I know that this is not a pleasant topic for a Sunday morning but most of yesterday was taken up with Mr. Indi's bodily functions - and sometimes lack thereof!
Anyone who has every been through chemo AND is on morphine AND is also on Vicodin knows that the combination causes a massive back up in the intestinal plumbing area. Mr. Indi starts to get a bit paranoid about his lack of regularity and I try my best to remedy the situation using medications suggested by the doctor and home nurse. Senokot and Milk of Magnesia seem to work well but since Mr. Indi had chemo last Wednesday nothing was happening. Lillian, the nurses aid who came by yesterday morning, suggested prune juice - she swore that it works every time - AND boy, she was right! I ran to the shops and got a bottle of the delicious prune elixir and gave him a glass at about 10:00 a.m.
I was just leaving the house at noonish to go out on a lunch date when my cell phone rang - I hadn't pulled out of the driveway yet! The next 2 hours were taken up with stripping the bed - not once but twice! The washing machine was working overtime and my poor old back was aching. Luckily my lunch date was here to give me a hand and also the moral support that I needed! At about 2:30 we managed to dive out of the house and down to the local eatery for some munchies and delish cold beer - it never tasted so good.
By the time I got back home at about 3:30 - the intestinal crisis seemed to have passed and a good thing too - because Steve, the physical therapist showed up. He started Mr. Indi on some exercises that will strengthen his mid-section. They are not really isometric in nature - where you push against a stationary object - a wall, for example - but rather they are exercises where Mr. Indi pushes against another person who pushes back. After a few rounds with Steve, Steve showed me how to do it - using my hands to push against his Lorships shoulders. Struth, it don't 'arf make yer arms ache! I don't think it's going to do my arthritis much good! But, Steve said I did really well and would soon be looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger - to which I called Steve some less than flattering names.
The washing machine was still going at 6:00 p.m last night as I was making a delish dinner of sausage, chips, peas, baked beans and fried tomatoes. I took our dinner into Mr. Indi's room and we both started on our lovely fry up - AND then - the bloody prune juice reared it's ugly head once more! Arggggg! So, today, the washing machine will be going again and if the prune juice doesn't stop it's magic soon, I shall have to buy 6 more sets of bed linens! You just wait till I see that Lillian again - I shall tell her what I think of her and her bloody prune juice!
Today's picture is of a lovely fountain in the courtyard of the Mission San Buenaventura, Ventura, California. I took the pic in 2005
3 comments:
Pam and John,
Just thought I'd say 'hi' and send you both some well wishes. Your lives seem awfully busy ... I pray for strength for both of you.
Daria
Oh dear,
Maybe you should try straight prunes say 2 a day, my darling mum had similar "backups" and those along with Kiwi Fruit sort her out so to speak. Although she does cheat and soaks her prunes in gin, to give them a bit of extra power, or so she says! Wonder where I get my fondness for a gin and tonic from?
I am thinking of you both,
Yor
Yes ... I agree with Anonymous !
Use prunes, rather than prune juice ... a few each morning with breakfast cereal ... and there's also your famous Californian syrup of figs that I got dosed with as a child !
Not so sure about soaking them in gin though !! (Although YOU could eat those, IPA !)
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