Sunday, January 21, 2007

Going back up

After visiting yesterday, and having a much more relaxed evening sitting knitting in front of the tv with the cats, I feel much better about things. Also, I had a phone call from a former student, now a member of a nearby guild, who had heard the news, and wanted to tell me that she had had a heart attack ten years ago and just look at her now!

This is the sort of thing that we are both finding so amazingly helpful; first the utter thoughtfulness and kindness of all sorts of people, but the if they share these experiences with us, it helps us so much to feel even more positive about the outcome. We are never be able to thank them adequately - just pay it forward, I guess.

So, yesterday arrived an enormous bouquet of flowers from his co-workers. Really and truly, I knew that it was way to big to take in to the ward. Really. It honestly wasn't that I wanted to hijack it.....Anyway, I took a photo of them to show him.

flowers

So I also took one of his boys so that he could see that they were behaving just as usual.

boys as usual

And while I had the camera in there, I took one of him.

himself

Pretty good, eh? Now that I look at it, I can see the anxiety around the eyes, but I do think he is entitled. I am enormously proud of him, his attitude is brilliant, quite well aware that this is the "easy" bit, but acknowledging the problems that might be ahead whilst at the same time being very positive. He now has knitting - gloves, and he has finished off the first he had been working on; a spindle with plenty of fluff; suitable books and magazines, including lots of Sodukos (sp??); and at the moment, both of my ipods, to which he is rapidly becoming addicted. I am graciously loaning him my nano, filled with everything from my library that I though he might like - ranging from Donna Leon to Jane Austen. He can recharge it at his bedside, phone too, although he isn't using that.

His mother is being amazing, too - talk about two peas in a pod. She phones him every night, laying on the poor, frail little old lady of 91, so very far away in Cornwall bit, even phoning back when put off by over-officious staff. And then she phones me, to make sure that I am ok.

Which I am, well, not too bad anyhow. I did clean the oven last night, so obviously I am not quite as relaxed as I might be......But one good thing, I saw a card in town for someone doing spring cleaning, ironing and odd jobs, so I am going to contact them tomorrow and get something set up. I can indulge in having everything made really shipshape, and then cope fine on a day to day basis.

I have reached the heel on the first sock, so progress there too. I was looking at my wheel last night, but couldn't summon up the energy. Maybe tonight, who knows.

Now to hang on in there until Tuesday.

2 comments:

Sara said...

Thank you! Nice to see a normal looking photo, not sickly and all full of wires. Did bring on the tears again though, you are both *still* too far away.

Take care of yourself, give him my love,

S.

Marie said...

Carol, you are amazing and coping so much better than I did. I could do nothing while Bob was in the hospital. Pete looks wonderful. What a smile. Infectious. My thoughts continue for both of you.