We’ve just got back from London, so this is going to be a short post, as there is plenty to do before heading off to bed.
On Tuesday we went to a large local garden centre and bought some plants. We’ve been trying, with the help of a local gardening firm, to get the garden into a decent state, and our job was the purchasing and planting of some pretty things. Their job was the removal of weeds. They had much the harder time of it, I can assure you. Now the plants are in, I can admit that it was a mistake not to have done the ironing (the alternate task that I could have chosen) as the planting hurt my back for quite a while. I’ll know better next time.
The following day we met some friends for coffee, and had a great time catching up.
On Thursday we went for the first time to St. Richards, our hospice, both to meet the palliative care consultant and to have a look around. It’s still very early to be doing that, I know, but I look on it as a bit like writing a will: much easier to do it when vigorous and well than when weak and ill. It is a lovely place. Purpose designed as a hospice, with 16 in-patient beds and facilities for day care. I hope it’ll be a long time before I need their in-patient services, but when I do I shall be glad to go there.
That afternoon we went to stay with Gillian’s parents, as much as anything to give her a rest from being permanently “on duty,” which she finds extremely wearing. Now that we’re back I can see that the rest has done her an awful lot of good. She is much more relaxed, and looks much readier to take on the world again. Her week’s rest was a very good idea indeed.
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Good to hear that your visit to the hospice was so positive, and that Gillian is feeling a bit better following her week’s rest. Constantly being on the alert does take it’s toll, and if you can both manage to build in even a couple of hours a week when she doesn’t have to be on duty, it will make a difference. I know it’s not always possible, though, but just being able to switch off for a couple of hours is immensely therapeutic.
Veronica, I agree that being permanently “on duty” is hard work. So last week, we went to visit my parents and my mother looked after both of us. My sister has also offered to come and stay for a weekend next month, so that there will be another responsible adult in the house and it doesn’t all fall to me. That should help.