Medical

Mums throat has gradually got a bit more sore during the week.  The pain has been worse overnight with trouble with her lying flat and she has spent the past three nights awake tossing and turning.  She woke up in a lot of pain, and even considered going to the hospital.  Instead she decided to ring her doctor, who wasn't working, but another dr would fit her in.  At the moment, they ring you back at home for a phone consultation to see if you need to come in.  The doctor agreed to see mum and she headed down for her face to face appointment.

Once at the doctors surgery mum had to don a mask to sit in the waiting room, which wasn't busy and she only had to wait 5 minutes to see the doctor.  After an examination and chat mum was then sent for a blood test.  The doctor agreed that mum might have an infection or abscess so wanted a couple of checks done.  The blood test was quick even though mum has tricky veins,  the phlebotomist found them pretty quickly.  The good news is that the visits here are pretty cheap.  To go to the GP is NZ$65 about $30US or 30 pounds.  The blood test is free, and the three prescriptions that mum had to get were NZ$5 each.  

Mum was astonished reading some tweets from people in the US waiting 13 days to get Covid swab tests back.  Mum has had two tests done , both were free and results available within 24 hours with the results texted back to her phone.

So fingers crossed, mum has a little more pain relief and will try to get some rest tonight.  I am sick of her tossing and turning, I try to snuggle next to her but she is wormy squirmy.

1st Time

1st attempt at the new blogger format.  Mum has to figure out how to load photos.  She's  not good with change.

A photo, but now the alignment  is off, but okay for her initial  attempt.   Good  luck tomorrow  mum.

Wordless Wednesday

Good Sort

Mum got some groceries delivered today, an opportunity to get some of the heavy stuff like bottles and awkward big rolls of toilet paper that are difficult to bring home on a busy bus after work.  She got a text to say that they had been delivered, but there was nothing outside our house.  When she went to the website, it said to give them an hour or so to see if they were just delayed.  An hour later there was a knock on the door, and a young lady said that the groceries were dropped off at her house at the other end of the street.  She kindly then offered to drive the down in her car for mum and help unload them. 

Mum thanked the nice neighbor who was so kind to help her out, and will pop into the garden center at the weekend to pick her up a nice pot plant to thank her.  It was a nice reminder that there are some nice helpful people out there - what we would describe as a good sort.

Bed Maker

Mum tried to make the bed, but I was intent on making myself comfy so she just let me be. 

Basking

Just soaking up some late winter sun here.  It is a bit frosty in the morning, but we have had some lovely sunny days with warmth if you are in a sunbeam.   Mum has refused to go out both days until the germs are shaken away.  She has to work tomorrow and hopes she will have got over the bugs overnight.  She is just left with an earache at the moment which is hard to sleep with.

Caturday Night at the Movies

This could be my twin!!  It is Coconut and Monty out in the garden.  Enjoy!!!

Ready

Mum and I are ready for the weekend    Her nightshifts finished this morning.  She had to stay awake  to go and see her doctor to chat about her shoulder.  Then she went to the library to pick up her new supply of books and a quick wander around the supermarket.   Home for lunch if a meat pie and an orange  for her, and then mum had a nap. 

The evening  has been quiet as mum winds down.  Her mind is set to be wide awake now ready for going to work again at 11pm.  It is pretty tricky  to switch out of night shift into a normal sleep pattern - it feels like jet lag says mum.  Do she is going to curl up with me and her book and try and get some sleep.

One

One more nightshift then I get mum back home to snuggle with on these chilly nights,

Wednesday

Mum is tired.  She says she has been working  all night.   I told her off for 20 minutes when she got home and then climbed on her spot on the bed, and went to sleep in protest.  Two down and two to go.

Movie Monday

Mum found this talented artist on youtube today.  Her plans to get out and do stuff today were thwarted by germs that she did not want to spread,  she feels that her body is fighting off the bugs - thanks lemsip, 

Nurse

I have been a good nurse to mum and letting her rest today without disturbing her too much.  She managed to make it to the couch and back again several times.  She had tomato soup to ease her sore throat and lots of lemon drinks.  The germs are moving southwards, she says that she is always surprised when she has a cold or flu, that each day you seem to wake up with a different set of symptoms.   She seems to have become the expert on these bugs as she suffers a couple every year, although it has been since the end of March since anything real has taken hold of her.  

The worst thing is that she has a set of nightshifts starting tomorrow night and dreads having to go in when she is sick, and her body just wants to stay in bed.  She also doesn't want to give her germs to anyone else, so hopes that she feels better tomorrow. 

Caturday

Hi Caturday  friends.  It is wintery but mild with occasional  rain.  Mum has only left the house to put small  scraps out for the birds.  She has been moping  feeling  sorry for herself today.  Sore shoulder, with some toothache  and now a sniffling  cold - a trifecta of  uncomfortableness.  She did well to have a shower and get dressed and do some washing and a few small  chores.

Mum is spending  the evening watching  a Netflix documentary  called Lenox Hill, following  four doctors  at a New York  Hospital.  It is the show that is the talk of the tearoom at work, something  that has not happened  for years.  So having little sleep has its bonuses  more time for shows and snuggles  with me. 

Dreaming

We are dreaming of warm summer afternoons with bright blue skies.  Instead it is a dark winters Friday night and mum is tired of having heaters on and wearing layers of clothing.  Mum is pleased to have the weekend off and a chance to get some rest.  Her shoulder is sore, even a few days after injection, and busy days at work moving things about haven't helped.   She tries not to not complain too much, as watching and reading the news things are pretty dire around the world.  We are glad to be in our little bubble here, where life carries on pretty much as normal at the moment, but we all figure it can change so quickly.

Cold

It's  cold and dark.  Not much else to do but to take over  the mother bed.

Wordless Wednesday

Tuesdaying

Mum was up early this morning  as she had to head into town for her appointment.   It was foggy and cold when she left home, but the closer she  got to town the fog was clearing, she was even early and got to wander round a bookstore.   Although  she no longer buys  any  books she will take photos  if covers of ones she  is interested  in, and see if the library  has it available.

She got a steroid injection  in her sore frozen shoulder, done under ultrasound.   It was quick, only 5 minutes and sore for a couple of minutes.   Mum came home to rest after as it was quite uncomfortable  and she is not allowed  to work until Thursday.  The injection  may reduce pain and inflammation, so hopefully  mum will feel a bit better.

So it was an afternoon  of reading  her book and relaxing  with me.  The sun was out, so the windows  were open and fresh air let in. 

Uggs

Mum was good and spent no money  at the weekend,  but some internet  shopping  did arrived in the post.  A new pair of slip on uggs which  she loves and has worn every day since she got  them.  Perfect for slipping on as the temperatures have dropped, yet mums middle aged lady hotness means she switches from too hot to too cold all too often. 

Much as she would like to support  local retailers  sometimes  there are some good bargains  to be had by shopping  online.

Cozy

Its been a quiet  cozy weekend.   Mum stayed home all weekend  with me, no going out or spending  money.  She has had some bills to pay lately so it  was nice to relax and I dont charge her for my company. Mum also managed  to trip over the quilt as she was making the bed last night, hurting  her sore shoulder again, so was glad to rest today.

Mum enjoyed  the slowed down weekend  but can feel the thought of the work week approaching.   So to quiet down she will read her book for a while then she has been trying a new thing on Spotify.  There is a podcast called Nothing  Much Happens where you are read a 10 minute story, then the story  is repeated at a slower pace to help you sleep.  Have your people  tried any apps like that?

Caturday Night At The Movies - Memory Foam Mattress

Grab some temptations and enjoy!!

Friday

Mum liked this old photo of me snuggling on the bed having a snooze.  She had a snooze like a nana on the couch after eating her dinner, and woke up in time to watch Naked Attraction.  Such a start to her weekend off!!  She feels a little productive, she got some washing done, and a few little jobs pottering about as usual.  No fancy nights out on the town this week. 

Waiting

A big part of a cats day is spent  waiting  for mums and dads to get home.  It is also a bit strange round here as mums routine is always changing.   Mum finished late last night and was up early this morning, so we are hanging  out for 4pm on Friday when the weekend  can begin.

Wordless Wednesday

Evening

The skies were looking  lovely on mums walk home tonight,  and the lights were sparkling.  The calm before the stormy weather  that is due.  I was pleased  to see her, and got my feast within 20 seconds  of her coming in the door.  She has her priorities  right.

  Mum had leftovers  for her dinner of roast  lamb with parsnips, carrots and sweet  potatoes.   She then made a 2nd dinner of rice, and  sweet and sour chicken so that she has some dinner  to take for her shift tomorrow  night, simple but tasty and piled up with lots if vegetables.

 She then sat down to watch a program  about Toranga Zoo in Sydney.   Mum so enjoyed seeing the amazing animals, the rhinos, gorillas and albatross and beautiful  Sydney harbour again.  Now there is a program  about matching homeless dogs with new people,  which always makes mum a bit teary. 

Kitty Kisses

Mums phone got kitty kisses from her friends pretty cat Storm.

Visiting

Mum took herself out visiting to see her lively friends who live by the sea.  The clouds even parted and gave us a sunny day.  Mum passed  this house by the beach that has broccoli  and cabbages growing by the roadside footpath.  How nice to spend the afternoon  with good friends, especially  when they haven't  been altogether since before lockdown.

Mum got some groceries  on the way home, and made a roast for dinner.  So now she has to put some stretchy  pants on and get ready for bed.  All that sea air has made her tired.

32

32 - that is how many photos  she had to take of me in order to get one with me looking  at the camera.  She even tried a feather in her hair and sticking  out of her pocket,  but I won't  be fooled.

Friday Fun

Mum had a fun Friday today.  She met up with a group of friends for a pub lunch.  She had a big plate of loaded fries with a nice lemon  lime and bitters.  She did a bit of shopping  and bought  a couple of woolly  jumpers.

She then came home and talked to me  for a while and did some dishes.  Then she got ready to go out again.  She joined a group of  besties for dinner out.  The food was delicious  but the portions were a bit small and pricey, but mum doesn't  mind when it is a birthday night out. She had short rib with veg and roasted parmesan potatoes  and a brown sugar pavlova for dessert.

Home and on the couch, and I'm sitting  by the heater while we watch Tattoo Fixers then off to bed.

Wintery

Our mild weather has slipped away and winter is now here.  Mum even popped gloves on on the way home from work. It was stormy last night and remained  chilly today.  Mum rushed home, just stopping  to pick  up  subway sandwich  on the way home for her supper.  Me - well I stayed snuggled up all day.