It has been a funny old week.
I have been really busy.....Ma has taken up a bit of my time. She has been quite up and down.
Her appetite has been off....I have tried all kinds of things to tempt her tastebuds.
Her sugars have been way off the mark.....probably because she is not eating enough....but also her kidney function may be effecting the way she excretes her meds.
I told her that we should abandon all the dietary restrictions.
What is the point of following rules to the letter if it means the quality of life is worthless.
When I say abandon the dietary restrictions, I mean within reason.
I have provided Ma with the stuff she fancied....And if that was something she wasn't supposed to have, then sod it!
Anyway midweek she seemed more of her sparky self....although not quite back to normal.
Then late Wednesday evening my sister in law rang me to tell me that my youngest brother, John has died suddenly of a heart attack.
She did not want to break the news to Ma, and asked if I would do it.
I told her that I would, but in a face to face situation....and it was too late to go up and tell her that evening. Besides I thought it was not right to tell her at night....she would have all night to think about it.
If I say I was dreading breaking the news to her, that is an understatement.
I thought that this news would knock her sideways....and coming on top of the health issues....well, it was worrying.
Ma phoned me first thing Tuesday morning to tell me that she had seen on TV that Colin Fry had died.
Himself listening to the one side of the conversation thought someone had told Ma that John had died.
I put him straight on that one.
I asked him to drop me off at Ma's once we had done the shopping....I told him that I would be better handling this situation on my own.
You cannot believe the look of 'thank goodness' on his face.....he zoomed off. I couldn't see him for dust.
I talked about shopping, the stuff I had bought....gave her a couple of magazines.
Then I sat down and broke the news to her.
I didn't have a lot of information other than it was a sudden death and a major heart attack was thought to be the cause, though we would have to await the results of the post mortem.
Ma took it very philosophically. She asked if I had let Peter in Sydney, and Nessa in Brisbane know.
I told her that I had.....and that we could FaceTime Nessa.
So that is what we did. We had some forty minutes talking and reminiscing.
I stayed at Ma's until nearly 1pm.
I told her that we had to be up and at 'em the following morning....for the docs.
Blood pressure check and bloods....again.
Anyway, the appointment went well....blood pressure better at 105/60.....kidney function marginally improved.
On the way back home Ma talked about the funeral.....she said that she felt unable to go.....she said it would knock her out.
I told her that she didn't need to go.....that those who mattered would understand her frailty and accept her absence.
John and I had not been in touch, so my feelings about his death were strange. I felt sad, but disconnected.
It was strange to think that the baby I had looked after....our 'little John' was no more.
You may have seen or heard reports of his death on the local radio....John was the founder of a Sibes and Huskies rescue charity organisation.
That was my little brother John.
http://www.2br.co.uk/news/local-news/1714214/our-tribute-to-pendles-husky-rescue-hero/
I have been really busy.....Ma has taken up a bit of my time. She has been quite up and down.
Her appetite has been off....I have tried all kinds of things to tempt her tastebuds.
Her sugars have been way off the mark.....probably because she is not eating enough....but also her kidney function may be effecting the way she excretes her meds.
I told her that we should abandon all the dietary restrictions.
What is the point of following rules to the letter if it means the quality of life is worthless.
When I say abandon the dietary restrictions, I mean within reason.
I have provided Ma with the stuff she fancied....And if that was something she wasn't supposed to have, then sod it!
Anyway midweek she seemed more of her sparky self....although not quite back to normal.
Then late Wednesday evening my sister in law rang me to tell me that my youngest brother, John has died suddenly of a heart attack.
She did not want to break the news to Ma, and asked if I would do it.
I told her that I would, but in a face to face situation....and it was too late to go up and tell her that evening. Besides I thought it was not right to tell her at night....she would have all night to think about it.
If I say I was dreading breaking the news to her, that is an understatement.
I thought that this news would knock her sideways....and coming on top of the health issues....well, it was worrying.
Ma phoned me first thing Tuesday morning to tell me that she had seen on TV that Colin Fry had died.
Himself listening to the one side of the conversation thought someone had told Ma that John had died.
I put him straight on that one.
I asked him to drop me off at Ma's once we had done the shopping....I told him that I would be better handling this situation on my own.
You cannot believe the look of 'thank goodness' on his face.....he zoomed off. I couldn't see him for dust.
I talked about shopping, the stuff I had bought....gave her a couple of magazines.
Then I sat down and broke the news to her.
I didn't have a lot of information other than it was a sudden death and a major heart attack was thought to be the cause, though we would have to await the results of the post mortem.
Ma took it very philosophically. She asked if I had let Peter in Sydney, and Nessa in Brisbane know.
I told her that I had.....and that we could FaceTime Nessa.
So that is what we did. We had some forty minutes talking and reminiscing.
I stayed at Ma's until nearly 1pm.
I told her that we had to be up and at 'em the following morning....for the docs.
Blood pressure check and bloods....again.
Anyway, the appointment went well....blood pressure better at 105/60.....kidney function marginally improved.
On the way back home Ma talked about the funeral.....she said that she felt unable to go.....she said it would knock her out.
I told her that she didn't need to go.....that those who mattered would understand her frailty and accept her absence.
John and I had not been in touch, so my feelings about his death were strange. I felt sad, but disconnected.
It was strange to think that the baby I had looked after....our 'little John' was no more.
You may have seen or heard reports of his death on the local radio....John was the founder of a Sibes and Huskies rescue charity organisation.
That was my little brother John.
http://www.2br.co.uk/news/local-news/1714214/our-tribute-to-pendles-husky-rescue-hero/
