Creamy chicken and sweetcorn pasta

Finally, at the third attempt, I got to the ‘dementia training’ offered by the Island’s carers’ support charity.

First, of course, I had to deal with a poor, starving tabby cat who hadn’t been fed in years. (Aka since last night.) She made such a fuss that mum woke me from a looping dream about wearing ill-fitting sandals that were rubbing my foot raw (irl, neuro pain having another flare) to give Suki some food.

Once I was awake, and had put the food in Suki’s bowl, I started to pay the ‘tax’ necessary for me to leave the house, which is reassuring mum that she’ll be fine, and yes, I know her head hurts, and it will all be sorted out soon, and I will come back, and it will be fine!!!

Ahem. Anyway, that sorted, off I went to Newport, where I sat in a small room with a mug of coffee and, when I mentioned I hadn’t eaten anything today, a plate of biscuits. (Which reminded me: chocolate chip cookies of the Maryland type are delicious!)

This first session was meant to be about what dementia is and how it’s diagnosed, but was (I think intentionally) light on content, as we all spent a good amount of time venting about the difficulties of being an unpaid carer. Most of the other attendees were caring for a spouse with dementia, and talked about the problems involved with explaining their partner’s diagnosis to friends and family.

While I don’t underestimate these difficulties, I will admit to feeling a twist of envy that they have friends and family to tell: people who want to help and are on the same island. I cried a little, partly from sympathy with the other attendees, and partly out of sheer self-pity.

Twice my phone rang, and I had to grab a crutch and hobble outside to ask the caller to ring me back when I’m free. (Aka Thursday.) I didn’t dare not answer in case it was the GP or hospital calling. (It wasn’t, either time.)

I came away from the training with names of a couple of organisations that might be able to help me (and mum, but mostly me). Actually calling them will have to wait until I’m free. (Thursday.)

This evening, as I was cooking dinner, my phone rang, and this time it was the GP surgery, but the super-helpful ANP rather than the nice but not terribly helpful GP. The GP isn’t available until – you guessed it – Thursday. The ANP has left him a message to call me then. I think I will be spending most of Thursday on the phone.

Dinner itself was an adaptation of a Simply Cook meal kit, with leftover roast chicken in place of the fresh chicken, and sweetcorn in place of the pepper. I used less than half of the spice blend, but mum still said it was too spicy. I think the continuing headache must be making her taste buds more sensitive, as I couldn’t detect any spice at all.

Tomorrow we have the long overdue meeting with the rep from the Memory Service (🤞 she makes it this time and is properly over the illness that caused her to miss our last meeting), then I have (also long overdue) physio over at Ryde.

It’s going to be a long week, and we’re still on Monday. 😩