Hello all - as agreed, I am writing this quick up date to let you know that at 8.30am this morning I rang Clare Holland House and they had a bed reserved for Peter.
So it took me from then until 1.30pm to get Peter, washed, dressed, medicated, packed, and generally organised and we got to the hospice just before 2pm. He has a lovely room (Room 10) overlooking the eastern view of Lake Burley Griffin and has his own bench in the sun out through the sliding glass door. It is a lovely view! I stayed with him until 7pm, completing all the admission documentation and inducting the nurse into the arcane issues of Peter's health and how his feeds have to be done etc. I have taken in his favourite mohair blankets and pillow, remade his bed to provide a "low-sweat" environment with the vinyl covered mattress covered with a cotton blanket, spoken with the doctor, unpacked and adjusted things for him to be easily reached and organised for a nebuliser and oxygen to be at his bedside. I am hopeful that all this will make him feel more secure.
I know Peter feels a sense of abandonment but I have told him that is not the case and this respite is to let me have a break so I can keep on caring for him and also provide time for me to see my family. I left him tonight with 2 nurses offering to massage his feet and rub his back, to which he agreed, so I hope that he has a positive night.
Tomorrow I am taking him to see the Ear, Nose and Throat specialist as we were lucky to get a cancellation, so I will spend more time with him tomorrow and then head up to my parents on Wednesday.
While he is not feeling 100% I think he would appreciate visits from local friends as I think he is worried he may feel lonely from time to time, even if he is not able to talk a great deal. I understand that visiting hours are not fixed, but Peter is probably better during the day than later in the evening, for anyone wishing to visit.
Anyway, I will write again if there's anything of interest from the ENT specialist or later when I return from my parents if there isn't.
Thank you for your emails and phone calls - all of which are very much appreciated even if I don't reply. Cheers for now - Leanne
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Hi Leanne,
I just learned on the EC-Group list that you have a blog and that Peter wasn't doing real well. I was saddened to learn that he is in hospice care. Please let him know that Tammy is sending him a big hug. I always enjoyed hearing from Peter when he wrote to the group, but hadn't heard much lately. I suppose he just wasn't feeling up to writing. If there is anything I can do that might cheer up his day (given that I am in the US) please let me know. And hang in there.
Best wishes,
Tammy
Post a Comment