You are having an absolutely horrendous run, stawka. I hope that things improve greatly for everyone from here on in.

Oh wow Stawka, that must have all been scary. Hope His Lordship continues to recover well and that your daughter's partner's surgery goes smoothly.

@imastawka

That’s horrifying, stawka. I hope both gentlemen recover fully and without complications.

At least your finger situation is going along quite well.

🙏🏻

Arvo all. A scroller......

Good to see Ichabod is looking after the Countess (and vice versa).

It's been an eventful couple of months. My finger has healed well - no scarring at all. There is no pain, for which I'm grateful. There wasn't really any pain once the anaesthetic wore off. I've had to re-learn how to do things without using my middle finger, and it's still a learning curve as it's my dominant hand. Funnily enough I get phantom pain/sensation where there is no finger. The nerve endings are still announcing their presence.

No sooner was my finger on track, I had to call an ambulance early morning on the 14th for his lordship. He couldn't breathe. He does not have asthma. Within 5 minutes the ambulance came and then the MICA 3 minutes later. He was having a heart attack. So off to intensive care. His lungs were filling with fluid. They did an angiogram but could find no blockages. They sent him home after 5 days with a truckload of medication. They did not find any reason for the fluid intake. He's doing well and has lost some weight (which is for the better). If he puts on 2 kg in 2 days then he is storing fluid and has to go back.

That takes us to about the 24th September when my daughter's partner was raced off to hospital with a heart attack. He'd previously had stents and a balloon inserted 6 years ago. He now needs 3 more stents, and his surgery is scheduled for next week.

Everyone is fine and well, but it has been a scary journey for all.

Hope everyone is doing better than this household.

I appreciate the kindness and encouraging words more than I can say.

And Ichabod is truly a very loving cat. He curls up near me, follows me, listens to me when I launch a monologue at him…

@springyzone The vexed question of tree root damage from neighbours’ trees…! It isn’t straightforward. You have the right to deal with roots that encroach into your property but if your dealings damage or kill the tree, you’re responsible. If the roots cause damage, you will need to get a report from tree expert / arborist, and provide quotations for repairs… It’s always best to try and work it out in a friendly way with the neighbour (and best of all if the discussion is precautionary rather than after the fact of damage). Neighbour does need to KNOW the damage is being caused to be held responsible.

So … I would think neighbourly discussion is the way to go, with follow-up email or letter to confirm everything in writing. (Keep copies.) If the neighbours don’t do anything, well, that will undoubtedly be a pain. (I had damaged rear fence due to right-rear neighbours’ trees. It took a lot of persistent gentle persuasion over their laissez-faire nothingness before that was resolved.)

@ambercat16

Same. I often wonder how everyone is.

I think, compared to some others, I have a relatively easy run on the boards with only occasional error messages. So while it is reasonably functional for me, I will keep using it.

I am grateful in some ways that ebay even supports a board as I have been on other boards that have been scrapped or gone under.

@countessalmirena I hope you are taking care of yourself. You have had quite a few years where you have been a carer in a lot of ways and I know it can be hard to adjust when big changes happen in your life.

-imastawka, hope you are recovering well.

I've been worrying about something lately and maybe someone here will know the answer.

We are on a biggish block compared to most house blocks today.

The neighbours on one side have a couple of very big trees. I believe the roots of these trees have damaged our above ground pool.

What has been happening is one section/support has been rising slightly each year and I was outside a few weeks back and looked at it and noticed it has gone up a fair bit so now 2 supports are rising.
I am pretty sure it is from the roots of the neighbour's trees.
The trouble is, just beyond the pool there are pipes. I am not sure what they carry but I have seen the easement on a map, it goes diagonally down to the corner.

A few weeks back, the storm water drain outside our house backed up during rain and when the people came out to test and fix it, they worked out that it was from trees on the other side of us, from a neighbour who also has some big trees (gums in his case). Now those pipes were cleared and repaired at no cost but I am worried that if the pipes on our other side, near the pool, get blocked, that cost will be on us.

As it is, I think we could be up for a small fortune to try to repair what is already damaged. Where do we stand? I looked it up but it doesn't seem clear. We can apparently cut the roots on our side but not kill the tree.

But even cutting ther roots would be an expensive exercise as we are not able to do it ourselves.

I hate confrontation but if I see these neighbours (and they are never out, the only time I see them is if they are in a car driving away) I feel I will need to mention I suspect it is their tree, cannot see what else it could be.

High time this was bumped back onto the front page ......how is everyone?

How are you managing since your surgery Stawka? I really hope the pain is better now.
And Countess - I think of you often. Give Ichabod a big hug hope you are looking after each other.
It's disheartening to see so few familiar posters on here since the damage eBay inflicted on the boards earlier. I can't help wonder how long the boards will last.

I could be way behind the times (I usually am) but has anyone else noticed we can now see who gave thumbs up etc to different posts?

When did that happen?

It is as I suspected, there are small tweaks being made to the boards, it is a work in progress and improving.

It is perfectly normal I think to have all those sorts of things happen and it can be upsetting. I second ambercat's suggestion. Sometimes friends would love to help you and just don't know how but if you ask if one could contact the Arts centre, that is one pressure off you.

You will always miss your mum & some of the things you mention may still happen for a long time. Your mention of thinking you heard a noise resonated with me. I still quite often think I hear a slight rustle or movement and think-that must be Ringo. Ringo was our dog but he has been gone a year and a half now.

And it is still strange to come home to an empty house because we always had dogs for 40 years.

That's just pets, so you will be affected even more because it is your mother you have lost. But the key thing is that in time comes acceptance.

One thing that I did after my parents died-not immediately but in the years afterwards-was I wrote out their life story, with photos. I found it was actually an enjoyable task and very immersive.

It took me about a year before I could even start on my father's story as I had to find a format/company then organise and scan and edit photos etc

It felt like a way of honouring their lives. I did a different book for each parent.
I don't know if it is the sort of thing you might like to eventually do but you seem like the sort of person who might possibly enjoy the research or organisation, so i am just putting the idea out there.

Give yourself time Countess, you have had a devastating loss, all the more difficult I think because of the huge amount of time and effort you had been putting in trying to keep your dear mother so very well cared for.
I know it is easy to say, but with time the loss will, if not actually fade, it will become a little less obtrusive.
Take time to care for yourself - and that handsome puddy cat 🐈.

Oh, and maybe you could ask a friend to contact the Arts Centre on your behalf to change the seating arrangements. After a loss I had myself, I found the explaining to others one of the hardest things. I swear it does get easier but give yourself time🥰

Shopping… I keep putting things into the trolley for mum, then stopping myself and putting them back onto the shelf.

I keep waking from half-sleep thinking I hear her call out, or rolling out of bed.

I bought concert tickets including her, and now I need to call the Arts Centre and arrange at the very least to swap the wheelchair ones for another seat, or to explain that I bought in good faith and someone else not in wheelchair will use the ticket… My mind is all over the place.

If but the soul a garden makes

With beds of lavender, wind-sweet,

Some day will bring love’s loss and aches

To bear a flow’r from sorrow’s wakes

That softer, sweeter thoughts will meet

No older grief that Time forsakes.

Thank you for your kind words. I’m finding it a constant darkness right now… just have to get through it.

I'm so sorry to hear that Countess.

You did everything you could, and more than most would be able.

Take your time, do what you have to. Try to find small things to fill your time, cry and scream when you need to.

I have only just read with sadness this news.

My sincere thoughts go to the family.

May she rest in peace after living - and being so loved - for so many long years.

@countessalmirena

You've been in my thoughts a lot. Of course you are feeling completely wiped out. It's hard to function properly for a while after something like this happens.

You are going to need time.

But I just want to say this. No, you could not have stopped this happening. There is nothing more you could have done.

I have been-I guess, concerned- since your mother had the last stroke. I know she seemed to be making steady progress and I really hoped so. I am sure we all did.

But something similar happened to my aunt just 3 years back.

She had a bad stroke but rallied. She wasn't as badly affected as your mother but made progress, only to pass in her sleep a month later.

I had the impression from your post that something similar happened to your mum, because you said mum 'had' died. That perhaps she passed in bed or in a chair before you found her.

Sometimes I think very sick people can almost choose the time of their passing to some extent. And some seem to go in the quiet time or when loved ones leave a room.

Even if you had been there, right on the spot, I very much doubt there would have been a thing you could have done.

Your mother lived this long because of the extraodinary care you gave her.

I think deep down, most of us would rather pass peacefully & quickly at home than in a hospital bed.

Please try not to feel guilt, just be grateful you had these extra few weeks with her.

Take care of yourself now.

It happened at home.

I’ll probably post now and then. I feel empty and purposeless and adrift. Should have been able to stop this - that’s the refrain that sits on my heart and mind and crouches like a gargoyle in my belly.

It will take a while.

Oh Countess, I'm so very sorry for your loss of your dearly loved mum. You both fought so hard for her to stay but it was not to be, sadly. You made her life as enjoyable and as comfortable as possible. I'm thinking of you in this sorrowful time.

I couldn’t save her.

Mum had died.

@kopenhagen5

That brings back memories.

Have been up to Cairns twice.

First time was on a cruise and we did a reef excursion & the kuranda train. Also did one of those gondola things over the rainforest.

Glad you had a top time!!

I don't know, kopes, I think the weather in Melbourne is better for health, somehow. (And it is warming up, beautiful lately). You head off to warmer climes and come back a bit sick.

A friend and her husband just returned from around Europe & NY. Obviously caught something there in their summer as in emergency within about 8 hours of returning-some pneumonia type germ.

Hi all,

Glad to hear the ailing are on the mend and kitchen accessories are so fashionable. 😉

I took 5 days holiday and went to Cairns.

Swam with Nemo at the outer barrier reef, kuranda train in the mountains and one of the best aquariums I have seen.

Good food, good wines and everyone working in Cairns are from Japan, America, Europe or UK.

26 degrees everyday, so I caught a cold when I returned to 12 in Melb.

Btw, I keep getting notifications on threads that I havent posted on. Anyone having the same ?

Springyzone, I am a dedicated Magimixer. Kitchen Aid are fine in their own way but no, it must be Magimix.

I noticed kitchen aid have several blenders in red.

I know you were after Magimix, but Kitchen aid is, from what I have been told, a good brand too. Would any of them suit you as a second choice?

@countessalmirena

If I were you, I'd also keep an eye out on marketplace for a red Magimix blender.

I don't think there is one on at the moment (I just searched magimix red in my area). There is a cook expert with extra accessories but that isn't what you need.

Give it time though, and one may pop up.

I know second hand is not what you're after but if you triple check the ads, sometimes you can sense if an item is in pristine condition or not. Quite a few people just clear out things they don't use a lot.

The prep station:

I’m going to have to add to the Cook Expert with the cocotte for larger batch slow cooking, and the large steamer accessory, and the dedicated dough hook. While

springy, what burns is that Magimix did have a red blender… but they were an early casualty of Magimix Australia’s red-blitz. I think they’ve been sold out for at least a year. The UK model is still available but… well, I’ve already detailed why I’m not about to risk that. So I am hoping to find a refurbished one popping up, or a special red limited edition being released, or red being brought back as a standard option at some point.

Re rollator:

This is the model we have; it’s a 2-in-1 because it can be converted from a walker-rollator to a push wheelchair. It has tough all-terrain wheels and is roomy and comfortable.

Countess, it is only a matter of time till magimix brings out a red appliance for you. It may mean a bit of a wait as they just discontinued the red cook expert, if I recall. Plus the black I think, which surprised me.

I agree, if you use those things twice a day at least, it is not worth putting any away. The cook expert is heavy plus it does those sorts of appliances no good at all to be constantly moved around. I have my thermomix on a special pad so I can move the pad and not the appliance, though I realise with magimix, the scales are not built in so it isn't as necessary.

All the same, it makes it a lot easier to be able to slide it here and there, much lighter, and may be useful for your cook expert too.

You are a wonder, it sounds like a very involved process to get your mother places.

So you have a chair lift installed on the stairs? That's great.
What exactly is a rollator?

You are certainly being kept busy, I hope you have some down time to yourself every now and again.

Stawka, hope you are improving!

This really doesn't seem to be a great year for anyone. Well, I suppose it must be for some people, but no one I know!
One of my closest friends had a stroke on the weekend so I am off to visit her this morning. It brings home how fragile life is, how things can change in a minute.

imastawka, how are you doing?

I hope you’re healing well after the surgery and that your typing situation and options and improving.

The Cook Expert is a delight to use. Mind you, the kitchen bench looks like a dedicated cooking/processing station; I have my Magimix 4200 XL next to the Cook Expert with its accoutrements, and the Dualit toaster next to that, and the accessories I use every day … well, it hardly seems worth storing them away as I seem to get them out at LEAST twice a day.

It’s all red. Red, beautiful red…

But I’ve had no luck at all in sourcing a Magimix red blender (Australian model). I just didn’t realise that they were discontinued. It’s frustrating. A google deep search every two or three days has got me nowhere; I’d be fine with a refurbished one but nix, nothing, nada.

If I bought the UK model I’d have no warranty and it would be a risk even if I had an electrician do electriciany things changing the plug etc. to it. Not worth the risk. If I bought an Australian model in white and had it appliance-painted, the warranty would be voided and if anything went wrong with it I might not be able to get it repaired at all. Again, that risk is just not a good idea.

The currently available bland bland bland “colours” are odious to me. Other brands - no. It’s a world calamity. Sob.

Well, I will bide my time. It could be a lemon-scented napkin situation. (Doug Adams reference.) One day there must be a red Magimix blender Australian model falling into my lap!

I’ve made pork and honey sausages with fennel and oregano - purée level 4. The purée has been setting in the fridge in silicone sausage moulds for the last four hours so that they will look like real sausages once I remove them from the mould. They tasted amazing (taste tested by me), and I still have most of the wine that I used in the purée: a nice rustic Italian Sangiovese. I could do with a glass!

I managed to get mum downstairs the other day. Ichabod had to be put into the back room with door firmly closed; front door secured in open position; mum put onto rollator and rolled out onto front porch and transferred onto chair lift; down the stairs she went in a slow graceful descent; rollator manoeuvred down the stairs so that I could transfer mum from the chair lift to rollator again; I went back upstairs to close the front door and let the cat out of the back room and coaxed him with catnip-flavoured treats to relax; I zipped down the inside staircase and got to the garage and drove the car outside into driveway; got out and pushed mum in rollator to car and transferred her to front passenger seat; rollator folded up and stowed in the boot; and then we were off. (I had an emergency dental appointment.)

Dentist very kindly let me park right in front so I could easily get mum inside with me to be within sight and sound while I tried not to let the usual dentophobia control me.

Mum was so good! Now I know that it’s possible to take her with me when necessary. But I’m definitely buying her another rollator or walker for upstairs and we will keep the current all-terrain one for downstairs. Getting it up the stairs and down the stairs is rather tricky.

Glad to hear things are moving along for you, Stawka. I'm pretty much a 2 fingered typist and the letters are wearing off a lot of the keys so typing is a challenge for me too.

I hope the silicone mould works well for you.

Covid is definitely around. Someone I know was in hospital, maybe a month back? with Covid plus RSV and it completely knocked her.

Then yesterday I was with my daughter, visiting an embroiderer to get some work done, and she mentioned she had been away for 2 weeks with RSV as well.

Covid has never disappeared. It has just settled into the landscape, like flu.

I get annoyed sometimes when people say Covid is nothing, we didn't need to respond to it etc. The strain of Covid now is generally milder than previously plus with vaccinations, there is some herd immunity, as there is with flu. People forget flu can be a real killer too and would be much worse if a certain % of people hadn't had their shots.

So take care out there, winter isn't done with us yet!

I can only imagine how it feels with the finger shortening, imastawka.

If you end up with a bionic finger, you’ll be equipped to fight baddies in a new series. 👉🕵️⛓️‍💥

Silicone is amazing! You only need to look at the silicone mould planned for you and the silicone moulds I ordered for mum to see two of the most useful applications.

Yes, COVID hasn’t vanished like Scotch mist. What with that very nasty strain of bird flu now in Australia, we are being hit on the fronts of birds and mankind.

"waves to Stawka"
Glad to hear everything seems to be progressing well after your op. The main thing is you no longer have that debilitating pain. I hope you find adjusting to the new dimensions of your hand will get easier and easier. I imagine typing would be a real challenge (not for me, I'm at best a hunt and peck typist).

I hadn't heard of a resurgence of Covid 'down south'. Nothing here as far as I know except for the usual colds the tourists bring with them this time of year.

Hope everyone is safe and well🤗

Update on 'the shortened finger' - pain is minimal, but the reality of the loss has not set in. The number of times I have used that finger to type and have it fall in mid-air and not connect to the keyboard is laughable. I am now typing with 5 fingers left hand and one finger right hand.

I have an appointment on Monday for Hand Therapy which includes taking a mould to make a silicone (I assume) cover that will ensure that my finger is rounded. At the moment it is a blunt square on the end. The stitches are dissolvable.

Hope the Countess' mum is doing even better, and I hope everyone who reads is well.

It's still around that nasty Covid - my daughter and grandson have come down with it and are staying well away from me.

Take extra care people and don't be complacent.

Cauliflower, broccoli,

Every day I must steam thee

Carrots, corn, pumpkin, peas

Puréed, sieved thus extremely.

Salmon, beef, poultry and lentils, beans

Poached, slow-cooked or sautéed …

Peaches, berries, pears and cherries

Magimix is my great aid.

🎶 Sung to the tune of Edelweiss.

Wonderful news from both of you Stawka and Countess.🥰. 🤗

Hi everyone. Thanks for all the good wishes. The op went well. It took 1 hour and I was home by lunchtime - they only gave me a local cos they were worried about my lungs. I sure won't 'bore' you with all the gory details I had to listen to in that theatre. The pain has been manageable, I'm just very tired. I have to type with one hand, very awkwardly. When all is healed, I will not be able to type anything with a k ,an i or a comma - cos that finger is only one third as long now. Back to recuperating....Oh, and so very glad to see your mum is doing so well Countess.

Excellent progress, countess.

Also, let's hope stawka is home, rugged up, feet up and recovering well.

My Mamachen’s update: (German “Mama” or “Mamachen” is how I refer to her; “mother” or “mum” is really only when speaking of her… I always think of her as Mamachen. I’ll switch over to “mum” for the rest of this post.)

She managed to haul herself up from seated position to standing position yesterday. I was holding her hand for steadiness only. She is amazing!

It’s still somewhat wobbly but… what can I say to express how overwhelmed with gladness I am? How proud I am of her courage and strength?

Mum was also able to make it to the bathroom yesterday for a shower! She walked while I supported her, and sat down upon the shower stool. No more bed baths!

Stawka update definitely wanted … when it’s possible. In the meantime, we are thinking about you and hoping it’s gone well.

Little bump to get this on the front page again.

Hope everyone is well? How's your Mum, Countess? And fingers crossed that Stawka is recovering well🤞

I hope everything went well, Stawka!

@imastawka

🙏🏻🤗

All the best Stawka, for the surgery, for a swift recovery and for a resolution of the problem that has plagued you for years.🤗🥰

Thinking of you today Stawks - hoping all goes well.

Take care.

Countess, if you are worried about your Mum's calcium intake there is a tablet you can take as a fizzy drink - I haven't used it for several years but it was quite palatable. Brand was Sandoz
All the very best for your op Stawka - we will all be thinking of you🤗

@imastawka

Finally!

All you have to do is de-stress (if possible) and get that surgery done and dusted. One step at a time, especially if there may be further surgeries ahead. I don’t doubt that you will have the best wishes of everyone on these boards, and your own tough spirit will help you recover as quickly as possible.

I hope that one of these days all of us can set up a Zoom meeting room and chew the fat.

Yes, mum is amazing. I have to watch her like a hawk, though, because she will try to sneak out of bed … Under my supervision she stood yesterday for about four or five minutes while holding onto the back of the rollator.

I’m incorporating as much elemental calcium in her diet as possible. Two tbsps of whole milk powder stirred into soup, 300 g of yoghurt, puréed sardines, milk in her porridge, fortified egg custard, whipped goat’s cheese, etc… This is because the medical team have taken her off the two daily calcium tablets she was prescribed by her specialist at the Metabolic Bone Clinic. (To reduce her tablet burden.) We’ll see him again in September and can discuss mum’s ongoing medications then. Mum is swallowing well now but of course I’ll get a speech therapist to re-examine her.

imastawka, hopefully there will be no further rescheduling for you. You’ve had too long a wait period already, and I don’t like to think of the pain you’ve experienced as a result of that. I think it will go ahead, and you’ll be fine.

imastawka

I do hope this time everything goes ahead for you and that if you need other surgery at the same time, that all goes smoothly too.

I think the date is fine.

It also happens to be my dad's birthdate plus the anniversary of my brother's passing in 2014, so I feel a weird connection with you about this date.

Maybe the date is a good omen, you'll have the family behind you on this one.

Hope the Countess' mum is kicking goals - figuratively as well as literally. She seems to have the spirit to overcome and a daughter who refuses to give in.

I have finally been given a surgery date - 5th August. I don't know how well that bodes. It is the anniversary of my father's passing in 1957, but also the 29th birthday of my oldest grandson. I have also been told it might not be the only surgery. So......

@countessalmirena

I think your mother is blessed to have you there because this all sounds like a high level of cooking prowess is needed.

I do understand how gluggy things can present a risk.

My middle child, a daughter (mother of the one in the denim jacket in recent photos) was born with an incomplete oesophagus which underwent repair. But nothing man made is quite as good as nature-or so I believe in most cases. She has a slightly narrowed gullet on the bottom half and you'd think soft food would be easier than other things.

Just the other day though, she commented that she couldn't eat something or other at the afternoon tea. I think it might have one of the little animal figures, which was a sort of soft jelly mousse type consistency. She said it was gluggy and sticking.

Good luck with it all, it sounds to me though that your mother is making excellent progress.

… and …

The out-of-bed report

I’ve been careful and patient… but today mum sat up on the edge of her hospital bed and got up (wobbly and needing my support, admittedly) and walked (still wobbly and needing my support) to the rollator/chair. She’s sitting in the living room on an armchair as we speak.

Bit by bit, softly softly …

The purée report

It is a bit tricky getting porridge to the correct texture. I overcook it as required, and I do NOT put it in the main bowl of the Magimix with the masterblade because that makes it gluggy. (Not safe for anyone on purée level 4 diet.) No, I use the mash and purée kit… and then I push it through a fine conical sieve, add some ThickenUp or ThickPlus, let it sit to reach the right level, and finally reheat it because by this time, it’s decidedly lukewarm.

Soup - I have to be so careful with spices and herbs to flavour soup for mildly thick level 2 with no choking risks. I grind dried herbs to a fine powder, or dehydrate fresh herbs and then grind them finely. Everything has to pass through the fine sieve, and then it has to be thickened to the right consistency (following the IDDSI fork drip test and also the IDDSI spoon test for purée level 4, and the flow test for mildly thickened fluid level 2).

I’m using the food-grade silicone moulds to shape puréed salmon, puréed sausages, puréed vegetables, puréed fruit, but the speech therapist said bananas are fine for mum to eat in their natural state.

To ensure that food isn’t boring, I’m trying to get flavours popping. I can make sandwiches with some clever puréeing and layering!

@countessalmirena also, plus others.

I know how you feel around bendy, twisty roads.

My daughters took me out for an afteroon tea experience at Olinda yesterday.

For interstaters, it is in the Dandenong ranges. Pretty area but lots of curves and bends and some parts where you really, really don't want to go over the edge.

It was a girls' day out as my two granddaughters also came.

After the fog lifted, the day was perfect, blue skies and sunny.

I'll show you a few photos, though I have blotted out details of the girls. They served scones as well at the end but no photo of that.

For some reason, the restaurant has alpacas out the back. I think they sometimes host wedding receptions.

Girl in navy coat is 9, denim jacket girl is 12

@countessalmirena

I can appreciate how you felt after your accident.

I've been extra vigilant when driving ever since the accident.

I can't say it has been a great year so far, but then I tell myself maybe it has been a lucky year. I felt very poorly with pneumonia but recovered and my daughter, I think, was lucky to get out of the accident without being killed or more badly injured.

I'll show you a couple of photos of the car.

@springyzone Thank you so much for the offer! I do already have one (purchased for dad back in 2013)… but at the moment mum must have sponge baths. It’s going to be a work in progress to get back to showers, even with a shower chair.

Your daughter was lucky in recovering so well. Car accidents are so frightening with so often the outcome being life-altering…

I remember vividly how sure I was that I’d probably not survive an accident where the brakes locked and my car went off the road, down a sort of gully, concertinaing between two trees. Car was a write-off but - well, surviving it was the main point. Whenever I was driven by someone after that, for months afterwards, I had the nightmarish sensation of losing control around any bend, however gentle a curve it was. It took time to get my “road legs” back and I think I just have driven like a little old lady with my next car…

@countessalmirena

What wonderful news about your mum.

I hope she settles in well and life slowly gets a little easier for you both.

re the magimix cook expert.

I feel so frustrated for you as just a couple of months back, magimix (I am on their email list) sent a special offer through. The discontinued colours were being cleared at half price. I think the colours were red and black, or else red anyway. So about $1250, which was a bargain.

I like the Cook expert and I think you'll get a lot of use out of it. I bought a TM5 eight years back, mainly as I liked the idea of guided cooking and downloading the recipes direct to the machine.

I am actually about to do that soon (whole orange cake). Of course, the TM7 is the current version of thermi but while my TM5 is up and working well, I won't be bothered changing.

You probably won't need guided cooking as you are in your element cooking. Me, I need all the help I can get and it's so nice to have the controls set themselves automatically at each step! LOL

I wish I had known you were even thinking of the cook expert though as I would have alerted you to the red clearance sale. I actually thought of you when I saw it as I know you like red.

Re the break in at Springvale: OMG you get so much grief from that property at times. I can't believe someone tried to break in like that. Oh well, I can. This is Melbourne & crime is out of control.

Re pizza ovens

I like the look of the everdure too. From memory though, it is gas?
I have been browsing pizza ovens for a while, not to buy, but just looking.

I think it is because Thermomix sometimes has a sale on their ovana and I follow a consultant who puts up photos of what she has cooked on it.

But then earlier this year, I bought my son a (gas) pizza oven, forget the brand but much cheaper and he is rapt in it. Facebook of course noticed my interest and has been throwing up ads ever since.

I noticed there are now some electric ones available. I can't see the ad now but some fellow from Scandinavia I think was talking about the Ooni Volt 2, which is electric. Good for proofing bread and cooking other things s well as pizza and I thought... I like that!

But really, at about $900 I can't justify it for an occasional pizza. It's times like this though I wish I had an enormous pantry for storage and a limitless budget. LOL

The $50 one I bought will have to do. I haven't tried it out yet.

@countessalmirena

Do you need a shower chair?
I only ask as I have a spare one to get rid of.

I bought it after my daughter had the car accident. I bought it second hand as I knew she would only need it a limited time & her shower at her place needs replacing.

As it was, she hired a stool for her home and by the time she showered here, could stand.

So we haven't used it but of course it isn't new. You're welcome to it if you want something immediately, you could then replace at leisure. I'm willing to drop it off wherever. I'm not far from Springvale or your area.

First off…

Mum’s home!

She’s in a hospital bed (free for 30 days - so if she still needs it after that, it’s hire or buy).

She is snoozy but has just had some thickened iced coffee (nutritionally complete), and said hello to Ichabod. I will give her a few days before we try the bed-to-chair manoeuvre.

Before mum was picked up from transit lounge…

I said to nurse as mum was having a particular infusion that I’d been hoping to get the gas meter read at the centre where we offer free English lessons. Nurse said I should have plenty of time to do that and then I should head home to prepare for mum’s arrival.

Ha. It wasn’t that simple.

I should be so locky… locky locky locky

Attempted break-in at front of Springvale property. When I arrived there this morning to read gas meter - couldn’t get in - saw glass of door had cracked pattern and door locks had been ripped off and door itself had been attempted. Door now so weakened by the attempt that new door needed plus new locks. As I was waiting for locksmith, hospital called - mum was going to be transported home imminently. Agh! Locksmith came, I said Do Whatever Needs To Be Done, and raced off to get home for arrival of mum.

Just made it… The patient transport vehicle officers called me to let me know they were there at foot of driveway just as I was turning into our street.

Mum was able to slooowly whizz up the stairs via chair lift. (It seemed the easiest way.) New linen just bought yesterday as I had no single size anything. Extra pillows and protectors as well. Hospital bed hurriedly dressed, mum placed into bed, done.

I still haven’t done that meter reading. I’ll have to get someone to come over and keep an eye on mum while I take care of the meter thing once the door’s been replaced. (Getting quotation now.)

And this lot is not going to be a bargain. 😢😢😢

On to the subject of … recently bought

I haven’t had much time to search for bargains - yet I’ve been in need of things to prepare for mum’s return home. Various health/medical stuff… and the food moulds for level 4 puréed food… I had to order from the manufacturer in Qld because all local distributors/sellers in VIC were out of stock. Heaven bless the Qld guys who got it all out to me by express and it has arrived today. Ditto for the Shape-it powder and the ThickPlus powder and the no-melt ice cream… it’s all here.

Actually it has worked out well cost-wise. The orig. manufacturer (the Qld guys) were cheaper by quite a bit in comparison with the VIC sellers. That’s my bargain story. 😁

Then portion containers with various compartments - best good-grade silicone - no plastic! Seed and Sprout had exactly what I needed. I’ll be freezing batch meals or various makings for meals for mum to make it as simple as possible. They’ve arrived today.

Did I happen to mention…

I knew I’d be more time-poor considering mum’s current level of care, so last week or so (was it the week before?) I decided to go for it - get the Magimix Cook Expert for quick and largely hands-off cooking and baking. (I think I’ve posted in this thread previously about the Cook Expert vs Thermomix.) To my horror, I found that Magimix have retired the red version. How dare they!!!!!!!!?????? But I found possibly the last one on P’s of K. I grabbed it (online) and it’s here. No time yet to practise with it as I’ve spent most of every day with mum in hospital… but now I should be able to get to know it and use it. It’s red, it’s beautiful, it’s mine. I didn’t pay $50 for it but it was the best price I could find.

I’m also thinking in terms of how we can manage when I get the kitchen remodelled. During that period, the Cook Expert will do whatever is needed, I think. Portable stove top / hotplate thingy as well (which I already have).

Re good pizza ovens… I don’t have one, but I believe the Ninja pizza ovens aren’t bad.

I would probably put the Everdure pizza oven at the top of my list (designed with Heston Blumenthal - you know he’s the food lord I most admire). But Wow — you cannot go wrong with a Baccarat pizza oven for $50!!!!!!

🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕

I’m sorry to hear of your friend’s double whammy, springyzone. I hope recovery is swift and that there are no lingering effects.

Well done on your purchases Springy. I would think the pizza oven would be perfect for your needs.
Not sure how you managed to get your grandson to try on suits 😄 but fantastic to find just what he needed 👍

Op shops up here aren't anywhere near as good as they are 'down south'. One of my treats when visiting my SiL in Adelaide is 'doing' the Op Shops but of course then I have to limit my purchases to what will fit in the suitcase!

I just heard last night of a friend in hospital with RSV and covid. Feeling very poorly, as you would!

Seems like everyone has their own problems they are dealing with at the moment.

But on a completely different note, I was wondering if anyone has had some really satisfactory buys lately! Things that gave them a little joyful thrill.

I've had a couple.

A few days back I bought a Baccarat XL pizza oven on marketplace.

Only $50.

It is still in the box with instructions, paddles etc and I think a daughter was selling for a mum who has downsized. It looks to have been used maybe once.

I thought I'd buy it as I sometimes make a pizza for grandkids and in my oven the top cooks before the bottom.

I'm sure there are better pizza ovens out there but for $50 this will do, as it is electric so easier to set up and use than a gas one.

Does anyone else have pizza ovens they recommend?

My second win was at an op shop. Grandson needs a suit apparently for his confirmation. Chances of him using a suit a second time-close to zero. Daughter can't drive after her acident so I did the searching.

I found not one but two suitable ones. $13 each. And one is 3 piece. In the men's section but small size and grandson is tall (his dad is 6'6" so it was always on the cards he would be). I will need to take up the legs slightly but I should be able to manage that, it only has to hold up for an hour or two!

Anyone else had any satisfactory buys lately?

@twyngwyn

And you know about trigeminal neuropathy too!

I was thinking it must be some highly obscure condition.

The vet did say there could be some neurological cause but it would need specialist tests, past what they had at their surgery.

But even if poor old blade had the tests, I am not sure he would be up for any type of major surgery at his age.

Testing.

Yes, I can do it, I can leave a space between sentences. When I tried writing to stawka, my system went haywire.

Stawka, re the gout shield. Yes, I did see the warning on the gout shield pack and it isn't for everyone. It probably isn't something I should take too often either.

The way I am treating it is if I get an early twinge, I take one sachet and maybe another later but that is it.

After that, onto more water etc

Re the NZ farmer's wife with trigeminal neuropathy. That is interesting they can operate for it. I had never heard of it before, I have to admit.

I just hope for Blade it goes away by itself and does not come back.

He is an older dog. He is a shiba inu who is approaching 14 years old. They normally live between 12-about 15 years.

I just hope he gets to see his time out in relative peace and pain free.

imastawka

If I try to put @ in front of your name, my computer says no result and refuses to let me continue with a post! Not impressed with these new boards at all. I am outraged on your behalf that you had that long a wait and it is just not right. Not if you were given a 2pm appointment. If someone ahead of you needed immediate treatment or admittance to hospital that should have been passed on to another team, they should be able to keep to within an hour of appointment times. I am glad you'll be in for surgery within the month. Hopefully.

After waiting for 3 ½ hours for my 2pm appointment, my daughter 'went full Postal' on their Rrses and demanded that I be seen. Again, I fell between the cracks. Another 15 min wait and all I needed was for them to sign off on surgery asap. It was finally ok'd and surgery should be within the next month.

I won't hold my breath. Be silly to, really.

Came home in more pain than I went with.

My mother has TGN. It’s nasty. It’s why Ding Dong had brain surgery.

Springy, Hubby suggested Gout Shield but on researching it, it doesn't suit because I have only one working kidney, angina and high blood pressure. I think I'm held together with superglue and cable ties!

Important Warnings

Because each sachet contains notable amounts of sodium and potassium, caution is required for individuals on low-sodium or low-potassium diets. If you have kidney disease, high blood pressure, or heart problems, you should consult your doctor before using this product.

I'm glad if it works for you though.

I watch a N.Z. farmer's wife on YouTube cooking and she actually has Trigeminal Neuropathy. She is waiting for surgery. She suffers horribly with headaches and face pain.

Just musing here.

Has anyone at all on the boards been having a decent year?

A nice, boring, undramatic run?

I hope your cat is much improved, countess. It's just an extra strain when a pet is sick.

My daughter's dog has been sick the last month or so. As if we didn't have enough running with doctors, hospitals, physio, dentists, you name it, suddenly Blade (the dog) could not seem to lift food to his mouth. He was hungry, he would be in the kitchen but suddenly all the treats, everything he loved, he could not manage. I was cooking chicken & cutting in tiny pieces and sometimes he managed those.

Vets put him under sedation & took xrays. head, front body, back body. ($780)

Everything fine, excellent in fact. Good heart and lungs, every tooth examined, gums good, jaw good.

Pain killing injection and for next 2 days, he was eating normally but as soon as it wore off, back to struggling & eating nothing some days.

One night whining in pain all night. Back to vet's in morning. More pain medication. This vet (who is one of the senior surgeons there) read Blade's history and said nothing more they can do, he needed to go to a specialist place for CT scan etc to rule out heart complaints etc to see if they could find a cause- $3,400.

My daughter just can't afford it, what with extra expenses after her accident etc. Plus I said-it isn't his heart or body, it is in his head somewhere, it is pain.

So daughter did a deep dive into google and came up with 4 likely causes. Most were ruled out. Not impacted teeth, not jaw etc

But she came across a condition that seems to fit.

Especially as she reported that Blade has begun eating again, without his pain killing medication.

So I hope that this is the happy event for a change. Over $1300 of tests and visits and medication later, maybe it is resolved.

I said to daughter-I am surprised vets don't google if things puzzle them!

imastawka

I hope you'll stay on the boards!

For sure, the boards need a few tweaks to improve things but at least we can still post and enjoy some of it.

I do hope your appointment goes well on Monday and that you get a clear operating date. Maybe complain, politely of course, but no harm in mentioning all the delays. Say it is getting you down as it probably is!

I actually think of you quite often. Sometimes I get a twinge in a finger. Not a full blown gout attack but just a twinge where I think-hmm, uric acid levels must be slightly up, got to keep on top of this as stawka is having a hard time from it.

I came across some powder sachets on clearance sale at a chemist near my daughter's. I bought the last 2 packs. They are just called gout shield but have been excellent in that it seems to stop things developing any further for me.

@countessalmirena

I am feeling quite annoyed by this medical team. They seem very negative and your mother should definitely have been offered rehab.

There is a perfectly good (and large) rehab section at Wantirna health & probably at other places too over your way.

This should have been offered if only to give you time to prepare at home and maybe to help you out with what exercises you could do at home.

Having said that, your mum is so lucky to have you in her corner as advocare and cook extraordinaire.

It’s so much more enticing to eat something that pleases the eye…

@ambercat16 @imastawka

Mum is probably going to be released home on Wednesday. The downside is that the medical team don’t hold out a great deal of hope for mum’s continued improvement in terms of being ambulatory, and she’s drowsy for half the time.

I do. I wanted rehab for her … but oh well, community-based physical therapy will be the path forward. The team acknowledge it is possible, and after all, mum has beaten everything else they said she wouldn’t beat.

So she’ll be in a hospital bed at home, and I’m going to have a ceiling hoist installed to ensure I can get her into a chair and so on. The aim is to build her up, get physio to help build up the back muscles especially, and slowly approach standing with walking as a longer-term goal.

It may not eventuate but I will give it every chance.

In the meantime I’m boning up on puréed foods level 4, with those cute food moulds that make the food look so much more appetising. The gorgeous cauliflower-shaped mould! The chicken thigh or breast! The sausage-shaped one! All of them! Note to self: order the moulds tonight, express.

Imastawka, I am upset also re richo’s thread. The lopping off of so many posts is disgusting. So far I’m trying to find ways of making these boards workable for me; I would hate to see any further degradation as a result of the awful clunky insensitive transfer to what’s here now.

I am hoping that your surgery will be as soon as possible, and I also hope you’ll be able to keep posting here as and when you can or feel right to do so.

ambercat, Ichabod is still not 100%. I’ve resumed the syringes of water… It’s because I’m gone for so long - 10 hours usually - as well as mum not being there.

So much to prepare!

Hi Amber. Still having tests and I have an appointment with Plastic Surgery Dept on Monday. (Plastic Surgery Dept does hands). Pity I can't have the face done while I'm under. Still no surgery date and I'm concerned that another joint will have to be removed. Ah well, such is life.

I think I've given up on the forum. I was hoping to get Richo's thread to 10,000 posts - it was his dream. But now they've chopped it, there's nothing left of Richo, only his OP.

Good thoughts for everyone's health, especially Countess' mum.

How is everyone?

Hope your Mum is continuing to improve Countess - and that Ichabod has settled down a bit.

And Stawka - how are you doing? Last heard you were having a myriad of tests and still waiting for surgery on that troublesome finger.

I really really hate this dreadfully inadequate screw up of forum - but would miss you all if I just gave up on it.

I'm off to NZ in a week for a small family reunion. Looking forward to seeing everyone - but not looking forward to NZ in midwinter🥶. At least it's the North Island 😄

@countessalmirena

So glad to hear your mum is improving.

You should not have had to fight medical staff for them to continue treatment.

I firmly believe they give up on older people sometimes.

You just have to look at former president in USA, Joe Biden. Prostate cancer, quite advanced, and why? Because after age 70, doctors don't deem it worthy of testing.

Same with breast screening, bowel screening, pap smears etc

I recall a few years back my brother in law (who was in a nursing home, he was 72) became ill with covid and they said to my sister in law, oh you don't want him treated at all, just kept comfortable, we can see that on his admission forms. She hit the roof. She said, " Of course I want him treated.

He loves life, I want you to give him every chance. The admission form just means no heroic measures if he did pass away or had brain damage after a sudden stroke, I didn't mean don't treat illnesses."

And yes, he did eventually pass away. But at least he had his chance.

@ambercat16 The cat-calmer is Gabapentin 100 mg. Your cat’s poor tail! It would be worth your checking with your vet to see if this medication would be useful to calm down your anxious little puss.

I can well imagine that the jets are giving her stress.

✈️😖😾

Glad your Mum seems to be improving. It's a pity Ichabod isn't handling the situation very well but you are on top of ot and it sounds like the Zen drugs might be helping. My puddy cat could do with some of that too - she's starting to destroy her tail again (licking the fur off). I think it's the jets flying over - there are war games (Pitch Black) going on here and we are fairly near the airport.

I'm reposting this comment as my previous attempt is "pending approval", which seems to result in permanent limbo. (Possibly the emoticon gifs I included triggered the approval thing, so I'm not including them in this re-post.)

UPDATE:

Mum was able to stand yesterday - with the help of the sit-to-stand patient lift. It's so encouraging.

Her eating has been going particularly well in the last two days (although it is time-consuming), and she's been awake for much of the day. She has even smiled and grinned at me.

Additional: Ichabod has been very stressed by all of this. With mum having vanished again from his Cat-World perspective, and my being gone for hours on end by mum's side and getting home late and so exhausted that I haven't the energy to play with him, he's had a stress reaction of not drinking enough water and ending up with blood in his urine and inappropriate cat-business (not in either of his litterboxes). As soon as I noticed, I began syringing water into his mouth, and managed to get an early appointment yesterday morning with the vet. She confirmed what I had thought: stress-related. He's now on calming medication, which makes him rather Zen... and that should resolve it.

(But oh! he does dislike my firmly holding his mouth open and inserting the capsule...)

UPDATE:

Mum was able to stand yesterday - with the help of the sit-to-stand patient lift. It's so encouraging.

Her eating has been going particularly well in the last two days (although it is time-consuming), and she's been awake for much of the day. She has even smiled and grinned at me.

Additional: Ichabod has been very stressed by all of this. With mum having vanished again from his Cat-World perspective, and my being gone for hours on end by mum's side and getting home late and so exhausted that I haven't the energy to play with him, he's had a stress reaction of not drinking enough water and ending up with blood in his urine and inappropriate cat-business (not in either of his litterboxes). As soon as I noticed, I began syringing water into his mouth, and managed to get an early appointment yesterday morning with the vet. She confirmed what I had thought: stress-related. He's now on calming medication, which makes him rather Zen... and that should resolve it.

(But oh! he does dislike my firmly holding his mouth open and inserting the capsule...)

They said last Friday she wouldn’t survive. They told me it was as good as no hope and they were preparing to give her palliative medication.

I said no: give her every chance to survive because small hope is not no hope. I had to fight for her over and over again. They told me her organs were shutting down (and I can tell you that that was not true). I knew mum might not win this battle but to give up without even trying was not an option.

She’s now beaten the infection.

There’s still a journey ahead. It may be that mum will need a high level of care ftom me: I’m prepared for that. But there’s also such an improvement today with wakefulness and eating/drinking and engaging with me.

I’m overwhelmed with thankfulness.

Be aware that doctors will lie. They will do so on the basis that they believe their current diagnosis and prognosis is complete, and also on the basis that their philosophy and perspective overrides the patient’s. I am sure it’s done with the best of intentions.

But I hope that this instance might just give others who want this the courage to push for continued medication and continued treatment rather than opting for the pathway of giving up. If you are a patient, or caring for someone you love, and you find yourself being gently pressured, I hope you can go with your philosophy, world view, personal treatment preferences, beliefs, perspectives, etc.

I pushed hard and repeatedly. I did feel pressured. It felt difficult beyond belief. But I told myself that my responsibility was to mum and to what we’d often talked about.

Mum is still fighting.

It’s now a matter of aftermath effects. The line between life and death is a razor’s edge.

So sorry to hear of this, Countess.

Thoughts are with you as I know this is a stressful time.

Just wondering if Pauline is electorally successful , will resultant policy changes affect the price of beer ?

I'm home from hospital now.

This all kicked off on Friday after an uneasy Thursday. Spending most of my time at mum's side. There have been signs of improvement. The doctors in Emergency didn't give her much of a chance. However, she's holding on. I'm afraid to be too hopeful, but she is fighting hard. We managed to feed her half a plateful this morning, and another four or five spoonfulls at dinner ... some yoghurt, and drink.

Waiting for latest x-ray results and blood cultures.

Thank you, everyone. Kindness helps.

We're all thinking of you Countess. Stay strong for mum

Thinking of you Countess

:(

I'm so sorry to hear that countess. My thoughts are with you.