Juggling
10 April 2013 | Kingston
Jennifer
I haven't consciously been neglecting the blog. After receiving several private messages asking if we were OK, I checked and was surprised to see when I last posted. As one friend indicated she thought she may have sensed my armor cracking. I will admit being a full time caregiver is a huge job and you get very few breaks. I am given a total of 5 respite hours a week from Home Care and that is broken into 2 blocks of 2 ½ hours each. On these visits Al gets showered and exercised. I use this time for a break but to also grocery shop and do necessary errands. I'm trying my best to juggle Al's needs and find ways to recharge my own batteries. The tricky part is Al has no insight into how much work he is or how he impacts my quality of life. My sister stayed with him yesterday so I could get a 6 hour break. He was sad and mopey the whole time I was gone. I'm not sure how I can make that better for him but I know I need to continue to seek balance for myself. For the record I had retail therapy during that 6 hour break and I stimulated the economy in Westport and Newboro.
Last week Al had two appointments. First he had fracture clinic and his fracture is healing sufficiently and he is able to resume his rehab at its previous level of vigor. Friday we saw the neurosurgeon and we brought him up to speed on the plethora of medical obstacles since seeing him last fall. He was impressed with Als speech and articulation in answering direct questions and asking them. We will see him again in the summer and an MRI will be done then to assess what is going on with the residual tumor. Blood work was done last week that confirmed, at least for now, Al is on the right amount of warfarin, of course that can be influenced by the change in antibiotic he is now on for yet another Urinary Tract Infection. Tomorrow Life Lab will come in to take blood for that.
So it has been busy for me and I got bogged down by some stomach grief and lethargy. I have been asked to be part of a Patient Experience Advisory Committee at Kingston General Hospital. Our hospitals do a very good job but there is always room for improvement. I would like to be part of the solutions and improvement.
Tell me more snow is not really predicted. Geez.