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

Thanks deb and MMF I am sorry to hear that about your Mum As to how the 'ablution' side will work, G had the same issue as yourself, they had carers to visit to attend to things like that. If you/she can't afford private carers then the NHS will provide them.

Thanks Mina
I must admit it's a relief not having to worry about Andrew. I am glad he's made a life for himself and has friends. Remember when I was told he would never make friends or have relationships?

Yesterday was lovely, I spent the morning with Mum and cooked her lunch then left a note for the teatime carer (on the kettle) not to prepare any food for her as my younger brother Rob was going round with fish & chips after work. I'll hear all about that when I go round this morning, that's if she hasn't forgotten. Yesterday morning I found an entry in my carer's log from my sister, written the previous evening. I asked Mum why she hadn't told me that Yvonne had been round, she looked confused, as if she were searching her mind for some trigger, but no, she couldn't remember
When I left Mum I met up with Ian at the Parkway and we saw "Gravity" in 3D (his choice, I hasten to add) he's a fan of both George Clooney and Sandra Bullock (good job, because they were the only two actors in the film). We both enjoyed it, although I spotted a glaring error I bit my lip and told him afterwards it reinforced to me why I am an astronomer and not an astronaut

I'm looking forward to seeing Gravity.

Me too - I'm hoping to convince someone to babysit in a week, when it is my wife's birthday. Hopefully she'll be recovered enough to get out of the house and go to the cinema. I don't think we've been to the cinema since Easter.

What was the glaring error, or should we look out for it ourselves?

<BB<

I think we should watch out for it ourselves.

also looking forward to Gravity

Sorry to hear about Andrew - but as you know with children there's a point where they do their own thing and you have to see where it goes

It all sounds exhausting, though, although your Christmas plans sound great

Deb

[Amy P]

I don't think I'm posting any spoilers by telling you that when the female astronaut on a spacewalk looks at the Sun with no protection over her eyes other than her normal space helmet, I must admit when I saw the Sun's reflection on her face I was expecting her eyes to melt and her face to bubble. Perhaps I've seen too many sci-fi films

I am a bit exasperated with some of the people I have to deal with. Mum is on Warfarin, a blood-thinner, which comes in 1mg tablets, which has to be regulated very closely. She has to have regular blood tests to see what her INR score is. Ideally it's between 2-3, that's just right, not too thick, nor too thin.

Thursday the District Nurse came to take a blood sample and as Mum had just finished a course of antibiotics I was expecting the result to be out of range. (when she was in hospital in January, her INR was 9).

Friday morning the Doctor's surgery ring me, a young female I'll call "F". She says Mum's INR is 1.7 (too thick) so can we change the dose to 2mg for 3 days a week, 3mg all the rest. I said, but she's already on 3mg a day. If her blood's too thick, shouldn't we be increasing the dose? To which she answered: "I don't know, I am not a doctor". So I replied "I'm not either, but surely it's common sense that she needs more blood thinner?" She said she'd ask the doctor and ring me back. She didn't ring me back, someone else did. He said he understood I was questioning the INR result? I said "I'm not questioning the result, I'm querying reducing the Warfarin when Mum's blood is too thick". He then said: "The dose should be 4mg on a Saturday with 3mg the rest of the week". I said "Thank you" and rang off.

No apology. Give me strength

[Amy P]

Not only frustrating, but downright dangerous I would think. Some people are scared to question "authority" and would have just accepted the change.

Deb

I've just done a Tesco run. I had to queue for a parking space! (Never done that before at this Tesco, ever). £60-odd spent on Mum, less than £20 spent on me & Goldie. It's like there's a war on, or shortages about to be announced. Even managers in suits were manning the tills. I have no idea how long I queued at the checkout, but I reckon I could have finished my jigsaw puzzle

Just put my shopping away, now off back to Mum's with hers. *waves*

F S

When Tesco opened in Dundrum (my local), they had a policy that if you were queuing for more than 30 seconds they'd open another checkout, until all 20 were open. They don't do that anymore.

I remember one pre-Christmas all the tills were open and the queues were ten deep. The managers scurried round with boxes of Quality Street, handing out individual sweets to the people in the queues. They don't do that any more!

Yesterday when I arrived back at Mum's I got a nice surprise, there, sat on the garden wall, was Liam, he was just about to ring me he spends the most time out of all the grandchildren with Mum yet he's not mentioned in the Will she redid after my father's death in 2006. Each of the 9 grandchildren get a bequest of £1,000, Liam is a great-grandchild.

I'm off to Mum's now, meeting my sister there, we're going to dress Mum in her Cenotaph outfit and watch the Queen on telly together. I've bought scones & clotted cream & blackcurrant jam (Mum doesn't like ) for a treat with our afterwards. Have a good day everyone

Deb

What a lovely morning we hadmy sister brought her daughter Lauren, which was a nice surprise.

I'd just made Mum's lunch at 1.30pm when my younger brother & his wife turned up for a visit so I left them to it and came home to watch the

[Amy P]

On the subject of wills, GB, I really think it is best that things get divided out equally. Doing otherwise is a way of tearing a family apart. It might be a touching gesture to give Liam something extra in the will, but it would annoy all the other great-granchildren, their parents and their parents' parents.

I have no intention of interfering with my mother's wishes. When I get my inheritance I will give my grandchildren some of it anyway.

Today I've had the morning off as my sister was calling at Mum's before work and also the cleaner was due from 10-11.30, then the lunch carer so there was no need for me to be there as well. The cleaner rang me to ask what was required, which I thought was very gracious.

I'm meeting a couple who are Ian's friends tonight, they've just got engagedapparently the chap is an Elvis fanso we should get on alright, according to Ian

Off to Mum's now,