MY WEEKEND OF SEPTEMBER 28

On Saturday Mr. G. thought he felt better, men seem not to know themselves. He had agreed to a visit of his friend Pierre who wanted to come in the morning.



Which he did, he showed up at 10 am, bringing a box of the best Belgian chocolates. Unfortunately Mr. G. is not allowed to eat them, because he has a slight diabetes and as Pookie doesn't like chocolate either, I am the happy victim to eat them all !

It was very nice of Pierre to come and see him and they had a lot to discuss. The poor man was happy to escape home, because he has to stay in bed until his wife has cleaned the house (or rather disinfected !) and this every day ! Therefore the visit lasted until it was lunchtime.

Although Mr. G. had enjoyed the visit very much, he faded slowly more and more and when Pierre finally left, he was so exhausted that he hardly could eat something, before he fell into his bed and slept for 3 hours !





I had downloaded his favorite game "Solitaire" on my Kindle so that he could sit in the living room comfortably instead of sitting behind his computer. First of course he refused but then once he had learned how to handle the Kindle he was quiet happy.

Besides resting, there is not much to do, he has to take antibiotics and I have to change his plaster. It's also not so easy for him to eat because the movement of mastication hurts. So on the menu are easy meals with not much to chew and the bread crust I cut off. Everybody says that he looks good.



Before and after !

Which is not at all my case. I avoid the mirror now ! I look like the shadow of myself.

I never thought that this surgery would affect me so much ! I did mechanically and efficiently everything what I had to do, but now the stress comes out and I feel worn out. Mr. G. now is worried about me I had always been the strong woman (at least that's what everybody thought) . Even after 45 years of living together and sometimes just wanting to send him on the moon or to hell, there is a strong bond between us and I just had feared so much to loose him. I dug in the past when we started our life together, the fun we had together, the up and downs, the fights, but still looking back the fun and happiness won over everything else in our couple.

Usually being an optimist, I suddenly surprised myself of thinking how I would organize his funerals and then my life without him. I tried to pull myself together but without a big success.

What had hurt me the most were the harsh words of our son, when I refused that they come this weekend. It really would have been impossible, even if they would have gone into a hotel. We were so tired.  Fortunately I have my very good friends who tried to cheer me up and were very supportive. I can't remember when I was so tired the last time. But life goes on and now the worst is over.

I just did some shopping for food, otherwise I spent my time distracting myself, creating new headers and just relax.



I thought I would need some fresh air, but was unable to walk for a long time so I decided to potter around a bit in our garden. I cut the ivy who invades each corner but couldn't clean it up. No strength left.

In the evening very early we watched a movie together and then he said "how was the movie ?" with a big smile, I had fallen asleep !

Obviously I don't have the strength anymore I used to have to cope with difficult situations. I can't remember that I had these reactions 11 years ago, when Mr. G. had a prostate cancer.

We are getting old but we are getting old together.

On Sunday morning when I got up after an almost sleepless night, I am still not myself. Instead of turning around in my bed, I got up made my post for the photo theme, which I had forgotten, returned to bed and reading my blog friend's posts on my Kindle, helped me to fall asleep again. That doesn't mean that the posts were boring !! Now I really bless this gift my son has offered me for my 70th birthday.

Then I had to play the nurse ! What an operation ! I had to wash his hair which was very sticky from the sterile product they had put on his head. He had to sit on the bathroom floor, which took some time and groaning and  moaning then leaning back his head on a blown up half moon cushion, wash the hairs, squeezed between the toilet and the bath tube, get him up and sat him on a chair to change the plasters. First I took the old once off (he was very brave and didn't say a word) then I saw two scars a small and a longer one with decorative blue yarn stitches covered in dry black looking blood. Thanks to Midsomer murders I was used to this view.  I cleaned it, put a brown looking anti infection liquid on them and then glued the plasters under and besides the ear. Now he looks clean again ! Conclusion,  to a wife's duties also belong nursing knowledge !

After lunch, I went over to Dominique. We had decided to paint together on Sundays when we both have nothing special to do. She has a little atelier which she had arranged for the two of us. There were two easels, two tables and two taborets. The sun was shining in the room which made it very cheerful and we started to paint and chat of course. Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of our nice place. She finished a portrait of a little girl, while I finished my second abstract painting.When we made a break in the garden, Mr. G. showed up too joined in a little chat and laughed about our colored hands



And while Arthur hoped to sneak into the house and watch the budgies in their cage, which of course he didn't manage, I waited that my painting was dry and then returned home. I felt much better and relaxed. Painting is an excellent therapy. Mr. G. was happy too he had spent the afternoon laying on the sofa and playing solitaire on my Kindle. After supper at 8 pm, he was so tired that he went to bed.

I think it will take some time until he fully recovers from a surgery which had lasted 4 hours where he was under anesthesia.

Tomorrow starts another week and I feel my energy coming back ! 

FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

1.The week started with the preparation of the entry of Mr. G. into Hospital ! He had a benign growth under the skin just besides the carotid and the doctor preferred to take it out. So on the sofa in his office he stocked all things he would take along for a 4 day stay in hospital. I mean besides a pajama some underwear and a bathrobe you don't need anything more. But when I looked on the sofa I got the impression that he will go on holidays for at least a week ! The cats were happy and slept all on the fresh laundry leaving generously their hairs. I told him he can't go with cat hairs to a hospital, and that I had to prepare fresh clothes now, but he said it wouldn't matter, a few cat hairs wouldn't disturb. No comment ! The whole day was very hectic, of course he was stressed so I shut up and was a good punching ball.

2. On Thursday morning at 6.30 am I drove him to the hospital. It once had been a little local hospital when we moved to Waterloo and now had been taken over by another big one and had been extended and extended so that it had become enormous. The entrance was closed, we were too early. So we stood there with the different bags and I thought it is easier to go into Ford Knox then into this clinic. Suddenly we saw a a huge Harley Davidson arriving with a guy all dressed in black leather and a black helmet, and I feared, with the luck I have lately, we will certainly be shot and our belongings stolen. The guy got off his bike, took off his helmet and said that he was a doctor and that he would let us in with his badge ! We followed him and not one single human being was in view. The reception also was closed. We sat down and waited. Mr. G. got more and more nervous and I absorbed his stress like a sponge. At 7 sharp, the reception opened and we could get the papers done for the National Health insurance and could finally go into his room on the 4th floor. There the door to the "section North" was closed too. I rang a bell and after a while the door opened from alone. A very friendly nurse showed us into his room. Maybe I should explain that all rooms only have two beds not more. In some other hospitals there are sometimes 3 beds but that's in mostly very old hospitals. We have an extra hospitalization insurance to get a single bed room.






The room was very pleasant, very modern with a huge bathroom and had a nice view on the fields (except the electric installations) The nurse was slightly surprised when she saw the bags, gave him a nightgown and told him what to do or rather not to do, while I unpacked and put his belongings in the closet. Then I kissed him goodbye and left the hospital.  First I had to sit down on a bench to calm down ! Then I drove home and waited for 4 hours to finally get the good news that the surgery had went well. Our son had sent a few sms to ask about news, which comforted me as I felt less alone. During the morning my friends called too and asked me out for a restaurant but I couldn't swallow a single thing.

In the afternoon finally I could go and see him.

As it was early I stopped at Nicole's and we sat on her terrace in the sunshine and had a NA beer. (non alcoholic)



Her dog Charlie tried to distract me playing in the rubbles of the terrace which was in full repair.
And then I left and only got lost twice in this huge hospital and found my man decorated with tubes and connected to all kind of things. First thing when he saw me, he complained that he was hungry and nobody wanted to give him something to eat. That was a good sign. The only thing which worried him was not me or our son or anybody else, but Kim our cat which I had to take to the groomer in the morning, which already had left me exhausted, because catching her alone and put her in the carrier is a very difficult work ! After having listened to his complaints I returned home, fell on the sofa and wanted to cry I was so exhausted. Finally I could let myself go and relax. In the evening our son called and proposed to come this weekend, which I found really adorable that he worried so much about his father, but for a visit with his family would have been far too early. I am completely worn out and need a few days rest.  Mr. G. anyway, will probably spend the day in his bed. I suggested the weekend after when we are both feeling better.

3. the next day in the afternoon I went with Dominique to visit him. He was in a very good shape, feeling well and of course hungry. He had told me that I shouldn't bring anything to eat as he would get out the next day. So I came with nothing.



The King was not happy about that because I should have brought something. So I went to the hospital shop and bought a sandwich (which of course was not the right one) Poor Dominique tried to calm him down and proposed to buy some cookies, which he didn't want either.



After the visit we went to a store, she needed some things and I needed colors for my paintings and came out with this beautiful lamp after the motto make yourself some pleasure !

4. The next morning fortunately I had my painting class and of course everybody wanted to know about Mr. G. I called him to know how he was and he told me that he is waiting for the doctor to know if he can leave the hospital already.



I have  no idea if this these sudden worries in my life brought me into another direction of painting, but the cat painting I had almost finished I  hated suddenly, so I took the largest brush I had and just painted without thinking, making fun of myself and telling that I am liberating myself ! The result was rather surprising for everybody the teacher and I included and she told me to leave it like that, and to continue to "liberate myself" whatever that means ! The last cat painting above remains unfinished ! (for the moment)

5. I bought some grapes and cheese for the man and food for the cats before I collapsed on the sofa and watched a crime story, while I ate my toast some cheese and an apple.

I just had finished when I got another phone call from my son still insisting to come this weekend ! Men have no imagination ! How can I clean the guest room where Dominique's budgies have housed and the floor is full of grains  while I was in France, change the bed linen which the last guest had used, and the bathroom, not to talk about the meals and things to buy which usually we never buy, in the state of exhaustion I am ? And then risk to hear that the room is not clean ? And on top of that running around to fulfill the wishes of his highness ? I just hung up I couldn't speak anymore I needed my spray for the asthma attacks which I get occasionally when I am very excited. I mean the intention was very kind, but we wouldn't be able to enjoy their visit and the little grandson.

Then I drove to the hospital still a little breathless, Mr. G. already waited for me, kissed the nurses good bye and then we left. The afternoon ended with a cheerful Mr. G. and a half dead Mrs.G. But at 8 pm he suddenly became very tired and went to bed. This was the moment when I woke up ! 

I also got good news, tomorrow we have to go to sign the contract for my new car and maybe I will get it next week ! 

PS. This oh, so busy week is also the reason that I was unable to read my friends blogs and comment. Sorry for that.