21 May 2012
A red letter day – ‘My Lovely’s’ birthday. We had no particular plans for celebration, as much to do with all the medical business going on as anything else, as Alice, like most women of ‘a certain age! – does not like drawing attention to her advancing years!
Dear Chloe took over the role occupied by the good Doctor Michael – who left yesterday afternoon – and valiantly slept on the couch at the other end of the drawing-room (my bedroom!) with the objective of giving her mum a bit of a break. Basically, things went very well until 1.30, five hours after I had gone to bed, when I required my first turn. Chloe sprang off the couch in response to the alarm and tackled the problem of turning me over and settling back into a comfortable position. This was the first time that Chloe had been charged with carrying out this delicate procedure and considering she had not been trained to operate my hoist, or acquainted with my eccentricities, whilst being hoisted, I thought she did a pretty good job in managing to make me comfortable. So I’m sorry to say that I woke her up another two or three times over the next few hours, but we got there in the end, with only one visit from’ my lovely’ who took over at 5.00 a.m., allowing Chloe a couple of hours of well-deserved sleep in a bed (or at least rest) before we all got up to start yet another day. The only thing about which I was personally concerned was the possibility of problems similar to those we had experienced when the respirator was removed the day before. However, I am glad to say that all was normal.
Whilst Sally, the carer was here dressing me, that good Doctor West arrived for a very brief update. I was pleased to be able to report an almost totally pain free night.
Over this past week or so. I have obviously been too self occupied to comment on what is happening on the international front (other than, of course, the International Test Match!!). However, briefly the main preoccupation is still very much about the economy. Due to the uncertainty of the Greek position and the tough stance being taken by the newly elected Greek Prime Minister, the financial markets have got very jittery about the possibility of Greece withdrawing (or being thrown out!) from the Eurozone currency market.
The international stock exchanges have been tumbling, concerned with this possibility, as it demonstrates so strongly the fact that we are a global economy. For example, Australia would be badly affected by a huge disruption in the European market because China buys most of Australia’s iron ore, which comprises a significant element of its GDP, and if China’s economy shrinks (as indeed it seems to be doing already) to a certain level, creating less demand from the European members of the Eurozone, as seems to be the case, then the whole thing goes round in a circle and we, like every other country involved in the domestic market, would be affected.
The Greeks seem adamant that they are not going to leave the Eurozone, but will they have any choice? If they go, will they be followed by Spain, Italy and Portugal and , if so, what effect will that have on the rest of us? This is unknown territory which I suspect will have to be resolved sooner than the Midsummer break suggested by Greece.
I am sure that my readers will forgive me not spending too much time on the international position as most of them are, in any case, probably better informed than I am.
As an exception I have tried to keep up-to-date for you with the first International Test Match of this season between England and West Indies (after all, we must get our priorities right!). Today, went into the fourth day with England effectively 93/4, requiring 191 runs to win, which presented no problem and the game was over, just after lunch.
Chlo stayed until the carers came at midday and then home, no doubt, to sort out the chaos which exists when a man is left in charge of a small family for too longer period! (To be fair to Karl, on seeing a draft of this entry, Chloe stuck up for him and said that he was in fact, quite the opposite to my description of the hopeless father. The house was usually pristine and in no way disorderly.) I must say Chloe has been very helpful to me, in my slightly more weak and feeble state. I didn’t think I had the energy to do the blog and , in particular the corrections, which seemed to take it out of me more than the actual writing. Chloe corrected it for me and I very grateful to her.
I forgot to mention that Sarah, one of our district nurses, dropped in to catch up on my state of health and, in particular, to finalise her report to Continuing Care to relieve’ my lovely’ at night. Then, late afternoon, Harriet herself looked in with the’ good news’ that we were almost there in terms of nightly Continuing Care. Tonight and tomorrow night have been approved, and, in the meantime she hopes for final approval to come through shortly. We so grateful as, over a period of time, the cost of night city can turn out to be very expensive. I did not begrudge Harriet, a nice glass of wine. I was drinking at the time, not only in celebration for’ my lovely is’ birthday but it also England’s comfortable win, against the West Indies, in the first of this year’s Test Series.
In view of the global world economy and the fact that Germany seems to be heavily involved in propping up the Eurozone, I thought it might be appropriate to click here and share with readers a little German humour.