The beginning of the end

 Geoff eventually had his appointment for nerve conduction rests last Tuesday.   Complete waste of time.   The consultant who did the tests said she couldn’t see any improvement but we all, including Geoff, see a big improvement.  She then went on to say that sometimes this sort of damage can be caused by a prolonged stay in hospital!   Since he was admitted with the problem which started suddenly, also not true. So as I said…..waste of time.

Later that evening when Geoff was safely tucked up I had a call to say a bed had been found for him in Cornwall.   Since the application only went in 2 days previously, that is nothing short of miraculous considering the stories of bed shortages in Cornwall.  The fly in the ointment is that the bed was in Helston, you can’t get a lot further down south than that.  However as bird in the hand so they say😎😎

Helston actually wanted him to take it up the next day but Abingdon said they couldn’t organise transport so quickly so Thursday was agreed.   I went in on Wednesday to sort out all his clothes and belongings and pack into one case which was all the ambulance will take.   On Thursday the transport didn’t turn up until 5.15 as they had had problems on their first trip of the day.  After a very long journey he was eventually tucked up in bed in Helston in a single room ( all new admissions have to start in single room until they prove to be germ free🤣🤣) 

Now starts my job this end……..Petroc has to be sold which is incredibly sad.  So after a weekend recovering from a very hectic and stressful couple of days, I will start the clearing and packing etc etc.   I need to get her professionally cleaned ( I do not have the energy!) and ready to go on the market.  Provisionally Boe and I will be back in Cornwall by about 6/7 March.

We initially thought Geoff would not be able to have visitors as Helston has been closed to visiting for nearly two years.   That all changed yesterday when they started opening up again but in a very limited way.  With luck I should manage to get a couple of one hour slots for friends next week.   They do not anticipate his stay will be very long.  They need to assess his capabilities and then our house to see what his needs are, so he could be home before the end of March.  On the 18th of March (if still there) he will have been in hospital 6 months.   

It’s the start of a new Chapter……we have had 15 years of a great life on the canals with Petroc, just hope we can find a buyer who will get the same enjoyment from her.

Winter on the canal…….The saga continues

There have been some lovely sunny days amongst the cold and wet ones so life is not all bad.

However whilst the hospital has been shut to visitors, Boe and I have both had COVID.   She was ahead of me so has been out of purdah a few days, I was set free today and miraculously the hospital is opening up from tomorrow so I can get in to see Geoff again. Neither of us had it very severely, just like a bad cold although it has left me with a distinct lack of oomph😎😎

Sadly we heard this morning that his already rescheduled hospital appointment for nerve conduction tests has been cancelled as the consultant is off sick!   It has
been rescheduled for 22nd.  Geoff very disappointed.   However his physio has been continuing during the hospital lockdown, although most of the time he was confined to his 4 bed bay.   Big plus today as he was taken outside for the first time for a stroll this afternoon.

Good friends and neighbours are keeping an eye on our house and fortunately there have been no further reports of the roof leaking.   Fingers and toes crossed it stays that way.

My way of getting fresh air

Boe likes it slightly more active!

She has been rather put off however.  Soon after that picture was taken she was dive bombed by a swan which threw her off her board and into the canal.   She had only been bragging to me earlier that she had never fallen off!