has asked for warm water this morning - he finds that more palatable than cold. (Yuk is my take on it!)
ReplyDeleteOne Verbena bon. is enough though if you have the space they look a treat. The walk helped me sleep last night as I was able to unwind.
Your walk sounds like a tonic. Top of my list when moving was to have beautiful walks and cycles from my doorstep and I think I managed that. I try and control V.B. in the garden but I see I have odd plants popping up in the wild front (along with the knapweed, toadflax et al!) and I have just done my annual cull of V. officianialis with its teeny tiny white flowers from the herb parterre. My strategy for drinking more is to have a drinking cup in the bathroom which means everytime you go to the loo you drink a cup of water which in turn promotes more visits to the loo (an activity in itself, especially if it involves going upstairs) and thus more drinking. We also make a ritual of morning coffee, afternoon tea and aperitif time and always have a glass of water with lunch and supper. Important to keep everything flushing through the system, especially when taking medication, as my mum a nurse used to say. Of course I don’t know how much pain Keith is in (a lot I imagine) but I believe that the more he moves and uses his muscles the less pain he will feel and if that movement involves for example walking to the kitchen, filling a kettle and making you a cup of tea just think how good he will feel. It’s all about baby steps. Remember when the children were toddlers and one activity (along with laundry, making three meals a day and a bit of housework - all involving help from the children!) was more than enough? Sometimes that one activity was cycling to the library, on another day a walk to the swings and slides or a car ride to the swimming pool. Once I began the allotment when daughter had started school almost every day in the holidays involved a cycle to the allotment and I got the children sowing crops, picking, weeding and watering. It was so nice to be released from the tyranny of wondering what to do, where to go and the simplest activities closest to home are often the best. Here ends today’s lecture! Have a good day BB and please ignore my scribblings if not helpful. I do enjoy your blog and reading your description of your walk to the little church was just so lovely. Sarah x PS I hope you enjoy To Calais - always a responsibility recommending books. But I and my book group of 10 all loved it and it was a very good read. Do not be put off by the different narrators at the beginning - each has their own distinct voice which you soon tune into.
ReplyDeleteWe boil all our drinking water - despite being on an efficient UV system, there was once a dead mouse in the header tank (plumber told us this) so. . .don't entirely trust the upstairs cold water, apart from rinse and spit! We have water in steins beside the bed, to drink at night.
DeleteI have to say, Keith's medications aren't working that well. He doesn't have the Classic PD with the terrible shakes, but a variation thereof and so we haven't had the longed-for breakthrough with mobility. He's not really in pain as such either (my g.grandfather in Devon had early onset PD from his 50s and there was no real treatment in the 1920s and he drowned himself, poor man). Sometimes his legs get heavy and the twitching in the evening is down to lack of hydration. His balance is still so bad he can't do normal things like filling the kettle and making a cup of tea. Virtually everything is down to me. On a good day, he will surprise me with passing overnight-dried plates etc to be put away, and even bought the washing basket down recently, but they are rare events, so you can see why I am struggling to keep positive. Please keep commenting as I look forward to your posts. I am finding it very hard to motivate myself right now though.
Oh my dear BB, you have my love and support. It sounds very hard for you right now. Please look and see what help there is for Carers in your local area and if you haven’t already I would recommend applying for Attendance Allowance for Keith. If you are having disturbed nights because he needs your help then he is definitely eligible, and it isn’t means tested. Keep strong and take very good care of yourself. We are all behind you, an invisible but hopefully tangible force. Sarah x
DeleteWalking is a great way to escape the world for a time, and also I think Keith loves the outings. I think the only problem with drinking water all the time is the peeing as well, but nag Keith to drink.
ReplyDeleteI think we need some advice/treatment on the excess peeing as that is the BIG problem at night.
DeleteI don't think many of us realise the difference keeping really well hydrated can make to your health. I know I feel tons better if I drink more. I encourage myself to drink more water by having a couple of glasses of water ready to grab from the fridge, it's so much better when it's icy cold.
ReplyDeleteMe too - I am a devil for having a glass of Diet Coke instead of WATER! Ihavemor energy when I drink water of course. I need to retrain my mind to get away from "rewards".
DeleteI remember reading about some "sweets" that were designed to help Alzheimer's sufferers to take in liquid. Called Jelly drops. They might help Keith.
ReplyDeleteHello Fat Dormouse and thank you for that. I will see if I can find some but then - he is also fussy about sweet anythings!
DeleteA solitary walk always seems to allow me time to get things sorted in my mind. Life is such a struggle for you right now as you take care of everyone else. Now that it is getting cooler, soups are a good way to add more fluid to a diet. Does he eat gelatin desserts? And yes, water is best.
ReplyDeleteI am desperately boiling crab apples for jelly so I can get a walk in, but they really don't want to stew to a mush.My hands are stained bright orange (thumbs espec.) from cutting them up. Looks like I have a 50 a day habit and a very odd way of holding a fag!
DeleteKeith will have tinned Heinz chicken soup but wouldn't have any soup I make.