Sunday 17 January 2016

A Special Person

It's a bit of a ramble, but another several 'day's in the life'.

We were due to go back to work on the 11th, the day after my birthday, after a longer than usual Christmas break. There had been almost constant rain and storms up until then, but also we had both gone down with bad coughs. Around my birthday my temperature was between 100 and 103 for nearly four days, and this pretty much wiped me out.

It was also at this time that Celia was admitted rather hurriedly into hospital, and fighting a bad cough it was game on for Amanda, as she started to try and make some headway into work, and at the same time attend to both me and her mother. It was a difficult time for her, but she hung on in there and all went like clockwork.

With the help of antibiotics, I mostly recovered, and just seemed to still have a bit of a cough, and so we decided to really make a start at tackling the huge amount of work that needed to be done. Forty gardens to tidy up, and eleven planting schemes in January alone. That evening we both managed to bring Celia home from hospital for her to recuperate further. All seemed well and both of us were almost fully recovered.

We had decided to head out on Friday 15th, and take things a little easy on that day and the next, just to make sure we didn't push thing's too far at this point. It was a very cold morning, and we started with a cup of tea at the Haven Ferry, before heading to the first job that would entail mostly blowing storm damage rubbish, a little planting, and the fleecing of some frost tender plants.

The blowing started off OK, and the heavy knapsack made no impact on me at all, but I new that something had gone wrong, and badly, when I bent down to refill with petrol. I only just got the filler cap back on as I was gasping for breath and had to sit down or pass out. I will never forget the look on Amanda's face as she came rushing over. She made me stay where I was while she finished that particular piece of work. I felt stupid, and put it down to breathing in too much cold air suddenly.

Twenty minutes later I felt 'recovered', and we decided to try and carry on. I felt strange, and once again Amanda took on the huge task of tidying up the entire place, while I made a start on replanting some of the pots. I pulled out six small blue salvias, and was again gasping for breath. It was scary, and I made it back to the van and sat there trying to get enough oxygen in. Amanda, seeing me like this, quickly stopped all work, loaded up the van and took me straight to the doctors. I felt useless, angry, nervous both for myself, but mainly what this would mean for my wife who was already stretched too far both physically and mentally.

We have a remarkable NHS, and it's something that I cannot ever praise enough. I was put straight to the front of the queue, and saw a doctor within minutes. There was an ECG, blood pressure and oxygen levels taken, lot's of questions, and a final conclusion that maybe the chest infection hadn't fully cleared. A diagnosis that didn't fully put my mind at ease, as up until the days work I had become able to take all of the Christmas decorations down and also tackle the clearing of the studio at the end of the garden. A course of stronger antibiotics are now being taken, and for the moment even making a cup of tea has me hurriedly finding somewhere to sit and gasp. Despite two of our closest relatives driving all of the way from Looe to see how Celia was doing, I spent the entire evening asleep on the sofa, as Amanda, by now thoroughly worn out from the days trials, and then attending to her mum, held court and sat with them in the kitchen for several hours. I partially woke at times, to hear conversation and laughter coming from the kitchen, and made the decision to doze a little more and then head through. Sadly I missed them completely, as they set off back for home, a long drive back. It all took it's toll on Amanda, and she was totally wiped out when she came through and gently woke me with a cup of tea.

The following morning, she went to work, and with the help of Rebecca, managed to get through three of our larger and most important properties, before going to get some food and cooking dinner as well. I still feel useless, and it is hard, very hard to see the pressure she is under. I try to help with any menial tasks, but simply cannot, at this point anyway.

It's Sunday morning now, and I have managed to make her a cup of tea and give it to her in bed with a fraction less gasping. She has slept solidly for twelve hours straight. I wish I could do so much more. After the previous weeks storms it's going to be one of the toughest times of the year for us, but particularly for Amanda. She has a whole week on her own coming up, and it's going to test her to the limit, while I just lounge around the house. She has remained so upbeat, loving and 'jokey' through all so far, really quite astonishing, as I can see the fatigue in her eyes, and know how nervous she is about the whole work thing. I don't know what I would do without her, and pray that I will never have to.

It's going to be a Sunday of afternoon films and yet more resting, and can you believe it, Amanda has even bought the makings of a roast dinner. I will maintain tea duty if I can, and try not to let my health situation piss me off too much.


22 comments:

  1. It's amazing what one can achieve if appreciated and supported!
    I hope you are soon better and I hope Amanda can get herself a good rest before everything falls over!

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  2. Thanks Kylie. Testing times.

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  3. Sounds to me like you need a good long rest. Exerting oneself after illness is never a good idea. The chest is much more delicate than one imagines. Best wishes to you both.

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    1. I wish I could say that I did exert myself Cro. But yes, the chest would appear to be a tricky place.

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  4. You are a little too young for this chest thing to be so " difficult" are you going tosee a chest physician at the hospital?

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    1. Docs again on Tuesday John, and am seeing a good one who listens. I made it the twenty feet from the house today, to take the fleece of our Echium, just in time to collapse on the sofa gasping for air again, so need some help.

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    2. Doctor (who now I don't trust, said to leave it a couple of weeks to see if it clears up. Seeing a doctor I trust tomorrow and will push for every test going. Still no change at the mo though.

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  5. You are so lucky to have a wonderful person like Amanda in your life.I hope you will be ok soon.

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    1. Her strength never ceases to amaze me Yael.

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  6. May you both get the rest you need and may the days ahead be uneventful so you can catch up. Blessings to Amanda.

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  7. You and Amanda are in my prayers. You that your illness will go away and soon. For Amanda that she will be given the strength she needs to do all that she has laid on her to do. Bless her heart.

    God's love, peace, joy and healing for you, Amanda and Celia.

    FlowerLady

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  8. Thanks Lorraine, We do need help from above with this.

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  9. I am sorry that you are ill again Gary, I know how frustrated you must be. Reading your life it a little like reading about ours. Tom was always ill with various things, 3 different blood clots on the lung, hernia, appenicitis, heart attack etc but we pulled through it all just like you both will and you will be so much stronger together for it.
    I hope they soon sort you out, I'm sure they will and until then try to rest. Let's hope the next post is a positive one.
    Hugs
    Briony
    x

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  10. I've got my bossy voice on, can you hear it? DON'T overdo things after illness as that's when you can really cause long term problems; the body takes time to heal and it is telling you now, in no uncertain terms, that you need to rest. Surely clients will understand and there is nothing in any of their gardens that can't wait a while in this miserable weather. I hope that you will soon be feeling fighting fit and able to resume work properly but for now just LIE DOWN, SLEEP OR READ A GOOD BOOK!

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  11. I hope the stronger antibiotics have an effect. It must be awful for you to feel helpless.

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  12. We missed you but are praying for the whole situation, keep on keeping on!

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  13. Wishing both you and Amanda all the best. Keep strong.

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  14. I'm so sorry I didn't see this sooner, Gary. You both are in my prayers. ♥

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  15. hey Gary,
    I know you could be ill, in hospital or whatever right now but if you are able to let us know how you are doing, I'm keen to hear

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  16. Catching up here. So sorry for all this. Big lesson for all, anyone who has trouble breathing, especially gasping/falling down has to IMMEDIATELY be taken to ER. My mother died of a heart attack in less than 2 minutes.You are so blessed to have Amanda,and I understand how she needs help doing all this manual work.I hope you have some family/friends to hire in the meantime. Praying over here for you both .

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