It's raining again. I know half the district is rejoicing and the other half is growling. I am in the second half, two big loads of laundry almost done and down comes the rain. I usually sun dry my clothes but today they will be hung on airers and draped around the place. I don't consider that an electric clothes drier ( at a cost of about 85cents a load) is a good investment when sunlight is free, but it does need to be fine.

We went to the bladder specialist last week and discussed Ray's need for an operation to clear up his bladder problems. The main sticking point is that he would have to go off Plavix for ten days and the bleeding could last for up to six weeks. There is a danger of infections etc. Yep, I know all that as an older friend has just gone through the same procedure. In the end the urologist admitted he didn't really want to attempt the operation at this stage. So it is on with the medication that Ray hates ( he says they give him more frequency at night, so less sleep) for a couple more months and then a review of the case.

We went to the local doctor yesterday. The bloodwork showed up a problem that has been around for a while, Ray's kidneys are not doing so well. Nothing life threatening as yet but each set of tests shows kidney function weakening. Yep, that is the diabetes/stroke combination at work. We all know what the problem is but none of us as yet know the solution. We see the kidney specialist every six months so no appointment till the end of April. He will be away in March, maybe skiiing in Colorado as he has a photo in his rooms of him skiing there. Ah, the life of those who tend to our medical needs, so different from our own!

For once Ray's blood sugar results were good, but he has anaemia again. This seems to be another problem that comes and goes. Now the solution is a needle a week or another medication. I went to the pharmacy to get this over-the-counter product and the nice girl behind the counter tells me he needs to take it with orange juice, not the commercial kind but home squeezed is best because it is fresh and has the pulp in. Add five minutes work to the beginning of each day as I hand squeeze orange juice to go with his medication. GRRRR!

Today I got a call from one of our Lions members, they have been given a couple of scooters and I know they want Ray to have one of them. The problem is they are the big old fashioned kind, big and heavy. Neither of them would go into my car and I don't want to tow a trailer behind with it in. Where we live, on the brow of a hill, is not a place Ray could use the scooter safely. At the end of the phone call my "friend" said: "Well, Sue, the ball is in your court, all we can do is make the offer." So does that mean that if I refuse the offer I become the "bad guy"?

It is the little things in life that get me down. I can climb a mountain and stumble over a matchstick. It is no help to give a caregiver more to do, it only helps if you are relieving them of some of the overburden they already carry.