SLEEP (3) - or feeling blue........

Or lack of it……… this must be seven consecutive nights now of significantly interrupted sleep……. and ChickPea, for one, is not doing ok. Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday were all multiple repeated awakenings with no obvious cause. Thursday was a night to forget, with a shower the only option to clean DJ up about 5am……. washing machine on all day Friday. On Friday we identified that there was an infection, and DJ started antibiotics. Signs are promising that these are working. Saturday morning DJ again woke the household up about 5am, Sunday morning it was 6am…….. and now, about midnight Sunday night he just will not go to sleep – out of his bed every 5 mins……... It’s like he’s doing everything in his power to stay awake. He’s had the melatonin…… the warm, sweetened milk, the biscuit, the hot water bottle…… the dark room……. the room with the door open and the hall light on so’s he knows he’s not alone……. he’s been to the toilet….. WHAT am I missing ? ………on the basis that if he won’t sleep and wants to be up he may as well BE up, DJ is now thru here in the front room with me………. TH is trying to get to sleep upstairs…… I’m trying to stay awake downstairs until DJ finally goes back to bed and gets to sleep……

Any suggestions ? (They do need to be legal……..)

We have been trying to arrange a next Respite break for the end of June……. The SW has known about this for best part of a month……. told me last Thursday she just can’t find anywhere…….. she had tried just the last 2 places that DJ has stayed ..........

So I started telephoning around again, and by the end of the same day had found a possible place….. we just need to visit them this week to be able to confirm details…….. here’s hoping……….

The Lark Would Have Stayed In Bed...........

And so would ChickPea if she’d known what she would find at 4.30am......... I shall try to save you from the goriest of details – but I need to talk about this.

Today – when I am first writing this - is Friday 6th June.

Today – when (if ?) I am publishing, will probably not be 6th June – because I think this will need a few re-workings to make it an acceptable blogpost.

We haven’t really tackled the ‘Bowel Behemoth ‘, have we ? Carer’s Of The World Understand This. When you take on the role, no-one thinks about The Jobbie Job. But sooner or later, there you have it – the Task That Needs Someone To Do It – and The Responsibility is ALL YOURS. Probably at 3am in the morning. (Or 4.30am). When there’s Others Asleep that you really don’t want to disturb. When you can’t think, let alone Plan A Strategy to sort out the situation …..(where do you start ?)

Cleaning out the cat litter tray or Dealing With The Dog are very gentle preparatory tasks. VERY gentle. I used to work in a busy Intensive Care Unit – sometimes we were dealing with a bed full of **it. This was certainly effective training for the Role Of Carer. How does someone cope who has not received such experience ? Lucky White Heather, eh.

I am Exceedingly Lucky. TH used to work with Specialist Needs Provision Housing. So when we started planning DJ’s downstairs ensuite bedroom (otherwise known as ‘The West Wing’), TH insisted the ‘ensuite’ should be a ‘wet room’. I’d not really knowingly encountered the ‘wet floor concept’ – but I’m now Giving Thanks for TH. To be able to sluice the place down can be kinda useful.

A working washing machine is an item of household equipment to Hold In High Esteem and for which To Give Thanks. Frequently Taken For Granted. Like running hot water, rubber gloves and soap.

When It Needs Done, It Needs Done Quickly. And Efficiently. And Thoroughly.

And when ‘tis done – you can enjoy your coffee (or Tea…….. 6am is a bit early for a Gin and Tonic…..).