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

GB, Webbie has emailed me, to say she can't get in to hootoo ?

:-I still cannot reply on h2g2, and an attempt to reset my password has failed miserably so I have emailed the moderators.

I know she wants to post to you

Wandrin Star had the exact same problem and contacted me on Facebook. Webby is welcome to email me direct if she can't post here

I'll pass that on GBthanks love

I've been alerted by Mum's night carer that she has made an appointment with someone on the phone and they are calling on Thursday morning - she can't remember who they are or what they are coming for



We alerted BT after the last time she was cold-called and she had someone coming round to remove her windows and fit triple glazing!

Oh, boy, do I know that number. You go, girl!

Mum has been doing ok until this week the night carer flagged up a strong smell when changing the underwear. This morning she left me a note asking me to call GP as she suspected a water infection. I duly rang the surgery and they said a doctor would ring me back. He did, and he asked me to drop in a urine sample to the surgery. I explained that Mum is incontinent and doesn't know when she is peeing and I wasn't prepared to have her sat on the commode awaiting a trickle - he agreed and offered to send a prescription for antibiotics to the attached chemist (I left that surgery due to the incompetence of that chemist, a couple of years ago, but Mum is still with them).

I went to collect the meds and as the girl found the prescription, I asked if it was for oral suspension antibiotics (as per Mum's notes, she can't swallow large tablets) - no, it was for tablets so I had to take it to the surgery and ask for it to be changed. Come back between 4-5pm I was told. I went back after I had visited Ian. The chemist had the prescription but they did not have the strength the doctor had ordered on the premises and they could order it but it would be Monday at the earliest. I asked for the prescription so I could take it to another chemist and collect it NOW. No, they said, it's electronic, only we can dispense it. Bollocks, I said. Give me the prescription so I can go get my mother's medicine from another chemist, or give me the meds. After some consultation round the back, I got a paper prescription. I went to Birmingham's chemist, on my way home, bear in mind it was now almost 5pm and they close at 5pm. I was told that they couldn't action it as it was a Rowlands Pharmacy prescription. I told them that they hadn't got the strength the doctor had asked for and couldn't supply it until Monday so I said I would go elsewhere. The two ladies behind the counter sympathised and said, take a seat, we'll see what we can do. I heard one of them phone Rowlands and 2 minutes later the antibiotic was in my hot little hands and I was on my way to Mum's to log it for the carers and give her her first dose.

Well done, that woman. Was a medal dispensed with it? You deserve one for licking them all into shape.

Our hero!

I am in no mood for sloppiness! I did tell the girl who gave me the meds that she was an angel and she beamed

Today is a bit arse-face, due to the anniversary of my grandmother (Mum's Mum Ella) passing, 8/4/1985. My sister & I like to take Mum to Keelby cemetery to put flowers on her parents' grave on anniversaries. Remember last time when the little frog jumped on Mum's shoe? We still laugh about that. Her face was a picture.
So, with today being Grand National and the only time in the year that all three of us have a dabble on the geegees, we have instead arranged a Grand tea party at Mum's and my daughter Laura is coming too (she is also having a flutter).

So I am going to see Ian this morning, take his newspapers and sit with him until lunch, then head to Mum's to make her lunch (two carers have been cancelled, lunch & tea) catch up on paperwork, and await the guests

Well done indeed for getting what you needed...

indeed that some people/processes make things more difficult than they should be...

Reminds me of when I had an infection last year - I tried to deal with it using antiseptic, but the chemist recommended antibiotic and told me to have a telephone consultation with a doctor. I rang the number they gave me, and the doctor was really annoyed that I rang him and not the receptionist, so I had to make an appointment for a face-to-face consultation the next day. The doctor was not amused when he gently squeezed the pustule and I squirmed, but I duly got a prescription. Luckily I noticed it wasn't for oral suspension while I was there, so the doctor was again not amused but was reluctantly able to cancel the prescription and reissue it so I went to the chemist and it was all OK after that.

So much better for your mum to start the course of antibiotics now rather than on Monday, so well done again

At times like this it is difficult to remember that they are the people who are supposed to help us. Sigh. Caroline just changed doctors (to mine, on my recommendation) because of his attitude and the way she was treated when she went for her check-up for her under-active thyroid! She needs regular check-ups as she is on 8 Warfarin a day!

I am happy to report that I backed the winner, https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10154720482916185&set=a.10150159689471185.280725.655656184&type=3&theatre
I had £1 each way and got £19.50 back

Mum has now finished the antibiotics and hopefully the water infection has cleared up. I was a bit worried when she came out with a mouthful of complete gobbledegook yesterday but she had just woken up, and when I asked her what she had said as I didn't understand it, she got the words right on the second attempt. Keep calm, boil the kettle for a cuppa and carry on caring

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10154720482916185&set=a.10150159689471185.280725.655656184 is that better?

The agency who run the personal alarms contacted me yesterday for a test. Box at telephone, check. Mum's bracelet (which they insist on calling "a pendant") no signal received. OK, we will visit this afternoon to deliver a new pendant (). I will be gone by then... OK, is the keysafe still ****? Yes.

I left after lunch, my sister arrived just before I left so I told her about the Carelink people coming. She took Mum's alarm bracelet off, left it with a note saying she had taken Mum out for a walk in the sunshine in her wheelchair. Got back to find they had been, put a note through the door to say no-one in.



They rang me last night to rearrange the time so I said 9.30 this morning as I have a very busy day and it's difficult to plan minutes never mind hours on the clock.

You need a notice on the door like people say "No junk mail" to say "No idiot deliveries" Your life is difficult enough

Luckily the lady turned up at 9.30am. I was shocked at her unprofessional attire. Although she had a large, voluptuous figure, she had tight black trousers on and a black vest top. With a deep-V front. When she bent over to get the new bracelet out of her bag I found myself praying "please don't say anything Mum, please don't comment on her breasts or how big she is" (which is exactly what my sister says Mum did the whole time they were out Friday afternoon).

Thankfully, Mum didn't comment until after she had gone

Strange week, chez mother.

Today while watching the cookery programme on tv, she groaned and grimaced, clutching her tummy. I asked if she was in pain, no, she replied, I'm having a poo! So I frog-marched her to the toilet, she finished the job and then I had to clean up. I am now on strike until my brother sorts out a care home because I've had enough...

Well done for cleaning up the situation

A strange thing to do indeed - sort of reminds me of dreams I have (which I can believe are because of the day's anxious thoughts) where I'm on the loo, but there is always someone wandering through the room so I can't relax, but I manage to wake up before I actually do anything...