Position, Position, Position

Admitted my mother to hospital today, she was initially assigned room 9 of the hospital.

Gazing out the window of room 9 one sees the building pictured below.



Guess that is the strategic position.

Things get worse

Since the fall , there appears to be a gradual decline in my mothers well being. A couple of nights in hospital and several visits to the doctor or other medical facilities.

The loss of mobility has been taken its toll, she has succumbed to a cordless phone and her general outlook is negative. Home nursing has arrived as she no longer bathe herself. She continues to eat well which I take as a good sign.

All kinda sad. I am not sure I want to visit that age.

Yet another problem

Today my Mum fell over attempting to do a bit of gardening. She redamaged a shoulder that had nearly gotten better, ripped and tore her arm and leg.

The village carers came, fixed the arm but the leg was too much and we got an ambulace to the hospital. The senior nurse got the doctor and 20 stitches later we came home.

She was warned that the would was unlikely to heal due to tissue damage and her age of 87. It was likely to ulcerate and would require long term treatment.

She has her name down for a nursing home place. Maybe she has moved up the ladder a rung.

Wearing Cardboard in Your Shoes

Into my mother's mailbox comes "The Village News". Six pages of A4 printed both sides. Exciting news like nesting birds so please keep pussy away, and people still not knowing what 20 km/h meant! But amongst all this was a lovely poem which I have copied verbatum, including the attribution.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 

I know what it is like to lose, I learnt a lesson long ago
Wearing cardboard in my shoes.

The early years were very hard with no Dad to support my needs
For he had gone to heaven to sow his garden seeds.
Then in the midst of loneliness, sadness and strife
Words like rationing and war became reality in my life.

Now

My children never learn the lesson for they were truely blessed
With two parents who really loved them no matter how they messed.

So

As I ponder on peace and calm I know what I would choose
To be content with what I have
Cause I've worn cardboard in my shoes

Attributed to Joan Ellaway (1966)

Fog Chaos

Tuesday, 2 May, started with a fog. Bad news for me as I was due to catch a 12:30pm plane to R'ton. My worst fears were realized when I arrived at the airport, 10 planes in the sky with 2000 people wanting to get off, and in the terminal, 2000 wanting to get away.

Eventually the planes landed, one had broken down and couldn't be immediatedly rescheduled, another arrived with no luggage, anyway to cut a long story short, got away about 30 minutes late, but not late enough to catch the connection in Brisbane.

Met an old acquaintance, John Feenhan, a dung beetle specialist who was off to a beef/cattle conference in R'ton to do the advocacy bit for dung beatles.

Just missed a bus to Yeppoon so waited 50 minutes for the next one. The driver dropped me at the door which saved me a big walk uphill with a 15Kg pack.

My 88 yo mother had almost given me up, but we got organized pretty quick and settled down for a six week stay.s