Category: House, Garden and Dogs

I am not entirely certain, but I think I may have found the secret to life – well the life of this page anyway. and I seem to be able to insert  photographs without too much trouble. I think I may have found the link to my real site. I am adding this page to favourites so I hope that I can access it again if I have to leave the room and the laptop closes down..

I don’t want to take the chance of  this page vanishing so I  don’t want to go outside of the page to see what I have posted – which is a way of saying that if I have already told you this information, I am sorry. I am concerned about touching anything in case it all vanishes again.

We  had  documents from the Hospital, which outlined Annabell’s recent medical history and provided the information for the dates  for the Royal Adelaide Hospital and the Flinders Medical Centre and they have  done a very good job of managing the two visits, although it does mean that we will be in  Adelaide for most of a week in May. I will book us into the  Cancer Council Greenhill Lodge for the time. I am pleased about the arrangements since I was not very keen in having to make two trips to Adelaide within a short space of time. I also notice in the documents that we have a “Free Day” between the two hospitals, which I am very pleased about. I want a new mobile (Cell) phone and I had considered getting one on line, however, I can hang out for another few weeks and wait until we are in Adelaide. The  place I will buy the phone from is the place – or at least the business – that I would have bought from on line. I am not an Apple person and have stayed (mostly) with Samsung. However, Samsung phones are  just getting too expensive with all the bells and whistles – that I neither want nor need.  I am not all that happy with the Samsung I presently have. I charged it last night and  it’s only  10am and it’s down to 38%  I have been looking back at “yesterday” and  considering a Nokia.

Annabell, according to the medical documents, has been listed as a New Epilepsy Diagnosis and I am not trying to be flippant  by suggesting that it’s just another thing to add to the list and we will deal with it as we do for everything else. It’s also interesting that Monika already suggested that this was the case when she first read  the post – so there you are Monika  you were right on the ball!!

Annabell herself, is not too bad. She tires easily and she does sleep a lot so the free days will be good for her recovery, particularly after Flinders. When we started all of this the trips to and from Adelaide were good and we had some interesting chats, which helped to pass the time.  Sadly that doesn’t happen, and she sleeps for most of the journey. We hardly clear Gepps Cross before she is sleeping – and all the way to Port Wakefield. Sometimes I can be pretty mean. She wakes up a little and asks where we are and I tell her ” Just outside Port Augusta” when we are  really outside Whyalla.  Then I wake her up ten minutes later and tell her we are nearly home and I get a response ” Oh, that was quick” I know, I know, I’m just rotten…

If I can keep this page alive I  will have some better photograph and not just revamped ones from other posts. I just was concerned that I would  have problems if I tried to be clever.

Yes, it has been a while since I was last on here. It’s been so exhausting and so much has happened. Annabell had yet another seizure and again the “E” word has ben banded about. The problem with all that is that the brain scans keep coming up normal.. So, the reason for the seizures continues to elude us. However, she is now on anti-seizure medication similar to what is given to an epileptic. We have been home for a week and I am most unhappy. So much so that I insisted that she make an appointment with her GP. She didn’t – so I did. Since these changes in her medication her legs have swollen, she is unable to get on her shoes and has difficulty walking. I am also concerned that the hospital people stopped her insulin injections, so we need to get that sorted out.

Christmas (I know, months ago) was not quite as organised as it generally is. We managed, but only just. Generally, we have Christmas lunch here and Annabell and I attend to that. However, because of Annabell’s medical conditions, the boys decided that instead of Christmas here, they would provide and organize Christmas, but for reasons which are too complicated to go through, that didn’t happen and I spent most of Christmas morning driving around trying to find open small grocery shops to try and get some supplies. I did manage to get two cooked chickens and I had enough potatoes and veg. to get me out of trouble. I managed to put together a Christmas Lunch – not the greatest, but sufficient- with Christmas Crackers – and I even managed a desert of fruit and ice-cream.

Everything went fairly well for a while. I resigned from church – all offices and positions. A period of 35 years of service came to an end. It happened quietly and without a great deal of fuss. These last few years I felt I no longer belonged, so I made the decision to resign. Not an easy decision to make but I felt it was necessary and I am – almost – a full time carer for Annabell. Oddly enough, I feel more relaxed than I have felt for some time. Early February and she took another seuzure And this was the worst one yet and during this I began to realize that this was like everything I have read about a Grand mall Seizure. Her lower are became almost black as her shaking continually pulled out the needle and drained blood into her arm. The para-medica had the dickens of a job trying to get a needle to stay in the vein. She was removed to the HDU at the hospital where she remained for six days, then a further five days in the main block in a single room – not that that means anything – most of the rooms in the new wing are all single rooms. I spend most of the time in the hospital. I came home to feed Benji and feed myself then went back to the hospital. And yet, the brain scans come back fairly normal. I had a major virus in my main computer and my understand was that the virus had infected everything, so the decision was made to purge the entire computer – saving nothing. I really, really did not enjoy making that decision since it destroyed all my photograph, documents and the years of blog documents. So, all my blogs are gone. I wasn’t even sure how to get back on line again. I am presently using the old laptop which is still serviceable and is a Windows Machine. I will get the main computer up and running again – in the fullness of time. Well blow me down and pick me up – I can’t remember how to add photographs…………

On Thursday I took Annabell to the shopping centre for a little while I would have taken her sooner but on Monday I was in hospital for eye surgery (Right eye)- and was not able to drive before Thursday. I was supposed to go back to the hospital on Wednesday to have  the left eye done, but I cancelled that because I  felt that I was unable to look after Annabell adequately with one eye out of action – so to speak – I could do even less if it were both eyes. I discussed my thoughts with my son, who was my driver for the Monday and he agreed, so I had the second operation delayed for  four weeks – although it is more than four,  weeks since the next available appointment is Monday 23rd January.

She did well on Thursday and was able to complete what she wanted to do at the Supermarket. However, she wanted  to go to the Chemist and we started  to walk  there. However, this business is at the far end of the shopping centre and that was jut  too much for her, so I got her to a seat and I completed the  trip to the chemist and talked to the pharmists and got the medication she needed. It was two days early but I also explained that  it was taken to the hospital and  it was what was returned.  He  has known us for a long time and we got it sorted out and she  was given her medication.  My right eye has still not settled down but at least I can function  fairly well.. I have an eye patch which I wear to bed. The  reason for that is the concern that I  might rub my eye during the night and thus damage the new lens although after six days I think that’s not really a concern, but I’ll keep doing it for a litte while longer. The eye patch is Black and Annabell said I looked like a pirate with it on. Interestingly enough, I can see fairly well, but I have difficulty reading. However, I am told that this will settle down in a few  weeks.

The boys have been good. Andrew was a bit concerned but he has settled down now now that his mum is recovering. . However, the boys have decided that they will be organising Christmas this year. That’s good and takes a lot of stress from Annabell  (and me) It is quite a good few years since the boys  organised Christmas, which was held in Andrew’s House, which is where is will be held again, I suspect.

I have  given considerable thought to  any decision about what I am going to do about these posts.   Not much of this medical  stuff was planned. By not much I mean that my eye operations were  planned about five months ago, then all this concern over Annabell, I think I could very well end up regreting having terminated something I  get pleasure from doing, and besides, as I said before I would be constantly wondering how people were and how the dogs were. But that aside, I still feel that it has outlived its  time and  it should be closed down – so that’s what I will be doing. December 31 st. will be the last day after that I terminater WordPress and this post.

Annabell is continuing to recover,  her mobility is getting better.  I have got over my bout of depression but the after effects of that still resonate, and probably will for some time yet.  Annabell still uses the walker but even the boys commented that she is walking a lot better even with the walker. However, as soon as the hospital period is completed the walker goes back to the hospital. She does not want me to buy it .”Trouble with using these things is that after a period you can start start to depend on them and then you can’t do without them” – that’s what she feels. If I don’t get to say it later,  Thank you all for your continued support over the last years. I am sorry to leave but I feel it is  really necessary.. After 31st December please remove me from your mailing lasts. I will being to close down everythibng else.

When I was attending to  Annabell recently she asked me if I enjoyed my nursing job. I said it was a tad time consuming, very demanding and didn’t pay well. I was thinking of looking for easier employment – like crocodile  wrestling  :o)    Yes she is improving nicely and her sense of humour is coming back. Still getting better walking and  during this week I will remove the  walker and  get her to use  me ( well,  my hand) as a support, but

keeping the walker close. If it’s too much then we will  use the walker for a few more days and try again.  Benji and I are still out in the morning for our hike and we try to be quiet in and out, but it doesn’t always work. Still, she can get back to sleep again, which is good. Benji has also settled down and has come to terms with me in the campbed and I don’t get a cold, wet nose in my face in the dark  :o)

Annabell has improved considerably and is talking about going back to her bed. However, we will leave it until after the family visit on   Sunday before we make the move.  That will give me the opportunity to get her room cleared of any potentiol obsticles. I think once she is able to get back into her own bed, and gets  good sleeps, she will improve a lot more. Not that she can’t sleep in the recliner, but she will be a lot more relaxed and comfortable in her bed.

Each day is pretty much the same. I take Benji out in the morning then, leaving Annabell sleeping, quietly go to my room and either read or work on

the computer – like now. Things, however is serious in that I have completed  the  current 4th quarter edition of the Church Magazine, printed, collated and will distribute on Sunday to non email people – I have completed the Christmas 22 Edition and  will print, collate and distribute that soon and  I have started  working on the  First Quarter edition for February 2023. Of course, what will happen is that Annabell will get well, I’ll go back to my normal routine and next thing you know it will be late January and I will be rushing like mad to try and get the First Quarter Mag. finished. That’s usually how these things work – isn’t it??

This Epson printer is a worry. I’ve had it about six months and already it has used one third of the black ink tank!  I don’t know just how long ink keeps for. When I bought the printer I also bought four extra ink bottles and they are still packed in  their box and still sitting beside the printer I hope they have a long shelf life. Other than that I  think this is the best purchase I have made  in recent times..  Given all that has happened recently I have not had the opportunity to get  out and wandering with Benji and  the camera. Nor have I attended  the Photography Group. I did submit four photographs for

the last  competition but there is no  feed back  yet.

Today is December 1 – the first day of Summer.  Mother Nature has been very kind to us – yesterday, 29, today 30, tomorrow, 33 and Sunday 36 and then Monday back to 25. Not a bad week at all. I decided that I was not going to spend  another summer screaming, shouting and tearing my hair out about the  millions of  leave that the two Eucalyptus Trees drop and cover everything with the slightest  wind, so I brought in  a Domestic Tree Company and had the trees removed.  Because of their position I also had  serious concerns with every high wind – and we’ve had a few of those recently. Ok so things look a bit on the bare side, but I’ll get used to that. However, with the trees gone it open up a new area, but it will need to be cleared and I’ll start that when I can. But the  point is that over the next few days I can clean up and sweep up the leaves  and know that I am not going to be doing the same thing every single day.  I wont be able to grow anything in that area for a good while. Even with the removal of the trees, the ground still remains toxic for some time and nothing will grow there.

Over the last months—even before Annabell’s illness—I have been considering where to go with my posts. I did consider some time ago about closing it down and this is what I am considering again. I have kept it going because it has given me a good outlet and I actually enjoyed doing it,  but so very few people read or comment ( thank you all)  that perhaps it is time to go and that the  page has outlived its usefulness.  I will, however, keep it going until Christmas / New Year and then make the decision.

Benji and I still go out but  since we are surrounded by  Conservation Areas, National Parks and the Military PlayPen, this means that  much of the countryside and places of interest  are all barred to me because if I can’t take Benji, I don’t want to go there. And the further north you go the more  National Parks and Conservation areas there are. — From the SA State Gov. Web Page ::  There are now 358 parks and reserves in South Australia, which cover 22.6% of the state. All of these are protected under the National Parks and Wildlife Act.::

I think people really do not understand the size of this state. I tell people that South Australia is bigger than either Texas or Alaska,  which does not register, so suggesting that I could go beyond the area of the National Parks is just  not realistic. I agree in preservation and conservation but it is  a large  area  ( 20 square klms)  that Wild Dog Hill Conservation Park covers.. For a start it is well off the main road and  is not really well visited, so a visit by a  Ranger every few hours would send a good message, particularly if there are notices that the area is patrolled by Park Rangers and  impose a heavy fine for breaches of the rules. Not to be Draconian but to send a message so that people stick to the rules and the wildlife is still protected. People who take their dogs with them on a holiday are “Dog People” and not  moved to break the rules nor let their dog run riot in a restricted area.

Before Annabell’s  current illness I took Benji to the Wetlands and the Ada Ryan Gardens and when she improves in health, I will try and get back down to the Wetlands again.   Between the cancer and the seizures, 2022 has not been the best year for Annabell and we are praying that 2023 will be much better for her.  My health is good, for which I am most thankful .

Fortunately the weather has been very good—warm and sunny, which makes a change from heavy rain and high winds over the last weeks. We are in the third day since she was released from hospital and already there is a really good change, She is sounding  very much better and although she is still using the walker, she seems to be walking and moving a lot better. However, a bit to soon to go back to her own room yet, so we still stick to the present arrangements for another day or so. I will do the shopping tomorrow ( according to the list I am given),  “give instructions to a wise man and he will be yet wiser”  and that should keep me occupied for a while.

Benji has settled down to the new arrangement. Now he just goes to sleep when the lights go out, which makes a great change from him  sticking a wet nose in my face. And you can’t  protect yourself because it’s dark and he is very silent.  Spent more time than anticipated at the shopping centre since I kept bumping into people and the only thing they asked was “How is Annabell?”   So inbetween  shopping I have been talking to people and answering questions. But as I said above, she really is improving and much better now than she was last week. Everything is improving – which is good and positive.

As I  mentioned in a previous post, Annabell was rushed into hospital on 14th November. She was taken from emergency to the High Dependancy  Unit where she remained for 5 days. She was then transaferred to the Womens’and Childrens’area where she remained for a further four days until she was released on Wednesday 23rd. Everything was going well and she was  not too bad, She watched TV for a bit and that was fine, then she decided to go to her room and  clean up some of the email, which was also fine. I went to do some work on my computer. Everything was well until I heard a cry and a thump. I remember thinking “Oh No!”and rushed through to her room and found her lying on the floor, awake and conscious but unable to move. I called out the emergency service, which took over an hour to arrive. The paramedics apologised for the delay and said they had a busy time. Anyway, they worked on her and  using a new – pretty groovy – collapasable  chair type thing were able to lift her.  She didn’t want to go to hospital but the para-medic said that her blood pressure was over 225 and, really,  they could not leave her. So at 1am we went to the empergency area of the hospital. She was looked after there until almost 2; 30am when she was moved to a  single bed room in the new area of the  hospital – which – of course – was at the other end of the complex.  I went with her and saw her settled,   then at just after 3am made my way back to the car, which was at the far end of the hospital. I dare say the walk did me the world of good! although I can think of other things to do rather than walking around  the outside a darkened major building, and into an equally darkened carpark  at 3am.

She remained there  for two days and was finally released at 10am this morning. At home she is very weak and I have to  look after her. She cannot get into her bed so she is currently sleeping in her very comfortable, electric, reclining chair. She is a bit unsteady on her feet so she has to use a walker that the hospital loaned me. for a few weeks. Because of  the arrangement, I have set up a camp bed in the lounge room so that I am on hand when she  “needs to move” I  help her out and then  back into the chair.  Benji reckons this is good with mummy and daddy  and him all sleeping together.

At the moment she is still sleeping and I have set up  a “mistress-servant” system   lol –in other words –  she has a small handbell which she can ring if she needs me or wants to move. I will let people at church know that  they can telephone and talk to her whenever they wish. The phone is next to her, so it’s not a problem. What I would prefer for the moment is no visitors. With the campbed, walker and other equipment, visitors would be an intrusion – well meant, of course. Also if the car in not in the carport it means that I am not home and since at the moment Annabell is still weak and has difficulty moving, getting out of her recliner –  moving the walker to the door could lead  to a fall and  she cannot afford another one.

I was told, however, that the brain scan results have still not come back from Adelaide. As soon as they do and Mr. Alam examines the  findings he will  consider what, if any action needs to be taken.

For the moment, she is tired and quite week, but in time she will recover. Perhaps not back to what she was, but whatever that is, we will live with it.

 

 

I will be  off-line for a little while. Annabell had a seizure yesterday afternoon and was rushed into hospital. There were two ambulances here and the paramedics worrked on her before transferring to the ambulance then, with  lights and sound switched on, took her to the emergency. The boys and I were there until 10pm last night and I have been there much of the morning. I have come home to  have a quick wash, get something to eat then get back up to the hospital. I wont stay quite so late this time as poor Benji didn’t get fed until after 11pm.  Apart from anything else she will need sleep and rest to recover. Mr. Alam is concerned with regard to the treatment being done  at Flinders. It is possible that the  units producing so much extra hormones into her system, may have a bearing on what’s happening.  I will be interested to know what he  finds out and then decides what to do.  I will try and keep you  up to date.

The other day a   storm front showed up on the radar out in the Bight. It hit Adelaide and caused a lot of damage. Lastr night I  saw another storm building up in the Bight and  now at 07;31 it has just started. I could see it in the far distance when I was out with Benji.  Yes, I thought I could get back before it hit and I did, but I kept a close eye on things. The bulk of the storm is below us but we are still getting a bit of a hit. I feel sad at this because today is the day of the  Children’s Christmas Pageant in Adelaide and it’s not looking very promising. It’s a big storm and we here are just getting a bit of a side-swipe with the bulk of the storm beneath us. According to the forecast this  wet weather will last until  late Tuesday.

This morning we did not use the stroller and we did not  do the three mile hike – we just walked to the end of the road and back about a mile and a half. This is generally what we do together  in the evening, Depending on the weather I might try and get down to the Gardens for a bit.. The morning in Adelaide started off  fairly reasonable but it didn’t take long before the rain started. Surprisingly enough  very few people left the pageant and it continued despite the rain.  One family made things quite clear,  “it’s been three years since we were here and rain or no rain we  came for the Christmas Pageant and we are not moving” And this was a sentiment throughout the morning and  it is estimated that about 280,000 people lined the route.

Elsewhere in the state the flooding caused major damage to infrastructure. Roads  north have been cut off and  truck drivers have been advised to get north  – “The Long Way Round”-  which is a major detour of about 3000km. and about 30 hours. – from Glengambo back to Port Augusta – from Port Augusta to Broken Hill – from there through the Queensland outback across  to Tennant Creek  and from there – north. Within the peninsula there has been major damage and the rail service to the west  and, of course, the north, have both been cut off. None of this is expected to improve over the next couple of days. If anything it will get worse as the flood waters make their way down the River Murray from Victoriia  to

South Australia, There is still a lot of rain out in the Bight, but by the looks of things it will miss us.

At their meeting last Thursday, Flinders decided not to make any changes to Annabell’s treatment for the moment. The Scan was good and they  have determined that,  while the cancer has not declined ,  it has not grown, nor has it spread. Although things have not done what was expected, the  current program is keeping it  contained. That being so all they have decided to do  for the moment is increase her medication from 100mg to 150mg and we should be back down again in mid March. By that time the new Lodge should be in use. I am looking forward to it but also quite sad since I will miss the Sulpher Crested Cockatoos at the Flinders Lodge. However, the new lodge is much closer to the city centre so it should be easy to get away when we have to leave for home.  In the meantime, she is very limited in what she can do and she has slowed down considerably. She really  has three speeds, slow, dead slow and stop.  However, if I even make mention of a wheelchair, I  just about get my head removed  :o) I walk a mile and a half with Benji faster than Annabell walks from the car to the supermarket  :o)

The day after we arrived home from Adelaide, I took Annabell to her doctor. That same afternoon we had a telephone call from Flinders requesting a CT Scan and they were emailing a Referral Form to me ( for her)  The form arrived and I shot up to the hospital to try and arrange things for Friday – or Monday at the latest. Flinders were going to discuss her case at a meeting on Thursday and needed the Scan Results. Well as it happened,  1) they did not do the scan required at that department 2. even if they did it was the wrong referral form and 3. they were closed on a Friday anyway. By the time I got home and called Flinders everyone was gone for the day.

Friday morning I telephoned Flinders again and the person I wanted was not available, but the nurse there said she would pass on the message as soon as she was.  At   about 10:30 I had another telephone call – from the local hospital – to tell me that they had a request from Flinders Medical to do a Special  CT Scan. They  are bringing in a team to do this at 12:30. We were there at 12:10. The scan was done and we went to Westlands for lunch- to break her fast-  and shopping.  Flinders phoned in the afternoon to tell Annabell that  they needed the scan for the  the meeting on Thursday when her progress ( or lack) will be discussed. They did tell us that the treatment of the last two years has not worked as they had hoped.  Centainly it has held the cancer in check for that time, but has not  destroyed the cancer cells as they had hoped. The meeting next Thursday will discuss where  we go from here. The Doctor we speak to apologised for the mix-up on Thursday.  The upshot of all this is –  I stress, Annabell takes everything in her stride.

Apart from a few

small showers, the weather, since we returned from Adelaide,  has been great, 29c Saturday, 28c Sunday, 30c today and 31c tomorrow and that, sadly is it for the time being – Wednesday back to rain and storms. I found this thing on the internet and I  think it’s just about right.

Wednesday- and the temperature for today is 35c – no sign of any storms or any rain anywhere. I had some odd looks from the  early morning drivers – I was walking on my own – no stroller and no Benji. He went into Annabell’s room and despite my rattling car keys and opening the door twice, he did not come out of her room, so I left  alone,  well me, passing drivers and 20,000 flies, oh and the joggers were out – first really warm day and look out for joggers. There was one jogger went past me – he was tall, skinny as a rake and I swear a half decent wind would have blown him over.  I had a look at the radar and found that there is a storm out in the Great Australian Bight which could be heading this way, but looking at the direction it will pass below us.

My son is working from home, but he is still available for an emergency call-out. This happened and he called me to ask if I

would come over and look after Connor for a while. I said I would. I arrived – he left. Connor is home because there was  some concern with staff at the school so a number of the students were sent home for the day- Connor being one. Actually all we did was watch children’s television and he played games with his tablet. Five years of age and he has his own tablet and cell phone. My son does not tell Connor what to do – he negotiates with him.  Then after all that, Connor does what he wants to do anyway. A lot of this is reflected in the present legal system – which is really a bit of a joke. We have serious problems with youth crime and violence and when I say youth what I mean is 12, 13 & 14 year olds, stealing cars, joy riding, breaking into shops and offices – attacking people. They get arrested and the magistrate gives them home detention or a suspended sentence. Sometimes they get a monitor bracelet, which they cut off – get arrested again and we go through the same pointless performance again. I don’t know what the answer is, but we can’t keep on going th way we are.