Keep yer pecker up, old chap!
Devondancer update
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SteveShaw
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Roland, old chap, when Lesley's home you could give me a shout and I could nip round to show her that Chiffites are real flesh 'n' blood. I could bore her about why harmonicas are the only way to go and play her a chune or two to check that her whistles are properly in. It can't be much more than an hour from Bude and I could always combine it with a bit of M&S shopping in Exeter or somewhere, which we're sadly deprived of here in Bude. I mean it!
Keep yer pecker up, old chap!
Keep yer pecker up, old chap!
"Last night, among his fellow roughs,
He jested, quaff'd and swore."
They cut me down and I leapt up high
I am the life that'll never, never die.
I'll live in you if you'll live in me -
I am the lord of the dance, said he!
He jested, quaff'd and swore."
They cut me down and I leapt up high
I am the life that'll never, never die.
I'll live in you if you'll live in me -
I am the lord of the dance, said he!
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devondancer
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Home again, after a day indoors at the hospital, as the weather was not what it might have been! We have both recovered our equilibrium - or rather, I have: I don't think Lesley ever lost hers! I am sure she knew what was coming - I am the slow one!
The Occupational Therapist comes to do the home visit tomorrow, so I must do some cleaning and make it look good! Then, all being well, I shall bring Lesley home late on Tuesday. I still can't quite believe it! She will be home, and we can get our lives back together again. Wow.
Steve, we both really appreciate your offer of a visiting harmonica player. Lesley was delighted, but says please wait until she looks presentable! Her hair is chopped off in strange places, her clothes don't fit and she thinks she looks terrible, definitely not fit to be seen! But later on, that would be great. Many thanks.
We are both fine now and will cope with whatever else life decides to drop on us. I really feel that she will make great strides when she is home in her own place: she loves it so much.
Thank you again for all your kind and sensible words. I shall try not to panic again!
Ro
The Occupational Therapist comes to do the home visit tomorrow, so I must do some cleaning and make it look good! Then, all being well, I shall bring Lesley home late on Tuesday. I still can't quite believe it! She will be home, and we can get our lives back together again. Wow.
Steve, we both really appreciate your offer of a visiting harmonica player. Lesley was delighted, but says please wait until she looks presentable! Her hair is chopped off in strange places, her clothes don't fit and she thinks she looks terrible, definitely not fit to be seen! But later on, that would be great. Many thanks.
We are both fine now and will cope with whatever else life decides to drop on us. I really feel that she will make great strides when she is home in her own place: she loves it so much.
Thank you again for all your kind and sensible words. I shall try not to panic again!
Ro
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The Weekenders
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- Location: SF East Bay Area
I pray for the most positive environment you (and everyone) can create around her to make a small miracle of heart tissue re-generation happen. Humans can be incredible survivors, despite medical odds. I have known several people who aren't supposed to even be alive after huge medical episodes, yet do just fine. Mind over matter can work!
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SteveShaw
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- Location: Beautiful, beautiful north Cornwall. The Doom Bar is on me.
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Heheh. I'm short-sighted once I've taken my driving specs off and, rumour has it, I'm no oil painting meself. Just give us a shout whenever, Roland!devondancer wrote: Steve, we both really appreciate your offer of a visiting harmonica player. Lesley was delighted, but says please wait until she looks presentable! Her hair is chopped off in strange places, her clothes don't fit and she thinks she looks terrible, definitely not fit to be seen! But later on, that would be great. Many thanks.
"Last night, among his fellow roughs,
He jested, quaff'd and swore."
They cut me down and I leapt up high
I am the life that'll never, never die.
I'll live in you if you'll live in me -
I am the lord of the dance, said he!
He jested, quaff'd and swore."
They cut me down and I leapt up high
I am the life that'll never, never die.
I'll live in you if you'll live in me -
I am the lord of the dance, said he!
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Innocent Bystander
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- Location: Directly above the centre of the Earth (UK)
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devondancer
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The house is sparkling, the floors gleaming, bath twinkling! I have a chair ready to go in the bath so that Lesley can sit down to shower, a step if necessary to get her in and out, clean sheets on the bed . . . What else could an occupational therapist want?
I wonder what Lesley usually does all these things with? How do you women know which spray thingy cleans what? And where do you hide the dust when the heaps under the carpet get too high to be able to close the door? And then there's the washing machine! The principle is great - put all the dirty things in and they come out clean: I've been married too long!! How do you know which cycle to use when it doesn't say and you have no book? Why does washing powder come as liquid and where do you put it? I have had a HARD DAY.
I just hope the OT is happy with this! Once Lesley is home I will willingly do it all, but at least she knows what to use for what! And I hope they don't look in fridge or freezer for nutritious things. Lesley left lots in the freezer when she went into hospital, but I have eaten them, as she has stayed a lot longer than we anticipated. Must remember to buy FOOD tomorrow. She loves ice cream, and I'm sure that will be good for her!
I am over the moon and totally panic-stricken all at the same time, but it is once again 2230 and I am less than rational! I just want her home - Tuesday can't come soon enough!
Ro
I wonder what Lesley usually does all these things with? How do you women know which spray thingy cleans what? And where do you hide the dust when the heaps under the carpet get too high to be able to close the door? And then there's the washing machine! The principle is great - put all the dirty things in and they come out clean: I've been married too long!! How do you know which cycle to use when it doesn't say and you have no book? Why does washing powder come as liquid and where do you put it? I have had a HARD DAY.
I just hope the OT is happy with this! Once Lesley is home I will willingly do it all, but at least she knows what to use for what! And I hope they don't look in fridge or freezer for nutritious things. Lesley left lots in the freezer when she went into hospital, but I have eaten them, as she has stayed a lot longer than we anticipated. Must remember to buy FOOD tomorrow. She loves ice cream, and I'm sure that will be good for her!
I am over the moon and totally panic-stricken all at the same time, but it is once again 2230 and I am less than rational! I just want her home - Tuesday can't come soon enough!
Ro
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susnfx
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Shame on you, Roland! 
It's about time you had to learn these things. I think the occupational therapist (going by my replacement knee surgery) is looking for steps, handrails, etc., NOT what's in your fridge or if your laundry is clean! (Although it would be great if Lesley told him/her to do just that to give you a scare. 
)
Susan
It's about time you had to learn these things. I think the occupational therapist (going by my replacement knee surgery) is looking for steps, handrails, etc., NOT what's in your fridge or if your laundry is clean! (Although it would be great if Lesley told him/her to do just that to give you a scare. )Susan
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SteveShaw
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As a househusband of ten years' standing, I can tell you that it's easy to make it look like you've cleaned the house. There are three simple steps, thus:
(1) Move several items of furniture, eg. dining table, sofa, chair, very slightly out of their dents in the carpet and leave them there. This will make it look like you've moved everything out and back in again to vacuum.
(2) Just before entrance of spouse, take can of spray furniture polish and spray briefly into the air several times in each room. This will make it smell like you've polished everything in the house.
(3) In the bathroom, locate a plastic bottle of some kind in the cupboard or on top of the bathroom cabinet that has something blue and runny in it. It will probably say something like "Ocean Breeze" on the label. Flush the toilet, and just before the very end of the flush process squirt the blue stuff into the pan. This will make it look and smell like you've conscientiously cleaned the toilet.
There! You've cleaned the whole house in two minutes flat!
Cooking is a little harder...
(1) Move several items of furniture, eg. dining table, sofa, chair, very slightly out of their dents in the carpet and leave them there. This will make it look like you've moved everything out and back in again to vacuum.
(2) Just before entrance of spouse, take can of spray furniture polish and spray briefly into the air several times in each room. This will make it smell like you've polished everything in the house.
(3) In the bathroom, locate a plastic bottle of some kind in the cupboard or on top of the bathroom cabinet that has something blue and runny in it. It will probably say something like "Ocean Breeze" on the label. Flush the toilet, and just before the very end of the flush process squirt the blue stuff into the pan. This will make it look and smell like you've conscientiously cleaned the toilet.
There! You've cleaned the whole house in two minutes flat!
Cooking is a little harder...
"Last night, among his fellow roughs,
He jested, quaff'd and swore."
They cut me down and I leapt up high
I am the life that'll never, never die.
I'll live in you if you'll live in me -
I am the lord of the dance, said he!
He jested, quaff'd and swore."
They cut me down and I leapt up high
I am the life that'll never, never die.
I'll live in you if you'll live in me -
I am the lord of the dance, said he!
I agree with Susan! The therapist isn't looking for dust . . . although you wouldn't want to shame Lesley by there being any . . .
She or he will be looking to see if there are any hazards that need eliminating and to see what accommodations Lesley will need. Do you need a ramp built at the doors? Are there stairs inside? Do you need a special shower seat? A hand shower on a long hose?
Are there patches of uneven carpeting or flooring that could trip? Loose bathmats? A slippery tub? Unsafe electrical appliances or cords where Lesley could fall? Is there adequate cooling and heat? Hot water? Will Lesley need adaptive training to deal with the stove? Does the bed need to be elevated a bit? Are the chairs not wobbly?
Things like that.
She or he will be looking to see if there are any hazards that need eliminating and to see what accommodations Lesley will need. Do you need a ramp built at the doors? Are there stairs inside? Do you need a special shower seat? A hand shower on a long hose?
Are there patches of uneven carpeting or flooring that could trip? Loose bathmats? A slippery tub? Unsafe electrical appliances or cords where Lesley could fall? Is there adequate cooling and heat? Hot water? Will Lesley need adaptive training to deal with the stove? Does the bed need to be elevated a bit? Are the chairs not wobbly?
Things like that.
Cotelette d'Agneau
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devondancer
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Oooohhhh!
Why does no one tell you all this before you start? I could have done a quick Steve Shaw clean-up, built a ramp, lowered the cooker, raised the bath, extended the shower and nailed down the carpet if I hadn't wasted all that time cleaning!!
Seriously, I think we will be OK. We do have steps to the front door, but none to the back, which is the door we use. We have a bungalow, so no stairs, bathroom etc all on one floor. I have put a chair in the bath for showering (something Lesley is looking forward to more than anything else - they won't let her shower on her own!) and I do have a step arrangement so that she can get in and out of the bath. The shower has a long hose, the bed is pretty low and the floors are safe. The only problem will be if the kitchen units are not a good height, but as she improves I hope she will manage. In the meantime, I will "cook" and I have also put a high stool in the kitchen so that she can perch on that to do things when she feels like it.
Her guitar is within easy reach, her whistles are with her, of course, and her teddy bear is in bed waiting! District nurses are old friends of hers and will visit and help out, shopping I can do (with a list), nurses from where she works will also drop in and have offered things like Zimmer frames (not likely to be accepted), high toilet seat etc.
Now all we need is her! And knowing her she will manage without almost all of this, just to show she can!
Thank you all!
Ro
Why does no one tell you all this before you start? I could have done a quick Steve Shaw clean-up, built a ramp, lowered the cooker, raised the bath, extended the shower and nailed down the carpet if I hadn't wasted all that time cleaning!!
Seriously, I think we will be OK. We do have steps to the front door, but none to the back, which is the door we use. We have a bungalow, so no stairs, bathroom etc all on one floor. I have put a chair in the bath for showering (something Lesley is looking forward to more than anything else - they won't let her shower on her own!) and I do have a step arrangement so that she can get in and out of the bath. The shower has a long hose, the bed is pretty low and the floors are safe. The only problem will be if the kitchen units are not a good height, but as she improves I hope she will manage. In the meantime, I will "cook" and I have also put a high stool in the kitchen so that she can perch on that to do things when she feels like it.
Her guitar is within easy reach, her whistles are with her, of course, and her teddy bear is in bed waiting! District nurses are old friends of hers and will visit and help out, shopping I can do (with a list), nurses from where she works will also drop in and have offered things like Zimmer frames (not likely to be accepted), high toilet seat etc.
Now all we need is her! And knowing her she will manage without almost all of this, just to show she can!
Thank you all!
Ro