h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Oh dear, so that's not the problem then. Has the nurse been round yet?

The triage nurse? Not until the antibiotics are finished. The District nurse came yesterday for INR blood test, they've rung me this morning with the result, it's normal at 2.3. District nurses don't listen to chests or I'd have left her a note requesting that.

Hm, major update following:

On Friday morning I found a note from the morning carer saying she'd given Mum the last of the antibiotic and disposed of the bottle. I rang the GP surgery to request a visit from the triage nurse, speaking to the receptionist. I then got a call back from a GP (not Mum's) who wanted to know what was going on from the start of the cough. I told him and he asked me to take Mum to the Diana hospital ( I was dreading this happening as I have no transport now) and straight to the x-ray department, he would send an urgent request through for a chest x-ray. The first person I rang for help was available and Ian's daughter Caroline picked us up and dropped us off, I wheeled Mum through to the x-ray dept and there was only about 4 in front of us so we were ready to leave about half an hour later and Caroline had us back at Mum's in time for her regular Friday bathtime then lunch. I've to phone the Doctor's surgery this Friday for the x-ray results. She was still coughing on Saturday. I'm worried there'll be a shadow and it might be lung cancer

I'm walking to Mum's today as there's no thanks to the Bank Holiday but at least it's not raining. Happy Towel Day!

Any update GB?

Hiya scorp

I've to phone the Doctor's surgery this Friday for the x-ray results.

Mum has a chest infection. Let's hope this 3rd lot of antibiotics does the job.

and the infection clears soon

Thanks

She's finished her 3rd lot of antibiotics now. Still coughing

many coughs are now very very hard to get shut of. Partly because of mass immigration and they bring their bugs over and we haven't time to "acclimatise" to them

You'd have been proud of me when I collected Mum's 3rd lot of antibiotics from the chemist, Prof. There was a lady locum pharmacist, a stranger (the rest of the staff know me well) doing the dispensing. She called out Mum's name and I stepped forward, saying "Yes". She looked back down at the prescription bag with details attached, looked back at me and said in broken English "you are not looking 96 years"

I smiled and said "I moisturise" which unfortunately was lost on her but caused a few giggles from the other customers.

love it, next time say: the crocodile dung face pack I use works wonders

Like I say to folk - I use essence of giraffe aftershave, smells like sh.. but you feel 10ft tall

Hi GB, glad you are retaining your sense of humour

Hope your Mum recovers soon,



Websailor

Thanks Webby. Good to see you

Mum's INR was within range, unusually due to the antibiotics usually screwing up the results. If she's still coughing when I go tomorrow then I'll call out the triage nurse again.

I have lost count of how many "final straw" events I have managed to survive. I am sick to death of incompetent carers who can't be arsed to read the care plan and guess who deals with the aftermath?

Last Saturday I turned up just as the morning carer was leaving, I didn't recognise her but I read her comments in their log and nothing seemed amiss. Only when I was dealing later with Mum's accident and all the cleaning up it involved did I realise that she had been dressed that morning in knickers. Dressing Mum in a fresh Tena Lady is top of the list in the care plan.

The GP came out to visit Mum to investigate while she's still coughing for Britain after 3 lots of antibiotics. She diagnosed acid reflux and issued a prescription which I'm collecting this morning. Yet again I had to get it replaced for liquid due to the tablets, which Mum can't swallow.

On the plus side I hopefully have the loan of a car for two weeks from next Tuesday.

Hope you have the car it will make such a difference. Hope the diagnosis and meds bring some relief to your Mum.

The subject of carers is a very sore point here too - I could write a book - and it seems to be nation wide. I don't envy their job but if they cannot do it properly they should not be employed. Lack of time and money are serious obstacles but we cannot put a price on compassion and respect, both of which seem to be lacking.

Take care,

Websailor

I can't tell you how wonderful it is to be driving around every day - my life is transformed

The care agency we have been with since Mum returned home from the Beacon have failed to make the top three care agencies with the NHS so they are being replaced with another care agency in November. I am not looking forward to training and getting to know a fresh lot of carers so goodness know what Mum will be like. We haven't told her yet, although some of the best ladies have told me that they are going to apply for jobs at the new agency so Mum may not notice too much disruption.

Hope the change over goes smoothly, the situation is a bit of a nightmare, here too.

Websailor

The car's gone back now

The following day, my daughter was driving it, stopped at traffic lights and witnessed a man going backwards and forwards dodging cars and almost freaked out when she realised he was carrying a big knife! She was stuck at the lights and praying he wouldn't approach her car, the lights seemed to take ages to change but she got through them, pulled up when she was out of the immediate area and rang the police. Then on Saturday night someone knocked my grandson off his bike and he suffered a broken arm, wrist and hand. While he was trying to get up, two blokes who hadn't been the original assailant, approached, one picked up a pole and whacked Liam across the head. He said he went down and tried to play dead and they ran off. He then wheeled his bike towards his Dad's but couldn't make it that far so rang him and Karl took him to A&E. The doctor told him his arm was the worst break he had ever seen. He's got an "egg" on his forehead. The bike will repair. Thank goodness he wasn't robbed of his phone, no-one helped him. I'm thanking God it wasn't worse. He must have as thick a skull as me (considering the whacks I have survived). Now he's awaiting the doctor's ok for his holiday with his g/f and her family in Spain in a few weeks.



I'm so stressed out and desperate to see him but have to go to Mum's today. At least I've organised my sister to do the shopping (tomorrow) but she's just texted me to text her a list of what is required when I get there today. Er, she was THERE yesterday!!!!

Ghastly!

What happened to Liam is terrible. And no one stopped to help? I feel really ill at the thought. He is lucky that he has inherited your resilience. Please let us know how he does.

Maybe it's better if you write the shopping list for your sister - if she didn't even think to look what was needing replacing when she was there, she probably would have forgotten half anyway.