A Rather Frightening Start To The Day...

Mum had a bleed and as always a little blood goes a long way and looks quite frightening on bedsheets and carpets. Especially when it still seems like the middle of the night(6am)and outside it is dark and quiet.

Thankfully, it stopped quite quickly, Mum cleaned up nicely and I had everything in the washer and dried not much after an hour.

But for various reasons I was still looking after Mum for most of the morning but all in all its not turned out so bad.

I think Mum is now quite positive about her radio therapy treatment(even though she may feel really bad with the side effects)but she may sail through it for all we know. If she does, perhaps they'll change their opinion about whether she could stand an operation.

I still take some comfort that the scan results seemed better than we feared(fluid on a lung)a small mark on the liver that may've been there years and could be harmless but I assume they'll keep an eye on.

I am still thinking of staying close to the hospital so our travel costs and times are reduced and explain to the hotel that we may need a few extra services and we'll pay any possible damage caused by Mum's treatment. I'd rather pay for a room, meals, a tv, central heating etc...than a basic ride to and from hospital.

Too late when Mum had her hip operation a few years ago I thought of doing this as there was a guest house virtually a stone's throw from the hospital.

My next best option would be if we can find a volunteer driving service(They usually charge something like 10p a mile)So £5 a day is better than around £50 for a taxi.

Then again if Mum wants to use a taxi and pay that amount and be in her own home and bed I'll do it!

Well, for all the above Mum has managed to have a reasonable start to the day food wise and that always pleases me...two complans(made with whole milk from the Channel Islands)Special K with the same milk and strawberry and banana sliced followed by wholemeal toast with Manuka honey. And two mugs of tea...

And I believe Mum is having some cream of tomato soup and haddock, potatoes and vegetables(probably Curly Kale)later for the evening meal and I hope she may have something to follow. I do hope that we can manage to keep her appetite going as long as possible and the best food available.

In general...its a quiet day much as I prefer it to be...

I think that we are going to get a few more things to help Mum be comfortable next week, a back rest for Mum's bed, a device to lower Mum into the bath so she can actually have a bath rather than just a blanket bath/sponge down, Mum may still use a stick to get around but I think we may also be getting a zimmer frame too. We may also be looking into hiring a stair lift.

I'd buy one but not knowing how long Mum has(that sounds so mercenary)to hire one(with repair service)the purchase price would be the same as hiring one for 6 years. Then again, it is only worth it if Mum uses it more than just a few times. I will have to really think this over.

Hopefully, we'll never have to use it but a gadget was installed yesterday which uses the landline but is independent of your phone, if there is an emergency, we can hit an illuminated red button on the receiver or use a button on a wrist band, if pressed it alerts someone to give Mum help. If done it overrides a phone call if its being made or would cut off my connection to the internet. The gadget is hands free, and probably because most who use the system are elderly or disabled, the speaker is very loud when the people at the control centre speak.