VEGIMITE!!

Mark56; o)

OHHHhhhhh..... like black BEANS. Ewwwwww

Naw, black beans with just the right touch of roasted green chilis make a nice addition to the palate.

Yum,
Mark56

Actually jackiey it was .. Drive down for 5 hours .. Spend from 2 till 11 the next day then drive home another 5 hours, an absolute killer. If my father in law wasn't dying we would only do this trip once a year .. If that, because it's done more damage to my back. We have been down three times since June and it's killing me.

Right at this moment I can't even imagine doing it again, so I hope he hangs in there a bit more as I can't face another journey.

Hi Karen,

I'm glad you're home all safe and sound so now you can rest in your own bed with an extra Tramadol and please God you won't have to drive thar distance again for a good long time. How long would it take you to drive to the sea where you are? Nothing like sea air I love it too! Is it possible to fly down so you don't have to drive, hire a car.

I must say I hada good laugh reading our Mark's, Rae's & Joan's interpretation of the full English breakfast! Bubble & Squeek, hate it myself but can you still get that with a breakfast? It definitely doesn't come with the full Irish and no baked beans either but I do love my Clonakility Black pudding (made with meat and cooked in cows blood, sound awful but yummy), white pudding, some back rashers of bacon and a sausage. Very nice but I could only have it when go away for a weekend. Not good for the waistline or the arteries!

I hope you're Dad in law comes throughthis awful
Illness,

Love Sinead xxx

Vegemite - you can't blame that on the Irish or Brits, Mark. I've never had that yeasty taste treat, and never plan to!

Black beans - love 'em. Can eat them straight out of the can plain.

Black pudding - thought it tasted like sweat.

I hope your father-in-law starts doing better Saffy. Sorry that this has been so hard on you.

Sadly he's only receiving palliative care and has signed the Do Not Resuscitate forms. He has his "Just in case" meds in the fridge and Pauline (his wife) received the hospital bed yesterday and he has agreed that it would be easier for him to have a catheter instead of tiring himself out getting up to go to the loo each night.

This last visit was heart wrenching. We'd only been down about three weekends prior to that 20th August I think it was .. and he was sat in the garden and although he went to bed, he got up later and sat waching a little TV with us before heading off to bed again.

Within a week the cancer gremlins had taken over and he is now still fighting, but a losing a battle I'm afraid.

I told Mike he had to go down this last week because it might be the last time he has a chance to have a coherent talk with his Dad.

He is sleeping a lot. Mike was content to just sit beside his Dad, saying nothing, just being there. Yet his brother who lives only 40 minutes away rarely comes over and his sister (Mike's siblings) who is unemployed and lives 15 minutes away hardly rings and only comes when she wants cash .. now Ray is in bed, she can't get the cash, so isnt visiting.

I think Ray knows how good Mike is .. and what a good son he is. He gave him his favourite watch on Wednesday when we got there ..

On Thursday when we arrived after breakfast, Pauline was in a state because Ray was staring to have an anxiety attack and she had put a Lithiumm tablet under his tongue as they said to do. WHen she woke his lips had turned blue and she thought at first that that was it .. but it was the die from the tablet. Also, because he wasnt drinking, the dehydration made the4 effects of the Lithium stronger, so on the Wednesday when we left, Ray was virtually unable to speak.

I hugged him and said .. Hey Ray, it's Karen .. he kept saying Sorry I'm like this Karen, sorry.

Thankfully, when Friday came around he was a lot better, so Pauline has now asked for something other than Lithium for the anxiety .. like a liquid that you wipe on the inside of his mouth then massage in?

He can't remember anything about Thursday other than Pauline saying RAY, RAY all the time .. and he remembers me kissing him.

It's totally drained me .. plus .. after 6 months I finally get a period ...yayy .. (sorry Mark ... girlie talk) and that's floored me.

As the generation of our parents nears its close, it is hard, very hard to bear, and see the decline. My Dad is several years into Alzheimers, and is childlike in his relation to us, often wondering who we are. Gonna go celebrate his 80th birthday next weekend with him and Mom, a long drive, AND a drive I never would have made during the time of my most severe pain- a place in which you now find yourself. May you recover from this journey and reach equilibrium in handling your pain in the meantime as the exacerbation of travelling rigors wear off. I am so sad for you both as to the pain and the condition of your father-in-law. Praying for comfort for the lot of you.
Mark56zz

Saffy that breakfast looks good!

...... I think I'd prefer to eat the CAN

Karen, I hold you and Mike up in prayer during this very sad time.
Your efforts and sacrifices are not in vain. I'm sure Mike has a very special place in his father's heart.
Just being by his side like you have been speaks volumes.
A time like this can certainly spark pain flares. I pray that this not be the case with you. Please get the rest you need, especially after the long trip.

My heart goes out to you and your entire family....
God's Peace

Rae