We aren't lucky but blessed!

 

So you may recall our rented house was up for sale. Well I am pleased to report that it has been sold to an investor who is willing for us to stay here longterm. We are overjoyed! The settlement is today.

Also a longing of mine was to be a cat lady in my old age, and now we have 3 cats! A gorgeous little ginger cat has won our hearts and home. We are not entirely sure of its gender but it doesnt really matter.

It was very hungry and manky looking when it came around eating the scraps we put out for the birds. So we fed it proper cat food and it hungrily woofed it down.

Gradually it lingered and wanted petting so eventually it ended up inside. At the moment both Xena and Milo aren't too thrilled, but they will get used to it.

Ginger is the name we have given it and it is a very affectionate young cat. It has literally bloomed with the cat grooming itself now that it is now longer hungry and in survival mode. It purrs continuously.

When we are better acquainted, I will check a bit harder to determine its gender, but I don't want to frighten it off at the moment.

We finally have repaired our letter box. You may recall it was damaged by the Woolworths delivery driver and we heard nothing back from them or the transport company who employ their drivers.

With the settlement of this house pending, we decided to purchase and install a  new letter box. And just in time for the final inspection before settlement, it was replaced... 

We both realise how much the LORD has blessed us, and we are grateful. We aren't lucky, but blessed! 

Back to basics

As you probably know, life has been really hard for me both physically and emotionally. Chronic illness is never fun.

But life must go on and that life for me is as a wife, and home maker. So it is normal that I would sit and ponder on how I can best use my few spoons or energy and continue to care for us both as well as our pets and home.

I have had to prioritise our basic needs in order to keep our home clean and our bodies clean and fed.

For me I need to daily organise our meals and medications and feed our cats and birds. 

In order to do that, I need to menu plan and then shop online for supplies.

I also need to do a load of washing each day. With polymyalgia rheumatica and fibromyalgia still hurting, I use the dryer.

To keep a roof over our head and utilities and food coming, I have to organise our budget and pay the bills.

I need to organise our medications into pill organisers and get any repeat prescriptions dispensed.

If this necessitates a doctors appointment, I have to make a booking for a phone consult. Every second day we shower and help each other..

With my Aged Care Home Package, I have a cleaner come for 2 hours a week and she does what I simply cannot manage anymore. She changes our beds, cleans the kitchen benches and stovetop, dusts and cleans our showers, toilets and floors.

The day before she cleans, I change the tablecloth, clean out the kitty tray and wheel the bins out for collection. The cleaner brings them in for us.

Every morning I run the Roomba to pick up crumbs and cat's fur. Then with my spoons almost gone, I lay on the couch and Chris rubs my feet to get the lymph fluid off my ankles. And I sleep.

I refuse to feel guilty for needing to sleep or for keeping my swollen legs and feet elevated. I am doing the best that I can.  I am not lazy, just a worn out old Sacrificial Home Keeper trying to get back to basics.

All things considered

 

These last few weeks have been horrid. My fatigue and pain levels were so high that I had to have Prednisolone to bring down the inflammation from my Polymyalgia Rheumatica and fibromyalgia.

I have been so fatigued that I  have to have a nana nap after breakfast. Without it I can't even function. So I have had to just do the basics to keep our home clean and keep us watered and fed.

My doctor retested me for Lupus and glandular fever even though it came back negative she discovered that I now have stage 3 kidney failure.

She is going to send me to a nephrologist after I have a KUB scan.

I am able to sit here on the computer for the first time in weeks but I have very little spoons still. With my kidneys failing it is not likely to improve much in the near future.

We have to keep a lookout on my kidneys, blood pressure and diabetes. To that end, I have started a new diabetic medication, Jardiance which is more kidney/heart friendly.

Today I have started to slowly wean off the Prednisolone which not only will help my sugars but my weight. It has been a struggle to keep from adding more pounds due to hunger from the steroids.

My pain tonight is not too severe considering I am decreasing the steroids and this is a good start, all things considered...

PS the Jardiance had to be discontinued. It caused me to develop a severe Urinary Tract Infection.