Thursday 9 June 2022

Second Week Back

My 2nd week back after our Black Forest Holiday was again filled with a mix of work and play, and the weather was just as mixed.
It was also a "short" week - not that it had less than seven days, but Thursday was a Bank Holiday in Germany (Ascension), and since both O.K. and I had taken the Friday off, we had a 4-day-weekend to spend at my place.

Monday, May 23 was uneventful; it rained on and off and I had a meeting with my volunteer group in the evening, so no time for an after-work walk anyway.

My team and I were booked for the pub quiz on Tuesday, May 24; after a last-minute cancellation from one team member and nobody else available at such short notice, there were only three of us playing. We still managed a full score in the 2nd half (and were the only team that night to achieve this!), but we were four points short in the 1st half and so did not walk home with a prize. It was our last chance before the summer break; the quiz will take up again in September. The three of us had a good evening nonetheless, with plenty to talk about; of course our late team member and friend Martin is still sorely missed.

It was mostly sunny, although not very warm, on Wednesday, May 25. My maternal Grandfather would have been 108 years old that day, and my Mum texted us in the morning to ask who was up for raising a glass of his favourite wine in the evening at my parents'. However, I had other plans, and so we postponed that glass of wine. I was meeting a friend at a beer garden and walked there after work, enjoying the walk in the evening light, the company of my friend and the falafel salad plus shandy. 

O.K. arrived at my place on Thursday, May 26, some time in the afternoon. We walked over to the recently opened up area at the train station (mentioned in my next-to-last post) for a snack and drink. It was busy but all in a pleasantly relaxed manner. I was suprised to see so many families with children there; it is not exactly a playground and prices are a bit on the steep side at the food and drinks stalls. We had our first ever Negroni, and although it tasted good, I doubt it will become our favourite drink.
To catch the rest of the beautiful evening light and sunset, we walked out of the city and on the fields before grabbing a pizza on the way home.

For Friday, May 27, an evening at my parents' was planned. The day was beautiful, and after a slice of quiche at a café in town around lunch time and visiting a few shops, we crossed the busy main road that cuts Ludwigsburg in half and walked in the palace grounds. The rain earlier in the week had been good for the gardens; everywhere was lush and green.
We chose the "long" route home via the deer park and still had enough time at my place for a quick coffee before going to my parents', where my Mum had ordered Chinese food for all of us.





Saturday, May 28, started well but ended rather dramatically. 
O.K. and I met my sister for breakfast at a café in town and then walked with her to the allotment; O.K. had not seen it yet, and we were duly impressed by what she and a friend had done so far. Even in the short time since my previous visit the week before, things had grown, and all looked well.
At home, we had a snack and a rest before setting off on a walk along the top of the vineyards next to the river, and back into town via the deer park once more. 

"My" pub is in the sunniest corner of the market square, and we were both ready for a drink by the time we arrived there: 


From there, it was only a short walk to my place. We had settled down for the evening and were just watching a film when my Mum texted my sister and I that she was worried about our Dad; he had been even less mobile than usual all day, hardly able to move at all, and not wanted any food. We urged her to call an ambulance, and once she had confirmed she had done that, I left O.K. at my place and walked over to my parents' as quickly as I could.

The paramedics had arrived a little before me and were in the process of carrying my Dad down the narrow flight of stairs (three floors from the ground up), but he was unable to right himself in the chair and kept sliding down. It was decided that different equipment was needed, and one of the paramedics radioed for it. While we were waiting on the stairs (no way we could move back into the flat, or further down the stairs like that), I kept holding my Dad's hand and talking to him. He was shaking and breathing very hard and did not fully understand what was going on; he was very scared and squeezed my hand with what little strength he still had. My Mum later showed me the bruising she had from where my Dad had clung to her before he was moved into the chair.

Once the next ambulance came with the equipment needed, the paramedics were able to shift my Dad more easily, and he was soon inside the ambulance and on his way to hospital. We were told that it would be of no use for us going there too, and so we stayed with our Mum until around 11:00 pm. She had been given a number to call, and we learned that my Dad had developed a sepsis and high fever but was now being treated, and we could come at 3:00 pm the next day.

So, Sunday, May 29, saw us gathering at the hospital, where my Dad looked a different person already - he was alert and talking, knew where he was and what had happened. I won't go into all the medical detail here, but he is still in hospital as we speak; a minor operation was carried out last Friday, and he is being cared for very well. We don't know yet when he will be home; he receives much better treatment there with all the equipment than what my Mum can do at home, and much as he would of course like to be home, he understands that.

22 comments:

  1. I'm very saddened to hear about your Dad. Sepsis can lead to considerable confusion (as I can confirm from personal experience) but treated early is usually sorted quickly these days. Recognising it before one gets confused is important. I hope your Dad recovers fully speedily.

    It was good to catch up with the rest of your week. I am very behind in all your holiday walks and so on but I'm hoping that I will gradually catch up although I may skip commenting as often as I usually do.

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    1. Thank you, Graham. You know more about sepsis than most people!
      Very unexpectedly, my Dad came home this afternoon. He really is much better but still needs a lot of care and treatment.
      As for catching up, I always lag behind something between one and three weeks with blogging about things going on in my life, book reviews and so on. Please don't worry (I am sure you don't) about catching up with readind and commenting.

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  2. I do hope that by the time I write this things have settled down and your Dad is back to normal and your Mum too - it is so worrying. It is no fun getting old - I can vouch for that - but do wish them both all the best from me.

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    1. Thank you, Pat! I am sure my Mum will read your comment.
      Very unexpectedly, my Dad came home this afternoon. He really is much better but still needs a lot of care and treatment.

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  3. Sorry to hear about your Dad but glad he is recovering. Good thing an ambulance was called. Hope he is much better by now and continues to thrive.

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    1. Thank you, Ellen. Very unexpectedly, my Dad came home this afternoon. He really is much better but still needs a lot of care and treatment. As for thriving, I'm afraid I can't see that happening with my Dad anymore - much as I wish he would!

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  4. How is your Dad doing now? Oh, please give my love to your dear parents and keep plenty for yourself and your sister! And you had just seen them on that Friday night! That must have been a truly scary thing to have been waiting on those stairs. Please know that I am thinking of you and your family. xx

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    1. Strangely enough, when others are scared or stressed out, I become very calm, and I felt like that during the wait on the stairs, too.
      Thank you, dear Kay, for sending all those good wishes our way! We sure need it.
      My Dad was sent home this afternoon very unexpectedly. He still needs a lot of care and treatment, though.

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  5. I'm so sorry about your dad! I hope he's much better by now. That must have been so scary for everyone, but especially him. I'm sending you all my best wishes, my friend.

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    1. Thank you, dear Jennifer! One has never too many best wishes :-)
      My Dad was sent home this afternoon very unexpectedly. He still needs a lot of care and treatment, though.

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  6. It sounds like such a pleasant few days until the last one. I was very sorry to hear of your dad being taken so poorly, and you must be so relieved that he is feeling so much better. It sounds as if he is being well looked after, and I hope he will be able to come home soon.

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    1. Thank you, Jenny.
      He did indeed come home the same day I posted this - very unexpectedly! He still needs a lot of care and treatment, though, but he is very happy to be home.

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  7. Please add my prayers for a good recovery for your dad. This is such a hard time for him and for your mum. I know they are comforted by your being so close to them during this trial.

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    1. Thank you, Jill.
      My sister and I (especially my sister) do what we can, but neither of us can really do what our Mum does, who is around my Dad 24/7 now that he is back home.

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  8. I read this post yesterday but didn't get round to commenting then. Sorry to hear about your dad. I know from personal experience how much chaos these kinds of situations cause and how hard it is to know what to expect. I hope your dad wasn't sent home "too soon" and that your mum is able to cope with the extra care still needed.

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    1. So far, my Dad is doing well at home. My Mum is a hero, learning all the extra things she now has to handle!

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  9. I just saw this as I have been behind on blogs recently. I am so sorry to hear about your Dad's illness and hospitalization. I know that had to be frightening to you all. I do hope he is showing steady improvement each day and your Mom is doing okay too. Sending my best to all.

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    1. Thank you, Bonnie! Dad is doing quite well at home now, but of course he‘d not be able to manage without my Mum. She actually needs to look after some health issues of her own, but as is so often the case in similar circumstances, is putting her own needs to the back.

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  10. Thank you all for your good wishes for my husband and me. It's going better than I expected, but it's of course much care he needs. He is very thankful and happy, to be at home again, the food in the hospital was terrible, so I can spoil him with good meals.

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    1. And that's exactly what you have been doing, Mum :-)

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  11. Just catching up with posts now, and this is a while in the past so I hope your dad is recovered!

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    1. Thank you, Laura; he has sort of recovered but will never be really well again, I'm afraid.

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