Phone call

Sky in her favorite spot, she seems to be coping well after the loss of Shula for which I am grateful, I am not so sure about Ken or myself. 

Since Ken’s diagnoses of likely Parkinson’s disease and although the neurologist consultant wrote to the doctors surgery regarding the monitoring of  the prescribed medication we heard nothing. I did after a few weeks ring the surgery and a locum rang me back only to tell me it was nothing to do with them and I should get back to the neurologist which I had consulted privately. I referred him to the letter which was sent to the surgery of which I had a copy but he suggested I ring the number on the letter despite the fact that I explained that was just for his secretary who had no contact except to make appointments and bill for his services he was not interested. Since then Ken has had a couple of falls which I have managed except the last one where he fell in the bedroom and couldn’t get up. I covered him up and we waited a couple of  hours hoping he would regain enough strength to get on the bed but that didn’t happen and he started to ramble so I rang for an ambulance which of course didn’t come. They did ring back to see if he was conscious  but didn’t seem concerned that he was rambling. I was a bit annoyed at this point and asked why someone in the street managed to have an ambulance at least four times a week for well over an hour when it was just because she was old, lonely and depressed but we had waited hours. Finally between us Ken managed to crawl into bed and I stood the ambulance down. Much to my surprise an NHS  team arrived, they did check Ken and said they would refer the matter to our doctors surgery, re the medication review also if there was help available if he fell for which I was quite prepared to pay.  

Long and short of it I had a call this morning from the doctors surgery and we went through the whole sorry saga and we have agreed on a slow increase of Ken’s medication which I will need to monitor for side effects but know I can ring for advice. The problem of help if he falls and I can’t manage they are looking into, as am I. The phone call has helped no end knowing that I may get some help and we are not totally alone coping with it.

  

Sleepy head

 My little dog is almost totally deaf as she doesn’t even hear the doorbell these days.

We had a late night delivery from Tesco’s which she totally slept through.  I use to hate the barking when the delivery van arrived and even before they walked up the drive  I was alerted. and had to tell them NO which they both observed. Never needed to turn on my burglar alarm system which was most annoying if you forgot and walked downstairs before turning it off but now it is necessarily because we have lost our best protection our dogs who barked. 

Every day I am reminded of how much I miss Shula, breakfast she would stand wagging her tail wherever you were (still in bed). Evening meal the same, she had an inbuilt clock. Little dog Sky never seemed bothered and the first week after we lost Shula we had a problem getting to her to eat but now she has her own system, she whines and if you ignore her it becomes vocal. Before we had Sky Shula never barked but she learnt from Sky and she had a large bark, we were lucky that we just had just had to say no to silent them. Now the little dog has come into her own, when she wants to go out she whines when before Shula would just stand before you you wagging her tail sometimes not even follow the little dog out, now the little dog seems to have a voice of her own.

Life after Shula

 What do you do when you can’t sleep and your mind runs riot. I have tried watching television but can’t consecrate. Reading which once helped isn’t now. I remember at such times brushing Shula and silly dog loved it. I have tried with Sky but she really doesn’t want it. I am back to flicking through the TV or can write on here

I don’t think I have the energy to create a new blog so this is Life After Shula which is not easy because for the last fourteen years she was my consent companion. She was the reason why we have Sky, my reason to go out walking and everything good in my life. 

I remember the first day when we brought her home she had weed herself and puked up in the car, she just lay on the terrace and I just sat and watched her for about four hours while she slept. When she woke she crept about and encountered Pippa one of our cats and started to bark, I told her no and she retreated to her basket. We were ever vigilant watching when she needed to wee we took her outside and when she went we praised her so ended up being able to tell her when and where to go. She was the most loving dog ever, so miss her.

Look at me

 Sky checking to see if we are watching her after having a bark though the window.

Little dog Sky

 Since Shula died we have had new furniture, it was ordered before we lost Shula and for the first few days Sky avoided getting up to look out of the window which she did all time. We are not sure if this was down to missing Shula or because the furniture was new, the latter I think. I have noticed that where in the past she followed me about a lot but was quite content to stay in a room without me if Shula was there now she follows me everywhere. So far I haven’t had to leave her but will have to at some stage, hopefully  she will realise that I am coming back and not panic. When I first had Shula and had to leave her I had all sorts of toys, rolla balls with food in to distract her and she learned that we would be back. Sky has never been interested in food or toys so that is not going to be an option, well we will cross that bridge when we have to.

Shula and Pippa

 I am so missing Shula, looking back at old photos she had an obsession with the cat in the early days which Pippa didn’t appreciate, Shula wanted to play but Pippa was long past that stage. Pippa just sat while Shula danced about. I worried that Pippa might take a swipe at her but she never did, eventually Shula calmed down and they would both settle either end of the sofa, not friends exactly but companions.