Purpletigron

I've had a reasonably restful yet productive day ... G & I went for a walk in the cold fog, and then we all ate the lunch which D had cooked, and then I did some pruning in the back garden, and then we all ate fantastic vegan curry from the award winning local Gujarati vegetarian restaurant ... and now I think I will curl up with the kittens and doze.

I haven't been writing much about Mater ... because she's having good days, and bad days, and we're doing what we can, and we don't know how things are developing yet ... her other child, J, will visit her tomorrow.

We have had a stressful weekend.

Mater is still having anxiety attacks, scared that an ambulance will suddenly turn up again and she'll be forced to go back to hospital. As far as I can tell, she is physically stronger and more dextrous than she was even in the weeks before she broke her wrist back in October. Also, in the final week she was at the rehab hospital, her condition was deteriorating - as far as I could tell, because she was becoming mentally 'institutionalised'. Moreover, the rehab hospital said they could do no more for her. Also, she is very settled in her desire to be in her own flat. So the GP's assessment that Mater should be back in the rehab hospital seems at the very least, inconsistent.

I had panic attacks in my nightmares last night. One vivid 'hallucination' that the Flooger had been kittynapped. The other, that I was on holiday with various members of my extend family who have never even been on cordial or speaking terms with one another, and that no one was co-operating to get us off on time. Even when I was awake, I had high anxiety levels, and only got back to sleep with some concerted deep-breathing exercises.

So you can probably guess how I'm feeling right now, with a heap of phone-calls I'm supposed to be making to chase things up for Mater ...

I just goofed off for an hour with a bowl of homemade spicy blackberry and apple crumble, and an episode of Babylon 5 which D & I are watching again in order (we're nearly at the end of Season 4).

Firstly, worrying because it's a rumour, and no one has talked to us directly about it.

Alledgedly, because Mater has been in hospital, she comes off the list of her social worker.

Further alledged, the hospital was supposed to assign her to a new social worker when she was discharged, but have not yet done so.

If true, this means she has no social worker - which has all kinds of problematic implications.

Anyone know how this is supposed to work?

Mater arrived home at about 15:30. I visited her with a token gift, as she'd said she was really wanting a curry after all the hospital food: a locally made vegetable samosa, which she happily ate.

So ... a new stage. Mater is relieved and happy to be home, but also very anxious and scared she might fall over and break her wrist again :-S

We are trying to help her to build herself a thorough rehabilitation programme, and she has increased carer support for now as well.

(In other news, the Wong! and Boof! are doing well, and I'm going to keel over and snoo in "Wong!'s warm cave" a.k.a under my duvet, now ...)

Poor little Flooger has been unwell for a week now, off his food, obviously uncomfortable, not drinking anywhere near as much, minimal insulin dose required.

The vet suspects pancreatitis: http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=1+1329&aid=334

If so, there's no easy cure, especially with underlying diabetes. However, there's a good chance that a hospital stay - rehydration, nutrition support, medication for the discomfort - can sort him out.

V-E-T at 18:40, your good wishes always welcome.

Off to visit Mater this afternoon, and talk to her V-E-T about about her medication, hopefully.

It's a really bright, cold day here today - and we have two new part-grown feline neighbours, one Felix-style black-and-white, the other tabby with white feet, clearly friends, who have been cavorting in the garden all morning. I'm feeling a good deal less grotty than I have for weeks. I'm sat at my desk, starting to get going again on my Permaculture Diploma, which I'm due to submit in the summer and defend in September.

Mater is settling into the ward in the specialist hospital, and even if I'm too snotty to visit tomorrow I should be able to speak to her on the phone around 11 am.

YAY! I just felt a weight lift from my heart, I swear it!

stuck at home in bed with cold ... but home is warm, Wong! is snuggled up to me, G is making lunch, and I just have to wait until the hospital transport has moved Mater anyhow. So, not so bad...

I celebrated the middle of the week this week with a lovely gentle half-hour yoga and relaxation class - this is a habit I could happily form :-)

Dinner is done and dusted, which suits my metabolism (by 8pm, I'm too tired to be hungry, and by 9pm, it's bed-time) ... just a little light Flooger-molestation (in the form of his blood tests and insulin injections) left on my To-Do list tonight. (Obviously, lots of things like 'stepping on the cats' permanently on my To-Don't list).

Hopefully, Mater's Citizen Advocate was able to visit and talk with her today - and hopefully, Graze will successfully deliver a selection of fresh and dried fruits to Mater's bed tomorrow (and she'll enjoy the benefits of eating them).

I'm also writing a few Christmas cards ...

It was lovely to see some of you at Wit's End yesterday ... sorry to have to rush off, but I was fast asleep by 10:30, and up for half an hour by now :-)

Meanwhile, the NHS has closed all its doors to Mater, it seems - nothing to offer her because she is past retirement age, and not responding to their somewhat fire-and-forget treatments. Edit: It seems to me that this represents illegal discrimination on the bases of age and mental health - they can't help her physically because she's over 65, so they don't have any teams allocated with appropriate training on physical rehabilitation of mentally ill people.

So, time to look for new doors to open elsewhere ...

Meanwhile, Hi Ho! off to freely offer infomation on the benefits of plant-based living for the festive season, for people in institutions such as hospitals, for our own health ... as well as for currently farmed animals, world farmers and people currently living in poverty.

SECOND EDIT: Finally spoke to Mater's named junior doctor, who seemed to properly take into account all our concerns, and will log in her notes that I have exercised my right as carer to object to Mater being sent home, and will look at her going to the specialist hospital as originally recommended by Mater's own team 4 weeks ago. Many thanks for all your support!

EDIT: I have spoken to the locum consultant - the person that the hospital said had to review Mater's condition and decide if she should be discharged to a specialist bed - and he says that that decision is not his responsibility, he has no objection to her going to the specialist bed, but it's the hospital's decision to make. Trying to ring the hospital now ...

ARGH! None of Mater's doctors are even available on the phone, and a locum (newbie temp) is threatening to discharge her into physical danger!