Hirsute

I had a hair cut on Wednesday --- just walked in off the street, no waiting.   When asked how much I wanted off, I said, "most of it."   My hair is very short so that when it begins to grow a bit, it feels like a mop.  The woman started on the back and asked if I minded if she did the edge with clippers.  I was happy with that and as she worked, I had a thought.  I said to her that it was a shame that I couldn't get the whole lot done with clippers.  She said that I could as she had a #8 blade, which cut hair just a little shorter than the scissors would do.   Away you go, I told her!  As she was finishing, she put the icing on the cake ------ "And by using the clippers, the haircut is $10 cheaper," she said.    I was delighted to hand over the mighty sum of $15!!!  Yippee.

Yesterday, I finished my blog with, "Added to that, she tested his blood sugar and pronounced it to be excellent for that time of day.  He danced out!!!"

An email arrived from one smart alec daughter this morning, with the tongue in cheek question, "Could he dance before?"   I love this kind of humour ----- it reminds me of my Father.

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First Anniversary

21.9.11

On September 21st last year, I gave up smoking.  

While I'm glad that I did and the grandkids are thrilled, I have to say that I miss cigarettes so much.  

There isn't a day that I don't crave them.  I was surprised that I overcame the situations where I had cigarettes, as easily as I did.  I used to think that it would be impossible to drink a cup of coffee, write a letter or answer the phone, without a cigarette.  Surprisingly, I didn't have too much trouble.  

No, there's some deep, gnawing yearning for a round tube between my lips, the steady in-drawing of breath and the long, slow release of twirling smoke.  Ahhhh.

YUK, you say???    May the fleas of a thousand camels infest your armpits.

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GREAT NEWS

When I went to the doctor about my blood tests yesterday, her first words were, "How is your husband?"    She was very concerned about him because all she had heard and seen, made her wonder if he had had a stroke.  She wanted to do an ultra sound on him, to check on the neck arteries.    She urged me to bring him in.  Oddly, that was quite simple and there were only a few mumbled groans!

Steve's appointment was for 2pm today, Tuesday.  She (Dr Nan Gu), spent some time getting history, making notes and asking questions.  She explained why she wanted to do an ultra sound.  Then she started on some neurological tests.  As he progressed easily through each one, she  realised that it wasn't a stroke after all and commenced on a new tack.   Eventually, she came to the conclusion that the most likely thing was a virus, like a flu, which zoomed in causing a high temp and delirium, amongst other things, and rattled around the inner ear, causing vertigo.  As Steve says, he's a lot better every day, so we hope that his memory will rapidly improve.   

If it doesn't, our household will be in a terrible state ------ but perhaps neither of us will remember that the other one has forgotten!!

We were both very pleased with this news, as you can imagine.  Added to that, she tested his blood sugar and pronounced it to be excellent for that time of day.  He danced out!!!

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A Good Sunday

He's MUCH better.  He has been in his chair for most of the day and has had only a couple of short sleeps in bed.   He was able to watch TV, something he couldn't do before.  It was a good day for him --- some big car race at Phillip Island.
He sat in a deck chair beside me and passed the clothes while I hung out the washing, which was a big improvement.   There's a tiny bit of vertigo left with certain movements but nothing by comparison with what he had.

It was 31C today, with a bit of a breeze and supposed to be the same tomorrow.  I hope that Steve feels fit enough to go to the pool.

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I did it!

I rang the ambulance and he went to hospital!

It was horrific trying to get him on the trolley and into the ambulance.   His vertigo was awful and that brought on more vomiting.  But like all ambos, they managed it with great kindness.   Maxilon and some oxygen made him more comfortable.

At the Moree hospital, he was given an ECG and told that his heart was OK.  The nurse pronounced his BP OK.   I didn't think that 175/107 was at all OK.   They gave him a litre of intravenous fluids and his colour improved.  Eventually, a doctor came to see him and asked a lot of questions.   No one ventured any opinions as to what was wrong.    I was getting very agitated!   

Finally, the doctor casually gave him the option of staying in hospital or going home.   Steve was all for going home and I was all for him staying there.  I asked him to practise walking and he staggered for 3' and fell into a chair.  To cut the long story short, he won, came home and continued to sleep!

He began to feel slowly better on Saturday and was even able to eat a little.   He also spent a little time sitting in his recliner chair.  Now I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a speedy recovery.

I must tell you what happened when I rang for the ambulance.   I dialled ooo and put the phone to my ear, without looking at it.  It rang and rang, which I thought was very unusual for the emergency services.  Then a woman answered and I found that I was talking to Healesville Cemetery!   I tried twice more but the same entry came up and apart from deleting Healesville, there was no way to dial for Fire, Police or Ambulance.    By the way, the last 3 of 10 numbers for the cemetery were 000, from which the search feature took its cue!   So I rang Marion, who then rang the ambulance.

Marion was fabulous, helping at whatever she found would be useful.  She insisted that she would come to the hospital to bring me/us home when it was time.

Riding my gopher down to the kiosk or rubbish bin at the front gate is taking a very long time.    Everyone lined the way when the ambulance went out and now they line the way to ask about Steve.  I have to keep telling the same story over and over.   Everyone offers help, of any kind.

I think that Steve is alert enough tonight to drink for himself, so I'll leave him to it and try to get a good night's sleep myself.

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I'm not accustomed to this

Poor Steve ----- he has been so ill.   Wretched Steve ---- he refuses to go to a doctor.   GRRRRRR.

When we returned from a swim, on Tuesday just after 7pm , he said he felt as if his blood sugar was low, but he tested and it was fine.  He ate dinner but was very tired and said he had a headache, so he was in bed by 9pm.  For the next 14 hours, he alternately slept and vomited.   The headache diminished when he lay down but returned vigorously when he sat or stood.   I just sat up and waited.  Over and over again, I told him that I wanted to take him to the hospital but he was adamant that he wouldn't go.  He was quite delirious for a lot of the time but his refusal to do anything medical is perfectly typical!!

Wednesday passed with Steve sleeping but vomiting only a little.  Sometimes he made sense but often not and he just wanted to sleep.  I asked repeatedly if he would let me take him to the doctor.  NO NO NO.  I took his blood pressure, convinced that this must be the problem but it was the lowest he had had for a long time.   I went down to the kiosk to buy him a drink and talked to a few people.   We agreed that Marion, Lindy or Angela would be able to stand up to Steve, delirious or otherwise, and make him see a doctor, so I said that I'd let them know.   

Once again I stayed awake for most of the night but by 3am, Steve had been quiet and calm for a while, so I fell asleep in my recliner chair.  I woke to find Steve sitting in his chair beside me and felt very happy, convinced that he must be much better.  He must have had a momentary good feeling too because he had made himself a sandwich ----- he took half a bite before he went back to sleep.    When I got my bearings, I found that I had slept non-stop from 3am and it was now 4pm on Thursday.

Many people have called in to ask if we need anything but with Steve not eating, we have plenty in hand.  It's 1am (Fri) now and he has been asleep for another 8 hours.  Every time he snorts, rolls or grumbles, I go in to see what I can do.  This time he was complaining about a sore back so I persuaded him to get up.   Well, that's what I thought I was doing!  He sat up, talked in a soft voice, docilely agreeing with all I said, then announced that his water bottle was more than empty and went back to sleep.  I roused him for a few silly conversations then got him into his robe and down to the lounge.   He managed about 40 minutes in the chair before needing the bed again.  

Today I've been saying, "Tomorrow you go to the doctor."    This evening he said,  "No, tomorrow is my day to eat.  I'll have a pie for lunch."

That's something he could mean!!!

Was he delirious then or not??

We'll see what tomorrow brings.

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Surprise from Tatum

I turned to Facebook yesterday and was confronted by Tatum in a wedding dress!  Her comment was, "We decided to elope."

Judging by the comments from her friends, they were as astounded as I was.  It soon became apparent that she was in Adelaide, doing a photoshoot.

Some time ago, she joined an agency in Melbourne and has done a number of promotional jobs.  They have made me laugh ---- draped over a car or boat and looking glamorous.  She enjoys it and is making good money.  This all fits around her study at Monash Uni.  Tatey has a great work ethic.

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Romance

Some people have asked me what has happened to the blog.   I'm sorry.  Blame laziness and too much pain.

When I was in the pool this evening, I met a lady who is being treated for Staphylococcal meningitis.  It has had a devastating effect on her life.  I'll stick with what ails me, thanks.   By coincidence, she and her family have stayed in their caravans at Cohuna Caravan Park for the last 30 years and we knew many of the same people.

I want to repeat a beautiful, romantic story, sent to me by my friend Richard, in Tasmania.  I thought that I would edit it, but on reflection, it's best left as he sent it to me.   I hope that you enjoy it, as I did.

 Richard's email to me :-

For a long time Sue and I have been trying to work out what date we first met. We  knew it was sometime after September 1961. 

We met at a party given by mutual Singaporean friends. Susan's friends were an engaged couple, Chou Chee Eng and Tan Chor Beng and Richard's friend was Richard Tan Tin Lam. Chor Beng was Richard Tan's uncle. They were all students at Adelaide Uni etc.

Chee Eng invited Sue so she could meet a young man, (not me), she thought would be suitable for her. 

Richard Tan invited me because he wanted me to meet a young lady he thought suitable for me. It was Sue. 

Sue and I were attracted to each other and there started our courtship. For Richard it was love at first sight.

Since then we have lost touch with our Chinese friends.

I remembered the day but not the date because it was the Saturday before a concert by Andres Segovia in Adelaide. The most wonderful, spellbinding concert I have ever been to. I couldn't ask Sue to come with me because the concert had been booked out for ages.

Many times I have searched the internet for a clue and at last I have found the date of the concert on the AusStage web site

The concert I attended was on Saturday 18th, November.

So the date we met was November 11th, 1961.

So this Nov 11th is the 50th Anniversary of their meeting.

I answered Richard and asked many questions and here are bits of his reply.

Having met Sue I was determined to find out where she lived, so when our hosts took her home in their car, I followed on my motor bike. When they dropped Sue off they wouldn't leave until I was out of sight. 

Every day that week I rode past hoping to catch sight of her. On Sunday I went to a nearby Methodist Church hoping to meet her—no luck. That afternoon I took Richard Tan with me and we visited her home. During discussions I found I had gone to the wrong church, so I went to the right one the following Sunday. 

Before she left for church Sue told her Mother that she might bring someone home for lunch. When we arrived there she realised she didn't know my surname, to introduce me to her parents.   From then on I was a very regular visitor.............

We married on 4th January 1964 — 2 years and 7 weeks 5 days after we met..

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WHITE RABBIT

WHITE RABBIT.    That's what we say on the first day of the month, (for good luck!)   I learnt that little tradition from some of the kids I taught at Erica in the 60s.   It was in opposition to "A pinch and a punch, the first day of the month", which was carried out with great enthusiasm and energy, which I disliked.

Mrs. Heffernan's shop, (called Heffernan's Family Outfitters)  is amazing.    It's a run down building, with one room crammed with clothing and accessories, another room stuffed with  books and a door leading to her kitchen and the rest of her house.  Marion next door tells me that Mrs. Heffernan had the shop when she, Marion,  was a little kid at school.   She thought she was pretty old even then!   That must make Mrs H in her 80s, probably late 80s.   She is such a sweet old lady and very friendly.  She is petite and vibrant.  She really knows her business and I imagine she loves it.

I have bought my swimsuits from her during the last 7 years.  A new lot was  due in today but didn't come, so I'll try tomorrow.   I'm happy to have an excuse just to go to chat with her!

She has a really interesting assortment of skirts, pants, tops and coats.  Nothing is cheap but the prices aren't outrageous.  She told me that she only ever buys one garment of any kind, so that people who buy from her will never bump into someone in town wearing the same garment. 

It wasn't the red that Marion H had trouble reading;  it was the pink.  Anyone else have trouble? 

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