Still feel no better this morning myself, but DB is doing well.

DB has always thrived on helping others, being the person to turn to for advice & our young lodger seems to be helping him considerably with rebuilding of his confidence and finding the will to do things around the home which have sat there unattended to for eons. He doesn't sugar coat his history, he tells about the stupid things he's done, the anger, the obliteration. Yesterday they got stuck into prepping & oiling the deck. She said the day before she would help him, they both woke early & as is DB want, he'll talk about it for an hour, have a cuppa, fall asleep and the day will pass him bye. Yesterday he was aware by 9am she was hanging around ready to get going so he changed up a gear, got his tush outside and they started the work. He said what motivated him was he could see she was really wanting to get the jobs done so when I come home from hospital there will be little for me to worry over. She even said I have to clean the house and he said, no it's ok you did it on Sunday, her answer was yes but AP will be home hopefully by Friday and I want everything clean for her.

Lodgers mum thanked DB for the positive influence she can see he is having on her daughter. She says she has had more real & meaningful conversations with her daughter since August 28th than she has had in years (28th day she moved in) & she can see how her daughter has grown within herself, the ability to handle conflict, the positive choices she seems to be making in life, seemingly more confident & not 2nd guessing everything she does. DB just said to her it's early days, so long as you know she's safe, not out on the street, won't go hungry or be taken advantage of & we will do our best to keep her emotionally stable.

The ex el creepo boss rang her last week and asked if she will do 2-3 days a week. Work is very hard to find atm, particularly for a young non apprenticed painter & decorator so she took him up on it but with some proper parameters in place. Ie starts at 7.30 works to 3.30 if he doesn't get there until 11 she is still paid from 7.30. Not to have her to use her phone and credit to contact his clients & then tell her off for using her phone. Not to go off at her because she doesn't feel like eating lunch, not to treat her like one of the boys and discuss things with her that would make a lady or lad of the night blush. DB said to lodgers mum, don't worry, he knows what I do for a job & now he knows she's living under our roof in her own wing he's not likely to try anything further with her.
One day at a time...

I have seen Harsha's no.2 his RMO. I am am off for yet another CT scan. They took more bloods this morning, my haemoglobin has gone up and the infection numbers have gone down. All good news. Now they just have to find out what this thing is that's seems to be growing the size of a food table. RMO thinks it's another haematoma- quite likely the one I mentioned yesterday, sealed itself off and growing away quite merrrily in its own and without the infected blood supply. She said it is very hard and may require lancing as did the other one, but not today, not today!!!.

I know I've said this before but she has to be the most beautiful femaile doctor I have ever laid eyes on. And yet her boss gives her so much grief, he treats her like Shiite. I wonder maybe because she is so beautiful she was expected to be the good girl married off into a wealthy family (arranged marriage) and do nothing other than have babies and entertain. This child due in 6 or so weeks will be her 3rd and she will have then 3 babies all under the age of three. She is very determined, very knowledgeable. She keeps thanking me because I keep saying you should be doing this that and the other, to accomodate for your pregnancy and you most definitely should not be down on your hands and knees taking blood from my ankles.... and while she does this no one steps forward to help her up. I know she is foreign and this is a catholic hospital but gosh, I'm C of E, it shouldn't make any difference....

I'm sure it's needless to say, but I hope DB keeps a good eye on the girl's boss. He sounds like the absolute worst. Maybe he should drop her off at her job one day, so things are clear with Mr. Creep?

Also, recognizable on how some of us are much better (and feel better) when we can help others, even though we're not always good at helping ourselves.

The lancing stuff (that gave me wobbly legs) does not sound like fun at all, but infection down is good news any way you look at it. Oh, and the racism they show towards the doc... it's ugly, very ugly.

It sounds to me that DB and your lodger have a great relationship. Not only are they, in different ways, working together to support you but they can have honest discussions with each other. I hope that DB can keep an eye on Mr Creepy - Wide-O's suggestion of him driving her to her work is a good one.

The is excellent that your haemoglobin and infection are improving . That is awful about how the female RMO is being treated - sadly, male medicos still have a lot to learn.

Haha, DB turned up to pick A up from work, he got there at 3.45, she was quietly packing up. The boss kicking out back with a beer with the client. It's a very clear agreement A works from 7.30 to 15.30 & is paid the correct wage, as she is not indentured (el creepo) didn't register her with the governing body paperwork in the first place 6 months ago but she only found out August 28th he cannot pay legally her the apprentice wage $14.10 an hour, so he weezled his way round it by saying to her oh you are a casual worker & instead only entitled to a casual hourly wage. So unbeknown to him & her today I did some research & she is entitled to approx $19 p/hr.

DB arrived with Bono, the long retired dog, but who soothes lodgers soul & she him. At 4pm El creepo sauntered round out front beer in hand demanding to know what A thought she was doing packing up. DB stepped round with the dog who snarled loudly, DB said, well Mick I'm here to take her home & to visit Pam in hospital, Pam wants her to sign some FWA papers & something about MPA - not sure what. DB laughed quietly to himself as el creepo backtracked & said oh sure now then is the previous bank account still correct, I think I pay you $18.10 per hour, maybe Pam could check it for you. DB said oh don't you worry she already has, it's $19.10 per hour for hours worked & you've agreed in writing (Pam has the text) 3 days per week 07.30-15.30, you will pick her up, but if you want you change that established practice you'll give a minimum of 10 days notice & you will no longer have A use her phone or credit your conduct your business. I've picked her up today to make sure she felt safe, your hands on her knee in the truck this morning made her feel uncomfortable. But if you're ok with it due can bring zbono to work with her. (Won't happen but he don't know that) DB reckons he saw a trace of urine lol, particularly when El creepo crapped himself when he found out even though I'm in hospital I'd been in contact with FWA (fair work australia) MPA (Master Painters Association).

I think she'll be ok for a bit, all she needs is 3 months to get her through until Feb 1 when she returns to TAFE. & her old lecturer rang her this afternoon & said if you can keep weed free I'll give you a job FIFO & apprenticeship. She's quite excited, I think if she can get through these months she'll survive without pot.

Given the job DB does, El creepo spitefully said to DB you should know she smokes pot every day. DB said I know, she keeps away from the active dog & only goes near him once does showered, washed her hair and then wears AP old clothes. DB said I have no reason to distrust her, my dogs are good judges of character. Bono who is terrified of people & will attack if pushed in a corner idolises her, but he doesn't like you Mick, don't like you....

I've been laughing ever since he told me. My old Job and knowledge comes in handy every now & then... I think DB and the dog was the icing though - she may not have a long term job, but it's enough to have some cash coming through until Xmas & she can regain some independence. Im proud of her & oh DB

"don't like you Mick, don't like you..." BWAHAHAHAH!

Excellent. Dissing out justice even from a hospital bed, good on you both.

Heh, I never thought about the pot & active dog. Probably still could notice even after showers etc.

Our doggies are poor judges of character (I think) because they love all humans that come here. Or other dogs. Or cats. Friends in Paris have a Labrador as well, same age as our oldest. Just got word he passed away. 13.5 years is a nice age for a Lab. Patsy is nearing the end too, in 2 months she'll be 14, maybe she'll make it.

This is her last week. The nicest dog you could ever meet.

My what a Beauty she would have been in her prime. We're lucky, we haven't told A, dddog#1 is play reward trained to actively sit on product not odour. And the new ones coming in A January will also be trained on product only, not odour. Our older dogs, they were food reward trained and trained on odour. So for example, say you went to visit a facility by the public bus provided and 3 days before you a sweaty person sat on that chair and had just had a spliff, the dogs would indicate on that, while it was a neat parlour trick it would get frustrating for the boys. Quite often while they'd indicate on odour the next but 1 person would carry product & they'd get it through that way while the dog & handler caught up in paperwork. So as long as she thinks she can't go near the dogs if she's been smoking, she is smoking less and less. We also have the issue of me, I never carry my " pill purse" anywhere near dd#1. We are extremely conscious of it and all it entails so do our utmost to ensure he has no cross contamination. Bono was very good with his nose, but his fear of people after his beating ruined him as a DD. Bronson despite suffering a broken leg & then attacked a broke base of his tail has a good nose and will never let anything get between him and his food. Bono on the other hand would starve. But what they don't know won't hurt. Of course if she is still smoking by January DB will have to put his foot down. Roof over your head, clean & safe, money in your pocket & a good job. But the dogs are his livliehood and these are 2 new ones to be trained, he will not want the slightest possibility of muddy water.

Gotcha, a good incentive, no need to tell her. And he would be right to put his foot down.

In her prime, she looked like this... all muscle and zero fat, despite eating like a small army.

Thank you for sharing, what a beauty she was, and even though considerably older, still is. They are our babies aren't they.

They sure are. Just to distract you, here she is with one of our cats. At one point, we had 2 dogs, 6 cats, a turtle outside in a pond, and a bunch of fish in a bigger pond.

We now only have 1 cat left next to the dogs/turtle/fish, but... we have a parrot since 3 years. And as amazing as dogs are - and I am truly fascinated by their behaviour, intelligence, kindness - a parrot takes it up a nudge. And animal that says "See you later" when you put on your shoes, or "Goodnight" when it wants to go to sleep, or "Tasty, huh?" when you are eating... it's weird. He knows about 60 words & sounds that make sense, he can laugh, cough (parrots do not cough...), order the dogs around.

He naturally became the boss of everyone in the house (and I often think, that includes us), he's extremely funny, mischievous, and... loves petting more than any other critter we have (and I can even pet the fish).

Animals are awesome.