Lockdown Diary - Friday 25th June 2021

Work dominates the day from the off: I have to do some work for the course I'm on, primarily because my team mates have not.  It's raining out, which means I'm deferring walking until later in the day.

Work dominates...

I have a brief early morning interlude in the course while I grab some Killing Joke tickets for next year which went on sale at 10:00. Success! Another gig booked

Back to work...

It's been a long day and it's gone 5 p.m., so I'm bringing work to a close. Before I drink wine I'm off for a walk with son #2, who kindly agrees to accompany me.  I must confess if he hadn't agreed to join me the lure of the wine might have won out over the walk.

Back from the walk and glad to have done it, but now I can open the wine with a clear conscience. Just as we entered the door my wife's PEG pump started bleeping. The feed is empty.  We've switched to a new feed which is lower in calories but higher in fibre, the only difference being she needs the entire bottle not just 600ml. The consequence is that it flows at a higher rate - initially 100ml an hour - but because the gap between the first carer call, when the feed is started, to the last is unpredictable that rate means the feed is finished before the final carer call of the day. We've lowered the rate to 95 ml/hour, but even that is too fast, so now from tomorrow I'll reset to 90 ml/hour, which hopefully should do the trick. You might ask, 'so what if the feed finishes early?' - the problem is that the feed could solidify in the PEG tube into her stomach, and if the tube blocks it could need to be replaced either at home or, worst case, in hospital.  In theory, between meds and feed and after feed, you are meant to flush with water to prevent blockages etc.  I can do that (and have done) but it all gets a bit complicated with volumes etc, especially when the carers are probably no more than 5 or 10 minutes away.  Not to mention if I'm not there, I'm not sure how confident the boys are of doing this on their own.  If the carers are too long, I will disconnect the pump and flush the PEG with water.

In the event they arrive in time. We discuss the feed rate and I tell them I'll be reducing with tomorrow morning's first carer.

We're still not quorate this evening and once son #3 and I have made dinner, three of eat together and watch a WILTY.  Son #1 is not due back from his gf's until after 11 p.m., but we've saved him some dinner.

It will be the same for the next two nights as this time son #3 is away for a couple of nights to spend time with his gf.

For me it's tidying up then sleep.

Sleaford Mods / 'Mork 'n Mindy' / 'Spare Ribs' 



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