13 June 2012

As a result of the four frightening experiences with the respirator, ‘my lovely’ seems adamant that I should have someone with me at all times who understands the operation of the respirator, this led me to consider the logistics in connection with my weekly visits to the geriatric golf day at Worlington.

This person, whoever they will be, will have to be hovering around close to me during the entire time I am out of the house. One option would be to ask Ross Nursing if they would be prepared to let one of their two male carers to accompany me for those five hours. Assuming they did, how would this work out. I would arrive at the golf club in the ambulance as usual, around 11.00 a.m. when I trundle off, here and there, across the course, and my carer could walk around the course with me, so no problem there. I then generally sit outside, in the sunshine (!) For half an hour or so before lunch. No great problem there for the carer to be close by but it is not fair to expect him to sit amongst us, as he knows no one and could feel left out, (but maybe not). The lunch should present no problems. The food would be brought to me as usual and my carer could sit next to me feeding me. Most times, after lunch. there are 20/30 min or so, to spare, before Ollie is due to pick me up, I sit outside in the sunshine and have coffee and perhaps a small cigar.

Again I see no problem here with the carer hovering close by. Then, when the ambulance arrives, I get loaded on, with my carer and at that stage, we have the added advantage of Ollie, who himself is respirator trained.

All of this is fine provided Ross Nursing can make available one of their male nurses on a regular basis every Tuesday in the summer (although to be difficult this next Tuesday is a Monday, due to the club having a visiting society on Tuesday).

Then there is the weather to consider. If it is likely to be wet, or the temperature likely to be below, say 15°C, Debbie, from Ollies Friendly Wheelchair Service, and I, have an arrangement that I can cancel even as late as an hour or two before the ambulance taxi is due to arrive. This late cancellation, I suspect, will not suit Ross Nursing, and that is if it is going to be possible to have one of these two male carers available on this basis, which I very much doubt. Why male you might well ask? because I just don’t see one of my female carers being able to hover around what is a solely male event without feeling de trop, or out of place, if you prefer.

Who else them, other than a Ross Nursing carer? A number of my friends in Clavering have always said “if there’s anything we can do to help, please let us know.” But, when it comes to how many of them would be prepared to be responsible should an accident occur, which requires the use of the respirator? I suspect that would be the stumbling block.

The other possibility would be to hang the respirator to the back of the wheelchair and, when I arrive, find a foursome whom I could join asking one of them to be responsible should the respirator be required. I think this would work, especially if one of them was a Doctor but otherwise the other members might feel that it is too greater responsibility.

These then are the logistics I must work out before resuming my Tuesday geriatric golf days.

12 June 2012

It being a Tuesday you might expect me to be driving round the golf course talking to my geriatrics club member friends. Of course, you would be right and I await with bated breath, the five-day weather forecast, which shows me that it is going to be warm and sunny next Tuesday. Sadly, there have […]

11 June 2012

Great excitement last night, most of which I was oblivious to. Apparently my respirator was constantly setting off the alarm and poor Lillian, my all night carer, was not sure what she should do about it. In any event she did not wake Alice but waited until she came down just before 5.00 a.m. The […]

10. June 2012

When I woke up this morning I remembered that daughter Chloe had spent the night and so had the pleasure of her company until after lunch, when she returned East Dulwich. This was one of those rare occasions when it was not necessary to ask Chloe to help me deal with a backlog of printing […]

9 June 2012

The doing and froing continued right until my bedtime. First to go was Smiler. He was carrying out his weekly check on me and with the assurance of the good Doctor Michael I hope he went home reasonably satisfied that I was not in imminent danger of snuffing it. It is great seeing them both, […]

8 June 2012

Today was one of those rare days when ‘my lovely’ was able to go to London confidently leaving me in the hands of that good Doctor Michael. It is one of those very important respite days in the life of a carer. Where, in Alice’s case, she can clock off, briefly, leaving her utterly free […]

7 June 2012

A good night. I’m now beginning to enjoy longer periods of sleep and although, as in last night, I would wake up with very painful joints, in this case hips and pelvic area, these were relieved almost instantly by my night carer turning me in bed. So, unless anything untoward happens I shall stop the […]

6 June 2012

Last evening, Prince Charles did a one hour television programme in tribute to his mother. A homely affair looking at old photo albums and reminding us that to all extents and purposes they were like any other small growing family enjoying the ordinary things in life. In the middle of all of this excitement that […]

5 June 2012

By all accounts, it seems that we may have foolishly brushed aside the concert as not being our sort of music and in doing so acted precipitously. Most of the reports that we have subsequently heard about the concert were laudatory. I am so glad that we tuned in to watch the service at Saint […]

4 June 2012

I had one of my most broken sleep nights, last night. There was no obvious reason for this, it’s just that I woke up every after three quarters of an hour and this pattern went through the night. I took full advantage of my ‘genie’ and so did not have to lie awake in pain […]