The Phoenix

Here is Judith, one of my neighbours. She is an active, bustling person who is a delight to be with.

About a month ago she felt unwell and did not go to choir practice that evening. During the night she had a stroke and was found by the carer who went to help her husband, Jim, the next morning. Jim has dementia so did not realise what had happened.

It was a bad stroke and the talk on the village grapevine was serious and sad. 

Judith was transferred to a specialist unit and a clot was evacuated from her brain. She is now home and on great form. After less than 2 weeks the carers provided for her have been cut from four times a day to once. The district nurses are coming to give her her insulin. Previously Judith had 4 doses a day, but because the nurses are coming she has to be on a twice daily regime which is a bit more difficult to balance. Hopefully she will soon be back to managing the jabs herself.

Today she came to visit Mum and brought a wealth of funny stories. Some were about being in hospital where I think she gave the doctors and nurses the run around, in the nicest possible way. My favourite story was about the man she was seeing for a while after her first husband died. It was all going well until she realised that he used purple paint on his front door.

Judith's main task is to retrieve Jim from the nursing home, where he has been since her stroke. She also wants to visit the hairdresser for a cut and colour. (Can't have white hair showing!!)

What a tonic!

David came to set up more dehumidifiers but could not do so because the builders have not confirmed that they removed any asbestos. I can't get a straight answer from the builders (had a politician's email reply). Frustrating.

Julie and I are plotting our trip to London for next week.

Arth has been very quiet on Blip recently. He is less swollen and more comfortable. The physio says I should start more walking again and that he will come good in time. "It is what it is", she said.