Hit and Run

A little comedy warms the heart and creates a merry chuckle.  It started last year when a specialist visitor came to enquire about Merv's health.  I suggested she park her car on the paving bricks out the front.  Her visit complete she reversed her car and unbeknown to us, hit our metal green mail box.  It is strategically placed next to a large limestone rock.  The mailbox sadly leaned to one side, I gather her car had at least a dent or two!  She didn't ring or email to discuss her destruction and likewise I didn't enquire about her car's injury.  The month's rolled by, the mailbox was pushed back to a standing position and I soon forgot about the perils of our visitor.  Until today.  Our visitor rang and said she was in our street but her car was stuck, yes stuck, half on the road and half on the neighbour's driveway!  Her gearstick wouldn't change into reverse and the locals were beeping as they came around the corner to find her rear-end obstructing their path!  I walked over to the neighbour's driveway and suggested she move forward and turn a wide circle to park on the verge.  No reversing needed.  The visitor decided she wanted to stay half on the road and used her mobile to ring her office and finally the road side assist.  I made her coffee in a travel mug and gave her biscuits while she waited.  I took Mel with me to push the car.  Now our visitor was more than embarrassed and she made an effort to move the car forward.  Phew!  I breathed a sign of relief, no accidents today.  Road side arrived and fixed whatever was the problem in a few minutes.  A little humour in an otherwise regular day!

Wheelchair Headache

Merv's OT rang and asked how the recent wheelchair on loan is going?  I missed the call and listened to the message.  I had pushed the chair into a corner of the bedroom last week and simply forgot about it.  I am glad I missed her call!  Today I took the chair apart and put it in the boot.  It fits well.  Both the large wheels can be removed and the handlebars have a release button and can be pulled down making it easier to fit snugly in the boot.  Too easy.  Merv sat in the chair after we arrived at the local  indoor markets.  Our first stop was one of the many cafes and the wheelchair's footrests easily pulled back to allow comfortable access to the table.  After an hour in the chair we returned to the car and within a few minutes the chair was pulled apart and in the boot of the car.  Then came the bad news. The chair is wider than the one we borrowed last year and does not fit through our bathroom door!  Even without the self propelling rims the chair resisted all attempts to enter the bathroom.  Though the turning circle is better than the last chair we tried.  Can we just ask for a chair not so wide without causing Merv discomfort?

Comparing wheelchairs at home

Mother's Day

Mum and her three daughters today

The aroma of Chinese cooking filled the air as we congregated in the restaurant for lunch today.  A celebration of Mothers and families.  It is the first time for many years that all three daughters and Mum celebrated Mother's Day together.  Not so long ago when the children were small we would celebrate with an outing to the park or such like, followed by a family pack from Red Rooster for dinner.  There Mother's Day deal usually included a sweet treat and enough to feed four hungry people.  Merv's Mum passed away in 2004 and we had often visited her with flowers and chocolates on Mother's Day.  It must be almost twenty years we have now celebrated with numerous breakfasts, brunches, lunches and dinners at just as many restaurants, cafes and wineries. Until 2009 Mum lived away from the city and I would visit her in the country during the week taking her out for a celebration lunch.  Little Sister has recently returned to Perth from living in the North West for many years.  A time of celebration itself.  Today it was wonderful to share Mother's Day with; Mum, my sisters, their families, Merv and our two children.  Every day of a Mother's life is a day of celebration.  I am always overjoyed when our children visit and share their news, hug us and share a meal with us.  Even with Mel convalescing after her hospital visit, she is staying with us to ensure her medication is taken four times a day.  Secretly I enjoy having her with us but I will be happy for her to go back to her unit which allows her to live independently and make her own journey in life. 

Not Another Holiday

Thoughts crowd my mind.  I decide I need to do something about it.  I send an email to the travel director.   I begin to form a plan in my head, there is much to work out.  It is essential to make it work and I start crunching the figures, ringing respite centres and sorting out the dates.  It all works except for one.   I am unable to book Merv into his regular respite places.  It is the same week as many carer retreats happening in October.  I don't begrudge anyone respite and I understand and have experienced many carer retreats over the last four years, they are always good; sometimes confronting! What am I doing?  I had suddenly decided I wanted to complete the Cape to Cape track this year instead of next year.  I have completed two thirds of the track with only the remaining one third to go. I emailed the director of the tours and she admitted stage three is booked for this October but probably wont go ahead next year.  I don't particularly want to complete the final leg by myself.  Today I took the bull by the horns!  I have put my name down for the final leg of the track in October, I have the funds available.  I don't have respite for Merv and I will be away for three weeks altogether in October.  There will only be nine days between my already booked respite for a  fortnight and my Cape to Cape walk.  I am feeling rather selfish.  Life is full of issues which keep us awake at night and disgruntled during the day.  Hopefully I will find a way to justify it!

Cape to Cape Walk stage 2

Money Pinching

Ellie

I looked at my motor vehicle insurance renewal.  I didn't like what I saw.  I had rang only last month and changed my insurance from my old Hyundai to my brand new one (Ellie).  I was told after waiting for sometime and hoping for the best that my monthly payment would not change. "Great," I said and filed away the papers after I received them in the post.  A month later I received my annual motor vehicle insurance renewal letter.  Wow, the  premium had risen $12 per month!  With Mel unwell and later in hospital I left the renewal notice on my computer but today as the working week was winding down I grabbed the phone and gave them a ring.  They were very nice.  I was very nice.  By the time I put the phone down my premium had been reduced by $10 per month and I am only paying an extra $2 per month on top of the original monthly cost.  A saving of $120 per year!  All I did was ask and I received great results.  I heard recently on a local current affairs program it costs an insurer $100 to sign up a new customer.  I have both motor vehicle and house/contents insurance with this one insurer.  I am glad they wanted to keep me!

Wheelchair Funding

Since August we have been pursuing Merv's wheelchair funding.  The only hitch has been the decision of which wheelchair to purchase!  The first wheelchair we tried was a Glide, the Malvern Star of wheelchairs.  Unfortunately the cost of it was frowned upon and the OT returned to us to find us a cheaper version.  The cheaper version was brought to our door by the OT and a another wheelchair rep.  We tried it at home and disputed its effectiveness.  Merv said it was not a comfortable chair and I was not happy with the too large turning circle.  There is ten centimetres difference in the length of the two chairs we are comparing. I am not happy with this difference.  We meet again with the OT and yet another wheelchair rep.  We are happier with the chair he presents to us and we have the use of it at home for one week.  We have yet to make an informed choice.  Mel's health is my only priority today. She is improving each day.

Mel Comes Home

Mel is asleep in her room.  Messages have been sent to family and friends.  We are all glad she is home.  Her infection is much better but we don't why and how it happened.  There have been a few projected suggestions from medical staff and others.  One doctor suggested the infection may be due to her diabetes 2.  It is a possibility, I would like to explore this a little further but not today.  I need to rest and just do all the things that need doing.  Mel has started her home oral antibiotics.  Once again I am Mum, nurse, and doctor.  Merv as usual is concerned about his daughter and he reached out and held my hand this afternoon.  He was just letting me know he cares and wants me to rest now.
I am planning a little fun tomorrow and a trip to McCafe for drinks and low fat treats.  Mel's hospital visit wasn't life threatening or life changing but it still impacts on an otherwise run of the mill week.