K and I have been taking things slowly and
not going out and about in the same way as before since it takes us
quite a while to get going each morning and using a walking frame to
get everywhere is surprisingly tiring - K is weary by the end of the
day. The weather has been mixed; some days with dark clouds and
torrential rain and other days where the sky is blue and the sun is
warm. Most mornings it feels very cold when we get up, without
central heating in a dampish atmosphere and then having put on layers
of warm clothes we emerge outside to hang washing or fetch wood and
realise that it is much warmer out of doors.
The Physiotherapist came on Friday and
put Kimon through his paces – he was exhausted. On Sunday, we plan
to go out for the day to a village Christmas Fair in Varan Episkopi
which will be a nice outing if the weather stays fine.
The patient is doing OK and although
there is still no feeling in his lower left leg, he seems to be
gaining strength and balance in his other limbs and has ventured up
and down stairs to the terrace this week and, accompanied by visiting
friends, zimmered his way down to the little store on Saturday to buy
the bread and say hello to folk. This is good and makes him feel
more normal. Incidentally, a zimmer frame in Greece is called a pee
due to its shape π (think
of Pi-R-squared).
We have had some interesting muddles in the ensuing confusion about
what healthcare professionals are actually talking about –
especially in the context of Urology.
We are attempting to eat lots of cancer
busting foods (everyone gives us their input on this) … cauliflower
with lots of turmeric, cinnamon with lots of honey, red and orange
fruit and vegetables (makes fabulous winter soups) lots of cooked
tomatoes, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, apricots (or
ache-ri-pots, as our grandson calls them), frittata (with lots of
above mentioned veg), carrot and ginger soup, red pepper soup and a
box of sachets + two pots of vitamins from the pharmacy to try and
build up K's strength a bit. All the doctors at the hospital wanted
Kimon to eat loads of beef (not really sure about this) while my
German friend advocates plenty of milk combined with grain materials.
It is keeping me busy researching on the internet and cooking in the
kitchen!
I gained a nursing proficiency badge on
Friday by performing my first injection – which is a miracle indeed
considering I shrank from removing so much as a splinter when my
children were small. Compression sores still take a lot of attention
and are doubly compounded by a compression stocking around the ankle
area. So much of the time I am to-ing and fro-ing between
indications and counter-indications and wondering how to balance
everything out in a way that doesn't wear us both to a frazzle in the
process. Putting on No. 2 compression stockings has to be my gym
work out – such a struggle - and is totally lethal if you have pain
in your thumb joints!
K goes for hormone injection no. 3 on
Monday 23 December. These normally cause a lot of pain for two weeks
after. I need to write a list of questions for the Doctor and get my
instructions for the next month while we are there. In the midst of
translations backwards and forwards, it easy to forget what we wanted
to know.
Liz, our kindly nurse friend, (aka Busy Lizzy) was happy
to have Christmas at her house and – somehow we will be nine in
total but all contributing to the meal, one way or another. We will
look forward to it. Getting a turkey from town to Skepasti is will
be a bit like a game of Netball and the logistics of fitting three
people, a turkey and a zimmer frame into a small car, meeting up with Anna who
is doing the turkey collection, a visit to the Urologist, last minute
shopping and liaising over Brussels sprouts quite puts my head in a
spin.
We are missing all our folk and friends
in the UK and wish you all a very happy Christmas and healthy New
Year! Καλά Χριστούγεννα και
το Νέο Έτος
