The week passing in a haze of no sleep or too much sleep.

We had a lovely visit from friends of Steve from the Caravanners Forum this week.  They were also here a couple of years ago.  I recall that Steve knew that Chris and Val were coming but we didn't know then if they were two women or husband and wife; and which one was which??   We soon found out that this husband and wife team were wife Chris.  Therefore Val was the husband.   We don't know his full name.
It reminds me of when of when I lived in the pub at Erica.  A young guy, Val, full name Valeriano, was waiting for his brother to join him.   He told us his brother's name and we all practised saying it properly.  It sounded a bit like a hawk from the back of the throat and then a sneeze.  Spelling his name was much easier ---- it was Jesus.

The previous week we had two other couples from the forum come to visit.  It never rains but it pours.
One pair had a 5th wheeler with a slide-out and were frantically trying to dry everything out where the slide-out had leaked.    That did NOT help my cause.   I've been asking for a slide out for the last 3 years.  It seems that everyone Steve knows has had trouble with them.
I'm expecting Lorraine Garner here soon.  She rang from Darwin last week.

Steve has had a cold for over 3 weeks and is still coughing.  The cold symptoms seem to go away and then return some days later.  We had a doctor's appointment last Wednesday, to get some scripts.  She heard Steve's cough and prescribed antibiotics.  He's feeling better already.   Just to complicate matters, I twisted as I came out of the en-suite on Tuesday morning and my back went into a spasm.   I've worn my brace day and night but I'm still screeching with every step.   I gophered down to the pool this afternoon and soaked in the 37C pool for an hour, so I'm hoping to see some good results soon.   It would be this week that Tom, the massage man, takes his one week in the year holiday!!!!

~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~

OH NO NO NO NO NO

This blog is on blogspot.  Right?  
Well, I got an email from blogger.com and thought I would try out that blogging place.  
I got to blogger and gave it the title of TEST.
I inserted a photo of me in the bathers, with a description that I was using it for test purposes and it wasn't going to be seen by the public.
All of a sudden, I notice that I am not on blogger but blog spot.   TOO LATE.   I have wiped out my picture of green tumbleweeds and replaced it with the fat lady in bathers.  The tumbleweed picture is not on this laptop so I can't get it back!
Fancy blogger and blogspot being the same place!   I'll get them for that one day!!!!!

~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~

Dear Friend No More With Us

Seattle, Washington.   

At 9:10 PM pacific standard time on Tuesday July 20th, 
Carole Jane Morgan-Burke passed on. 

This was the message from her beloved daughter, Dawn.

On Tuesday, April 20, 2010, Carole wrote in her blog:

Happy Birthday

It just occurred to me that this day is almost over and I didn't let you all know that it is the anniversary of the day I was told I have cancer. I am now four years into this battle. Sometimes it feels like it has been forever then other times it feels like it is just sliding by one day melts into another and another and another.  It just occurred to me that this day is almost over and I didn't let you all know that it is the anniversary of the day I was told I have cancer. I am now four years into this battle. Sometimes it feels like it has been forever then other times it feels like it is just sliding by ----- one day melts into another and another and another.
Well, four years and 3 months later, Carole's sliding days are over.  From beginning to end, she battled courageously and with optimism and dignity.   Only 8 weeks ago, she told me that she still wanted to explore the Great Barrier Reef with me.  Perhaps we will do it one day.

Carole was an excellent artistic photographer and after Leiomyosarcoma was diagnosed, she threw herself into using her talents to publicise and make money for research into this aggressive cancer.  She was a great support to other sufferers and an inspiration to deviant art members, where she showcased her art.

Carole started a journal when she was first diagnosed.  It's well worth reading.  Click here.

Scott, Dawn, Patty and all of Carole's family ----may many happy memories give you bubbles of laughter as you mourn her loss.  

Goodbye, Dear Friend

 12.8.1953 - 20.7.2010

~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~

Dear Friend again

Carole continues to hang in.

I was able to phone her last weekend and we said goodbye.

Two days later, the Hospice care was no longer able to control her pain, so Scott took her to hospital.  Fortunately, they had the answer for pain. Scott wrote,  "It took a while but it was finally decided to use a protocol that sedates the patient in to a state of comfortable sleep and allows the body to continue the shutdown process. We have had several times when she has broken through the sedation and we have had to adjust the levels."

I am so, so glad that she doesn't have to die in terrible pain.   No one should have to die in great pain.   I've often heard of people being put into an induced coma but I've never thought of it being used in death.

I know that Carole had hoped to slip away quietly at home but she knew that it might not happen that way. Fortunately, she had said goodbye to many family and friends in the last week, so it was time to free her from pain.

It is very wearing on everyone as they wait and my heart bleeds for them. The last report was that it will be only another 12 to 36 hours.

~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~

Swivel Sweeper

These gadgets are ideal for caravans.   I've had one for two years and although I was impressed with its efficiency, I was furious at how quickly the battery drained.

When I saw new and much larger batteries advertised, I bought a new sweeper.  The price of a new battery was much the same as a new sweeper with battery!   The new unit has a couple of features worth having.  The most useful one is the way that it is emptied.    The catcher underneath swings open and deposits the contents at the touch of a button.

The deal included a hand brush.  This is a little miracle!   Crumbs are swept up easily into the chamber which is also the hand hold. 

~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~

Dear Friend

For the past couple of weeks, my mind and heart have been very occupied with Carole. 
I promised her that I would be sitting beside her as she died and I feel as if I am.
Carole has battled with cancer, Leiomyosarcoma, for the last 4 years.  She put up a magnificent fight and achieved a lot during those years.  
But now the time has come.   I am receiving updates from her husband, daughter and Mom, who are with her at home, as she receives Hospice care.

Today, her husband wrote,

When we started the PCA it delivered 8mg of morphine an hour and 8 mg of morphine when she pushed the button for dose to deal with breakthrough pain. as of yesterday we are now giving her 24mg of morphine an hour and 24 mg when she pushes the button for breakthrough pain the hospice nurse thinks that the Doctors estimate of 4 weeks is fairly accurate. which means I expect that Carole has about a week or less until she is free of pain and in the arms of the Lord.

  ~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~

Petition

I set up an online petition about GPs charging late fees.    It has 4 signatures, one of which is mine!   
Online petition - Prevent Doctors Charging Fees for Clients being late for Appointments

Gee, that ought to make them think again!!!!!    :-)

~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~

Dressing Table

Steve has made a dressing table, according to my instructions!  Which means that it's my fault if I don't like it!          I don't like it.
                                         I love it!!
The overhead cupboard beside my bed has a chest of drawers beneath it.   The top of the chest becomes the top of my dressing table.

Steve has attached a mirror to the inside of the cupboard door.   This mirror took a lot of finding!   A normal mirror wouldn't have done because I can't see without my glasses.  It has an extendable arm, which sits flat against the door when it is closed.  

I can sit on my bed, take articles off the shelves and have them close at hand on the chest top.  When I extend the mirror, I don't have to lean.   If I want to see how extraordinarily beautiful I am at close range, (cough cough) I can flip the mirror over to its magnifying side.  Yay --- no more lopsided eyebrows!

~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~