August 19 Edens Landing

It has been a hard week so far. Mum has needed a lot of help and her eating has diminished.  As she became more rested after returning from Tim's place at Southport her appetite has improved slightly. I have been trying to cook tasty meals and give her little titbits over the day. She had seemed brighter and we have been reminding her to breathe slower and through her nose. That has meant fewer panic attacks. The GP Dr Anthony Ting came on Wednesday but apart from checking her blood pressure and reducing her blood pressure tablets and setting the aged care assessment team in motion, there was little comfort for mum. She is afraid of not getting her breath and suffocating. He gave her some anti anxiety tablets for the night. 

Jill has been such a help and the company has been a relief. I can get out for a little bit to the shops etc for groceries. 

I have found getting into my swimsuit to shower mum works best. I can stand closer and not strain my back. We have got a good system going now. 

The anti- anxiety tablets made mum groggy and she slipped out of bed on the Thursday night. I couldn't get her up and needed Jill to help me. That was a reality check for me and I realised I needed to get up every time she went to the toilet.she has been using the walker but the effort is still so exhausting that it won't be long before she can't do this either. I am extra vigilant but it means getting up every couple of hours through the night. I am getting tired and seem to have come down with a cold now which is not helpful. Jill goes back on Saturday so I will be managing on my own again.

She has only got out of bed to go to the toilet except for two times this week after which she was exhausted. All activity is a huge effort and I fear she is developing a bed sore. I need to shut her every two hours to prevent that but I need help to do it properly. Even putting a cushion under her right buttock to shift the pressure is too hard. 

I will need to speak to the oncologist about more assistance. The nights are what I find most difficult because I get no rest during the day either.