Appointment Follow-Up

It has been very hot here. At least hot for these parts though I know in many parts of the USA and other countries it can get much hotter.

All week we've had temperatures of about 35 Celsius at the local airport. That usually means a few degrees hotter where I live. I've had the fans going night and day, am wearing very loose cotton clothing and very lazy to do anything but drink cold water, eat lightly and read a good book. So I finished The Known World.

I didn't quite know what to expect from this book. I would say it was quite eye opening for someone like me who didn't grow up in the South.  Though I have seen various movies and read various books, watched different interviews about slavery, etc. I can always stand to learn more about the slave trade and what life must have been like for slaves and their families.  I would recommend it if you haven't already read it. I believe in educating oneself about different issues affecting our world.

I have also been preoccupied this weekend by the passing of an older cousin of mine, and by issues pertaining to my mother's health (pressure wounds) and on going wheelchair issues.

My cousin is the eldest daughter of my aunt who died a couple of years ago.  My aunt's funeral was the last family funeral I attended and I won't be able to make it to this one either due to the very long journey.  It is so sad as you see your elders passing. Not only for those left behind but because the family becomes smaller to those of us who are older. There are so many younger relatives that I've never met and will likely never meet. I never thought that would ever happen.

Mom's wheelchair stopped on Monday. Again! This is like the 5th or 6th time since she first came into possession of it in January 2014. It seems a screw fell out after the chair was "bumped".  Loss of the screw affected the tilting mechanism and more, which rendered her chair unusable. The mechanic couldn't make a service visit until Tuesday.  When I talked to mom Tuesday night she said the staff told her that she would be out of bed early on Wednesday and that the chair had been fixed.  These days she is usually in bed every other day all day to alleviate the pressure on her sores. She is then supposed to be turned on her side every few hours to help with the healing process.

Also on Monday, the nurse practitioner performed a treatment on mom by opening up her wounds to have a look below and see what is going on.

The good news is that the healing of the wounds below seems to have progressed over the past 6 months. That means the staff and nurses will continue doing what they are doing to treat the wounds.
That was great news to me because I wasn't sure what they would find.

However, I didn't get the promised phone call about a rescheduled appointment with the doctor after the original appointment got cancelled last week. I called today to get an update.  The appointment is now set for August 19th at 8:30 a.m.  This means a day trip is out of the question.  But between now and August 19th it is possible that her wounds will heal well enough that the doctor's appointment may not even be necessary.  They will assess the situation about a week in advance of the new appointment.

It means I won't be seeing mom for another month or more so I have to prepare another care package. She is always in need of over the counter items from the drug store, some food and items of clothing. I don't know why but it seems like mom always needs or wants something that is very hard to find.  She doesn't do that deliberately. It is just how it works out.  It means more time is required to hunt things down for her before they can be delivered.   I also have her clothing repairs to do but will send those later when I have time and energy to do the mending. Besides, right now it is too hot to sit at a sewing machine.

I have a question for those of you out there who are cooks. 

I'm wondering what you do on very hot days for meals so that you don't overheat your kitchen?

It is supposed to be back to rain here by Saturday but in the meantime we have several hot days ahead. It will be fun to read how you deal with hot weather meals.  On that note I am heading out soon to buy some watermelon. I love it but I am only supposed to eat a small amount due to the high sugar content.