Soop's pleasant (if boring) kitchen for friendly folk and precious pets.

Away to make myself useful, I had a perfectly wonderful day yesterday. Didn't lift a finger. I mustn't get used to indolence. I like that word. It sprang to mind with very little effort.

WELCOME home, Paw...back where you belong. Us lot couldn't be more pleased for you and Maw and Hattie too.

Nana&G What lovely, happy boys, enjoying being young and carefree.

callgirl1 I now have my own ironing to do. A lovely sunny day here in bonnie Kintyre.

Great news Maw, all the best to you and Paw. Hattie will soon settle again, I`m sure.
As for you Soop, sit down and have yourself a rest!
There`s loads I could have been getting on with today, but I`ve suffered an attack of lazyitis, haven`t done a thing! Now I feel guilty.

All best wishes to you Maw and Paw. We are rooting for you.
That photograph made me feel like putting CH on, I felt cold for them.

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Welcome home Paw!! How relieved must you be Maw!

Just wanted to share 2 pictures from today. It's been raining all day . We arrived at our oldest daughters and the first picture shows what happened within 5 mins!

The second one just melted my heart - best cousins EVER - said Jackson !!

Welcome home Paw I know what you mean about all the aids , but they are a great help , lots were provided for OH , but I am availing of some of them !

"Even"????
Paw.

So, even is home and currently dozing in "his" armchair! He has lost a lot of ground over the last 5/6 weeks and I don't think I'll be going anywhere for a few weeks. But as we drove into the village I vividly remembered wondering if he would ever see his home again, so grateful for small mercies.
Reassuringly we have just had a visit/assessment from 2 lovely ladies who are going to be doing regular Physio and bringing no end of stuff. Anti-pressure sore cushions for "his" chairs, an anti-pressure blow up (!) mattress topper (Li-lo?) at least 2 "perching " chairs, a shower chair, a commode and next week, if paw is good, a wheeled Walker!
I could open a mobility aids shop with that lot.
So the support is there although I drew the line at Carers coming in to help with showering and dressing, I am sure I'll be fine with that.
Hattie's reaction was strange. She got very excited at meeting Daddy, I wonder if she was recognising his smell(?) and started barking at his Zimmer frame (bad dog) but is now lying down happily in the sitting room with Paw.
She was very naughty with the ladies though, jumping up which she has NEVER done (and had better never do again)
Hmm. She clearly does not like being shut in the kitchen but will have to promise to calm down for me to let her through when there are visitors. Muzzling seemed to help because she then went to lie down on her bed in Grace's old place at the foot of the stairs.
Early days.

Maw My concern for you is based on a sense of caring. Us lot want what's best for you and Paw. Yes, he certainly be better off in his own home with you. We wish for you to not be under so much stress that makes you feel unable to cope. All loving good wishes to you both.

Jud Hearty congratulations. Us lot look forward to hearing further news. Wow!

I've been ironing for my pal all morning. Am a tad tired at the moment. Had a lovely, funny phone call from Torben first thing. He made me laugh out loud. The perfect way to start the day.

Back later.

I had to get my handbrake sorted as a matter of urgency. I live in a hilly area and did not relish rolling backwards at traffic lights when the handbrake was supposedly on. It is all sorted, done within an hour, lovely cup of coffee supplied, no noisy TV, the price was very reasonable so I was very happy. I was even walked to my car with somebody holding an umbrella as the heavens had opened, that is service.

N&G are KFC's takings down recently?! I am sure that you will have lost some weight even if you had one or two lapses.

soop I hope that Rory is getting better by the day.

MawB we do worry about you.

It is quite chilly here but I refuse to switch on the heating in August during the day. I may have lived here for years but I am still Scottish at heart.

Morning all !

I can safely say Herbert and Sherbet are now well on the way to recovery! We spent an entertaining evening babysitting( mostly on our own to be fair !). Now they are getting older they pop in , indulge us with a game or two , then head back to their respective rooms. Apart from continuous requests for food it was an uneventful evening.

Fabulous to hear Rory was showing improvement, and your birthday too soop . That's what I call a gift. I agree Granniequeenie soop always seems to effortlessly elegant ( I am envious :-) )

Congratulations Jud what wonderful news. About time we had a new baby in the kitchen !!

Maw , you know what's doable , and if having Paw home is doable - go for it ! I think you're right in that he will feel better at home and you will be able to stop the travel etc.

Ann you sound so positive its a pleasure to see. I am glad you're able to get out now and that life isn't quite so confined. You're an inspiration !!

I'm off to collect our daughter and Jackson and Cooper. They are off to see Herbert and Sherbet for the first time and spend the afternoon. The little boys are super excited as they have the BEST cousins I am reliably informed. Both mummies are just looking forward to a gossip and some time NOT entertaining the kids as when the 4 get together they happily entertain each other.

Then I am off to my first weigh in after my week of dieting. It hasn't been too terrible and I've been pretty good but if I haven't lost anything I'm stopping at KFC ion the way home

Happy days everyone x

Of course you will cope Maw, it is what women do, but often it is not without some consequences and you must take good care of yourself when you can,.
I have learnt over the past few months that I can leave my H on his own for longer than
I was doing as long as it is in the afternoon.
I can put tv Gold on and he can watch old comedies without knowing it is the millionth time he has seen them . I can be out for 3 hours but I can't do the same in the morning, strange but true, so I go out twice a week now which restores me slightly.
Yesterday I went for a late (2pm) lunch with my ex DiL and her 2 C to celebrate 3 birthdays.
It was their treat so we went to Frankie and Bennies and it was ok. I love pasta anyway.
I was out for 2and a half hours and he was fine.
I hope over the next few weeks you will work out a routine that suits you both, Paw , not feeling too needy and you getting some respite from fetching and carrying and being the one needed.
From personal experience I know one has to work very hard at not feeling resentful.
One thing in my favour is that I am aging so fast I no longer want to be out and about and this is not your case,so please do it.
You do know, virtual friends or not, we all have your best interests at heart.

Oh I am sorry if I added to your worries , if Paw is able to manage the stairs he is a real soldier ! You know better than us how you will manage , home is definitely best and you will know to accept help when you need it []flowers] . If you can get the wheelchair sorted that would be very useful xxx

It's a new day dawning maw! No wonder you've been wobbling after all the upside down emotions of the last few weeks. Sorry if we've all made it worse not better in our concern for you. There will be lots that's just lovely about having paw home and bits that will be hard too but you'll cope with those, with a smile well mostly and a rant on here, because that's what what we do when it's love at the root of it all. I know that sounds really schmaltzy, but I can't see any other explanation for how folk I know cope with the tough stuff of life. Go for it, maw

Good morning Maw - sorry if some posts (mine included) undermined your confidence. If things are going to be easier than they were in the recent past, that's great. I do understand that having carers in our homes is a huge step and one we all delay delay delay. If you don't have a gardener or a cleaner, maybe that's something to consider when things have settled down again xx
sorry soop - belated happy birthday messages
x

That is excellent news Paw negotiated 16 steps yesterday. I had visions of him sleeping in a chair in the living room with Hattie at his feet, that is if she allows him in the door of her house.

I agree, there is nothing like home cooked food but it does worry me to think that you are on your own 24/7 with the exception of Mondays when your SIL comes to help.

Please look after yourself. I am trying not to nag, I do care.

What everyone else has said, Maw We know you can do it - you are a woman after all - and you must be dying to get Paw home, but it's easy to take on more and more responsibility without noticing and we care about you.

Enjoy having Paw home.

Ungrateful? Nope, just worried. Now get some rest - she says as usual not listening to herself. .

Well, if he has managed 16 stairs and you have handrails I'm sure he'll manage just fine. I was imagining that you'd have to give him a fireman's lift up the stairs and you would do your back in!
All the best for the homecoming, I bet he can't wait for some home cooking. Hospital food isn't the best to help anyone get better (well, ours isn't).

It will be a relief for you not to have to trek back and forth all the time too.

Goodness I do sound like an ungrateful baggage! Sorry everybody
I have run the whole gamut of emotions, from when I thought he might never come home and wondered aloud what the point of the home we have made together was without him, to seeing my own life disappearing under the wheels of 24/7 caring.
I am adamant that somehow we will find a middle way so that we can both enjoy tine together (and apart!) for as long as his condition (hepato- renal syndrome) allows.
Fingers crossed!

I'm still here, sleep elusive, had too long a day.

Hang on to belief in yourself and in paw, try it and see. You know your limitations and his, so yes, trust your judgement. You have had a good experience of the OT team in the past, no reason why they won't be there for you both this time.

But let us care about you, too. We can't be there to help practically so I guess we fret instead. So, let us know how you are both doing.

Well, I am trying sleep again, I am tired and probably making little sense. Here's wishing us both a restful night, and of course for paw. Hospitals are often no place to get better, I'm sure he is excited about coming home.

Maw I'm sorry if I upset you, I didn't mean to undermine your confidence.
I just worry about you. You seem a bit like me, strong willed and independent.
I know that you just want Paw home where he belongs with you and he will obviously be happier in his own bed in familiar surroundings. Please take care.

X'd posts corner!!

Please could somebody make some encouraging noises?
Paw so wants to be home and I have kicked a** today to get him a blood test and transfusion this evening so that he can come home!
We don't need Carers, just Physio, some elephants' feet another perching stool or two and a grab Rail at the front door. I am open to further offers of course, but that is what I NEED.
Please help me to be positive and believe in myself as your concern, while kindly meant, only undermines my self confidence.