Monday, November 14, 2016

On we go. I need to talk to someone at the hospital about all sorts of things. Wednesday is the projected day for my husband’s release. How are we to manage the lavatory?

The socks are progressing rather slowly, especially given that they have but two more days. I read to my husband, now,  during my visits, which precludes knitting. We’ve finished “The Vicar of Wrexhill” and are currently engaged on “Greengates” by RC Sherriff – not as good as the “Fortnight in September”, but holding up pretty well. We started “The Hopkins Manuscript”, also Sherriff, which is about the moon crashing into the earth, but decided it wasn’t for us. We read enough to make me distinctly nervous about what the moon is doing at the moment, although I haven’t seen it myself.

The first sleeve of the half-brioche is coming along nicely, although I made a stupid mistake last night – not through watching TV or a movie on my iPad, but from setting the text at Large Print and reading a thriller in the Kindle app. When you pick up the work and find a ball of yarn hanging on to each end, the thing to do is to look at the stitches and see which ball was used for the last row, and choose the other one.

That’s what I failed to do. The result is not nearly as bad as you might think, and frogging brioche is not to be undertaken lightly.

My sister phoned last night. She will pass on your observations about that hat (comments yesterday) to her friend the knitter of it.

The book called “An Island Rooing” by Joan Grigsby has turned up – that’s the one which is said to have brought Anthony Bryer’s parents together. It’s about Shetland, and most engaging. The author isn’t particularly interested in knitting, which makes her observations all the more interesting. Women wear haps, and knit constantly.

And here’s one that really pleased me. Some background –

A few years ago, I knit a gansey for Ketki (Alexander’s wife). “Mrs Laidlaw’s Pattern” from Gladys Thompson’s book; Brown-Reinsel “Knitting Ganseys” for shape; yarn from Frangipani. The result is pretty successful – I think I remember a substantial swatch. It’s as firm as a carapace, but she often wears it to Murrayfield and for climbing munro’s.

It’s in “herring girl pink”. While I was working on it, my sister-in-law stayed with us in Strathardle and expressed some doubt about whether the herring girls – they who followed the fleet from port to port, and gutted the fish; it must have been grim – about whether their sweaters were really coloured. I tried to answer; I can’t remember what evidence I was able to muster. Maybe only what it says on the Frangipani site.


Well, Grigsby: “The herring had come to Lerwick bringing with it the fleets of some three or four nations, and with the fishermen came the fish salesmen, and finally the fishergirls from all over Scotland. The streets that were usually half deserted were now filled with fishermen in brown jersies and huge white thigh boots, while the girls in black oilskin aprons and brightly-coloured jersies to match the handkerchiefs on their heads, arm in arm marched down Commercial Street…”

Interesting, that "brown". Not blue, then?

14 comments:

  1. Re lavatory. Commode? Occupational therapist should authorise its provision.

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    1. We've got a commode. We've got all sorts of things. But I am not supposed to assist with any "transfers" for fear of another fall, and carers won't be here all the time.

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    2. Conveen? Continence Pads? A bit undignified I know but possibly a price to pay for the positives of being at home. Carers can deal with all of that.

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  2. I have nothing sensible to offer about your husband lavatorial needs, but sending good wishes that it can be sorted easily.

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  3. I assume that one of the reasons you are being advised not to assist with transfers is in case you fall together. That actually can be a bigger problem than you might think. Trying to balance the weight and unsteadiness of a person can be very hard. I had to be told not to assist with transfers of my mother, though she was very shouty about it, for that very reason in that damage to 2 people is not a good price to pay. Ask the OT, Physio and/or hospital staff what they recommend you do and do flag it up before he comes home. Good Luck.

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  4. Anonymous12:56 PM

    Hopefully Helen will be able to be with you when all this is discussed. It is an anxious time and a little family support would probably make it easier for you. Chloe

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  5. It is nice to feel a tiny bit vindicated, even all these years later. I'm with the others, that you must get that question answered clearly, and your husband know the answer from the voices of authority as well. I just found a mistake in a model I am making from the book. As it lay blocking. I am not going to take the entire yoke and button bands out, just hope that hanging in the shop no one notices.

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  6. Adding my vote to discussing all of this at the hospital. I am a bit surprised that they are allowing him home if he cannot get himself to the bathroom. To expect you to deal with this is rather upsetting. You must tell them you will not have round the clock Care. I realize I am not a relative but am most concerned for your well being in this next phase The one ray of hope is that your daughters presence will give you support in decisions that will be difficult and support in dealing with his discomforts as this next phase begins.

    Sending much love

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  7. I agree with what others have said. It seems very important to get this sorted before you get your husband home. And also very important to make sure your husband understands that under no circumstances are you to attempt to move him. Not even so much as to shift him in his chair. I wonder if you could get this written out in the discharge notes from the hospital. That way, should your husband get cranky and insist you help him you can get out the sheet and show him the written instructions.

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    1. Anonymous3:42 PM

      Good thought, Kristie.
      -- Gretchen (aka stashdragon)

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  8. Filling in the Attendance Allowance form for my husband's stepmother just this last month, we were surprised to see the question about the frequency of need for help with toileting start with "Four times a day?" You were allowed to increase from there, so we doubled it, particularly since a strong "water pill" is involved.

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  9. =Tamar7:51 PM

    What they said... get that cleared up ASAP. Also there are such things as urinal bottles with lids, which he ought to be able to manage.

    Coincidentally, I just today reread Diana Wynne Jones's "A Sudden Wild Magic" and quite incidentally she wrote a person wearing a large woolly jumper that was said to be a fisherman's style with cables, and it was a muddy brown. I don't know whether they were made that way or became that way after being worn for a while, but the earliest Aran knits were all colors, not just white. Why not ganseys?

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  10. Hi Jean, I read your blog every morning and have come to feel that it is an important part of my day. You r passion for knitting combined with your openness about your life make for very engaging reading! I am sure we all feel like we know you a little bit. Thanks and best of luck with your husband's return home. Julie.

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  11. Jean, there are disposable, recyclable containers with handles - the crystals inside turn liquids instantly to jell - that can be used, but you have to know about them to get them. When my buddy had a stroke, I kept several in my van for him to use when we went out & he got too tired to transfer in & out of the van/chair to use a bathroom. Men are so lucky in that they can stay seated & use them!!

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