Attic 24 and Wool Warehouse

My early birthday present to myself.

I won't do the log cabin blocks on the Attic 24 CAL, I will just do the granny stripe.

I just fell in love with the colours, I ordered the yarn on Wednesday and it arrived on Friday, what fantastic service.
Maybe a little crochet will help keep me sane.

Samhain Blessings

Tonight I will don my black velvet cloak and witches hat.

I will keep my besom in the hall along with a bowl of sweets. 

I will have a lit pumpkin on the doorstep and will welcome all the little & not so little visitors with 'Samhain Blessings'.

Last year just after Halloween my DGS had lots of local kids saying to him 'Did you know your  Nana was a witch?'

He replied 'Of course I knew, she keeps her besom on the decking'

Families who'd bloody have them

God give me strength, another evening of countless phone calls, text messages and stress.

We visited MIL this morning to find her crying with pain, she has painkillers at 6 am and at 9am the staff roll her to and fro to change her sheets. This causes her a great deal of pain yet she isn't given any more pain relief when she asked for it because the staff are too busy making beds.

I found a member of the nursing staff and queried this, she told me that MIL couldn't have any more pain relief in case she becomes addicted.
She's fecking dying, she has about 10 days to live, what does it matter if she becomes addicted!

I wandered around until I found the registrar who was on his rounds, I explained the situation to him  and he immediately wrote her up for increased pain  relief.

There may be a bed available early next week in the hospice for MIL, I sincerely hope so.

It now seems that FIL is getting more and more confused and sometimes forgets to pass on important information regarding MIL.

So hubby and BIL 4 have been updating each other and other extended family members so that everyone knows what's going on.

FIL now thinks we are talking about him behind his back.

We asked if he wanted a lift to see MIL and he replied 'Your services are no longer required'.

Choices updated due to errors

It was a very long day today, with many difficult conversations and many tears shed.

The doctor was careful to include everyone in her discussions despite BIL's bluster and demands for the rest of us to be excluded.

MIL was better today than she was yesterday, despite thinking she was in Scotland a few times.

We sat a chatted to her until she got her bearings and the doctor decided that she was lucid enough to make her own decisions.

Her kidneys have failed and yesterday when she was dropped again by the staff her drainage tubes were pulled out.

The doctor explained the options a few times & I held her hand and checked that she understood the implications.

MIL was given the choice, she can have the drainage tubes back in and wait for the cancer to kill her in a few weeks, or leave the tubes out and kidney failure will kill her in a few days.

She chose not to have the tubes replaced, so she will be allowed to die pain free and with dignity within the next few days.

She will be moved to the local hospice if a bed becomes free in time but that may not materialise.

We stopped for a meal on the way home, when we arrived home we had a cup of tea, listened to music and held each other for a while.

Hubby is at work tomorrow, we will visit MIL on Friday and at the weekend.

Feck, feck, feckkity feck

Can I please sit in a corner and gibber until this whole sorry mess is over?
The results are back from MIL's scan, the cancer has spread to her bowel and spine.
Yesterday the staff dropped her again when getting her out of bed.
BIL2 is claiming MIL is confused and is wanting to use his power of attorney to exclude all visitors except himself and his wife. MIL will be devastated if FIL no longer visits her as they a very devoted couple. He is also waving around a will, BIL4 has a copy of a different will.
MIL is still mainly lucid and the hospital have asked to see the POA documents before proceeding.
FIL asked me to buy MIL some new nightdresses, I bought 3, he seems to have asked most of the females in the family to do the same. MIL now has 18 new nightdresses!
I'm grateful we have more money now than when my father was dying. Paying train fares of £12 a day 10 years ago caused us severe financial hardship.
At least this time we can afford the petrol to visit MIL regularly without having to go without food & heating. It sounds callous, but it is one less thing to worry about.

What a waste

After a 2 hour drive to attend MIL's case conference today, we arrived only to be told that they couldn't make any decisions until they have the results of MIL's latest MRI scan. When was that? Ten minutes after the meeting should have started!

Problem Updated

Whatever the problem is, alcohol is never the solution!

This comment is nothing to do with MIL or the family.

It is because of an alcohol related spat on FB that is going to greatly embarrass the participants when they sober up!