Tuesday 8 November 2016

So much to tell you.....

... that I am not really sure where to start.  Well, as Julie Andrews would sing,  

"Let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start..."


I think that I had told you on my post before last, that TraderVic and I were off to Kangaroo Island with some very dear friends for a week's holiday.

Well, we set off on Sunday morning with high hopes for a great week together (which were largely fulfilled).  We were road tripping it to Kangaroo Island, planning a big drive on Sunday and then a shorter leg on Monday to catch the afternoon ferry to the Island.

Now, I would have to say that this holiday turned out to be the most paradoxical holiday that I have every been on. It was both incredibly relaxing and incredibly stressful at the same time!!!!  How can that be, I hear you ask?  Well, sit back and I will fill you in.

You may remember that two week's ago, I posted that I thought that I had broken the little toe on my right foot and so I spent the next two weeks hobbling around with that.  Well, that is nothing compared to what I did to my left foot!  Just prior to leaving, I whacked my left foot into the skirting board on the wall at the top of our spiral stair case and did a lot of damage to my middle toe and foot.  
At the time, I just went ow! ow! ow! and thought oh, it will be okay, "Keep calm and keep packing!"
Boy, was I wrong, as the day wore on, I could barely walk each time we got out of the car for a break.  By the next day, my foot looked like this.....


.... and I have been in a lot of pain with it ever since.  You can imagine that it made looking at the sights of Kangaroo Island a bit difficult!  I also had a lot of trouble sleeping as even the weight of a sheet on the toe was agony.  

I have not bothered going to the doctor about it as I know that there is nothing that they can do for a broken toe, although the bottom of my foot, under the middle toe and the one to its left is still very tender, too.  

So, that is Disaster #1, Disaster #2 was/is even more upsetting.

I am sure that I have told you about my dear Dad before.  Here he is at the local RSL club, at his 97th birthday lunch.



He looks really good, doesn't he?  This was on the 21st August.  I am sorry to say that since this date he has deteriorated, not his health so much but his ability to cope with daily life - he is legally blind, has early stages of Alzheimer's and is going deaf.  As my dear younger sister says, "At 97 every day is like a month going by in terms of health and wellbeing for him."

So, anyway, two hours out of Melbourne, I receive a phone call from DSister1, Dad had had a funny turn in the night and was in hospital.  Now, I need to remind you that my Dear Dad was a POW in WWII, he spent three and a half years in the infamous Japanese Changi POW camp in Singapore.  Apparently, sometime in the middle of the night, Dad had some sort of flashback or nightmare about his wartime experiences, we think, and hid himself UNDER his bed!  The next morning the nurse who comes to administer his morning tablets, couldn't find him anywhere but eventually located him under the bed, in the far corner, curled up, cold and soiled.  The paramedics were called and three burly guys had to lift the bed vertically off him.  How on earth, a 97 year old man managed to get himself under the bed like that is anyone's guess.

My sisters assured me that Dad was okay in hospital and that I didn't need to come back - his obs were good but he was just a bit confused.

The upshot is that Dad is still in hospital and the doctors have said that he needs 24 hour care and needs to go into a nursing home as his next step.  Now, the idea of a nursing home has been a huge issue up until now as some family members have been adamantly against the idea and have not wanted to really see the situation as it is.  But now, there is no choice, so, luckily in a way, Dad can now get the full care that he needs.  But this caused a lot of stress over the week's holiday as there were numerous phone calls with my sisters and lots of discussions and tears and so on.  Luckily, TraderVic and my dear friends were very, very supportive.  

This coming week is filled with hospital visits to Dad and nursing home visits, as we try to find the right one for Dad.  Wish me luck as I hobble around them.

Now, onto near Disaster #3.  As we can all appreciate, you have to be very careful when driving and especially on long road trips.  As you drive along there are lots of billboards about driver fatigue and not speeding and not using your mobile phone and so on.  Anyway, we were driving along the Western Highway and suddenly the car in front of us drifted across to the other side of the road, onto the verge, into a fence, corrected itself and went back across both sides of the road before finally pulling over.  We were very lucky that there was no oncoming traffic and that we always drive well back from other cars.  Naturally, we pulled over to see if the driver was okay.  She was very shaken, driving on her own (with her dog strapped into the front seat) and she had fallen asleep at the wheel. Her car sustained some damage.  TraderVic managed to pull the front bumper bar away from the tire so that she could drive to the nearest town to get her car fixed (luckily only a few kilometres away).

So, phew!  What a start to the holiday!

Anyway, if you have kept reading this far, let me finally show you a couple of road trip pics!

This is the sun setting over the Mighty Murray River at Tailem Bend, where we stopped in a motel overnight.

Gorgeous, isn't it?




Well, this post is long enough. More news tomorrow.

hugs, 




24 comments:

valerie said...

Oh Kaye, So sorry to hear about your Dad and your foot! I hope your dad gets the care that he needs. It's so hard to see your parents age. I hope all goes well and that you're taking good care of your foot. Your bruise looks painful! And so glad that you had a good holiday despite the scare on the road.

Birdie said...

Kaye, I think your 2017 should be automatically disaster FREE!! Sending you HUGS and loads of good thoughts.

Barb said...

kaye, I don't even know what to say. first, I do understand your troubles with your dear dad. I went through a lot of the same things with my step-mom. It is not easy at all. Now for the foot. Have you tried a boot? I broke a toe and had to go to a boot, it really made movement much easier. I will keep you in my prayers.

Linda said...

That foot looks horrible and very painful Kaye. You really should go to the doctor. Sending best wishes for your dad.

Linda

Cricket-bug Corner said...

Oh my your foot!!! So sorry about your dad. That is tough. Sounds like you need a few more days off!!

Anonymous said...

oh dear me Kaye how stressful,i am glad your dad is ok ,its sad watching our parents getting older.
Looking forward to hearing about Kangaroo island as hubby and i hope to go there not long after xmas .

Christine M said...

Oh dear, Kaye! I hope your foot heals quickly. You'll just have to rest it and sit and stitch! Thinking of your lovely Dad. Sending you hugs, Christine xxxx

Bev C said...

Hello Kaye,

Sounds like staying home and doing cross stitch is safe. Hope your family finds a new place for your Dad, he does look good. Amazing how memories from years ago can surface, makes you realise how the soldiers fought for our country.

Happy days.
Bev.

Bea said...

Kaye, your foot looks SO painful. I think you should see a doctor - you might be able to get something to make walking easier. I'm sorry about your dad - finding the right facility can be difficult, but stick with it. The right place is out there - went through this with my mom. And very glad #3 was just a close call, albeit scary. Hopefully the rest of the vacation went much more smoothly.

Summer said...

So sorry about your foot ♥

Margaret said...

Oh my goodness! So sorry about all your stresses! I will be sending good thoughts for your dad and for you too. Hope your dad gets settled into a good nursing home, and that your foot heals quickly. Ouch! Very scary with that driver drifting off the road too! Yikes! Try to take it easy as much as possible!

Carol said...

Oh, you've certainly had a difficult few weeks, Kaye. I'm so sorry about your foot and your dad. Having watched my own ravaged by dementia, I know how very hard it is on a family. I think your family needs to pull together and come to the realization that he will be safer in a nursing home. Best of luck as you find the right one for him... it's not easy. So glad your DH and friends were there for support. You take care now and try to stay off that foot--hugs!!

Vickie said...

Oh my. Kaye, I did not know why, but your father has been heavily in my heart for several weeks now. I am praying for you all.♥

The Knitting Cross Stitcher said...

My goodness,so much happening all at once! I sincerely hope you find the best care for your dad and that he settles there.I know the dufficulties only too well with my late father in law who had dementia with Lewy Bodies.
What an amazing man your dad is to get as far as he has.
I also hope your feet heal quickly,your poor toes.
Lovely photos:)

Tiffstitch said...

Good heavens. I hope your foot improves soon, and I'm sure keeping it elevated and stitching will be a good rest cure, plus help with the stress of all the changes with your father. My Grandma, 92, has been undergoing similar issues. Sending you strength across the miles!

Purple Pixie Dust said...

Holly Cow, what an adventure that was. You need to stop walking into things and I hope you beloved dad will be okay. Big hugs all around.

Von said...

You've certainly hit a rough patch in life, Kaye! Sending hugs and prayers that your foot will heal quickly and you find a nursing home you can be sure will give your Dad the care he needs.

Sheryl said...

Gosh what an eventful holiday, Sorry about your foot Kaye which must be as painful as it looks and sad about your dad who of course at his age, needs round the clock care.

Jo who can't think of a clever nickname said...

Your foot looks so painful, even now, I cannot imagine how you got on walking around.
So sorry to hear about Dad too, it must have been very frightening for him. At least it means he will get the care he needs now. I'm sure you will find him a lovely home, hopefully close enough to visit regularly.

Brigitte said...

Oh my, Kaye, this wasn't the best of holidays you had on the island. I'm so sorry to hear about your Dad and his health situation. But I hope that you will find a nice nursing home for him which is not too far away from your and your sister and where he fells well and gets all the care he needs.

And it certainly isn't very funny at all to deal with that broken toe. My son had a broken toe once and I know that it needs a lot of patience as there can't be done very much from the doctor's side. I hope that you are slowy on the mend and are not in too much pain any longer.

Stitching Noni said...

Oh Kaye, what a horrible couple of weeks :( I am so sorry about your Dad - it must be a terribly distressing and worrying time for you all right now. I have just seen today's post about the nursing home so that is good news.
Having had a broken toe (and a stress fracture in my foot) I know exactly what you have been going through. There is not a lot you can do but it is so painful... Loved seeing all the photos of your holiday.
Take care xx

AnaCristina said...

Sorry about your Dad and your foot! Your Dad will get the care he needs!!

Ariadne said...

I am a little bit late with blog reading as my computer had broken down. I hope your father is a bit better and things have been calmer!I am sorry for your trip and your toes!Dear you should visit a doctor anyway!AriadnefromGreece!

Heather said...

Ouch! I hope you're feeling better now!

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