Soop`s Kitrchen,a refuge and sanctuary for genteel folk

January weather has returned so the heating is on.

Wishing you all a calm and peaceful day especially those kitcheners with troubles.

Panache, annsixty, soop, Dragonfly and Baggs - Apologies for any I have missed sending love and virtual hugs, wish I could do more TOYA xxx

We are off to one of our AC for lunch and as they live by the sea and the weather is not great hopefully an easy drive.

Will pop into the kitchen again soon

granniequeenie Yet another winning image for us lot to appreciate. Superb!

Pananche I find the game of snooker fascinating. Not so much the pot after pot but the clever "cat and mouse" safety play keeps me enthralled. However, John Virgo, the commentator who seems to know it all, drives me potty.

lovely picture GrannyQueenie ! You have a point about the (absence of) camouflage!
Goodness it is nippy here -I wish I felt motivated to tackle the weeds now we have had some rain, but it’s just too cold!

On a more cheery note this sunday,especially to you Soop and other snooker fans as is my dear man.On our visit to THAT Hospital whilst sitting in the foyer whom should sit next to him but a former World champion snooker player.......Terry Griffiths......whom he had avidly followed in his day.
His handshake was something pleasant in a less than pleasant day.

Life can be so very strange.On any other day that would have been quite a highlight.......even to an older man.

grannyqueenie I love that picture!

Panache, hope you’re still managing to look in. Hope, too, you had some sleep. Lots of us are thinking of you and sending a collective hug.

panache It’s good to hear that you’ve had a better experience, having the right medical professional on the case makes such a difference. It sounds as if at last you are going to be able to have the support you both so desperately need. I hope you accept anything and everything that’s offered to make life more manageable for you both . I know it might not sit easily with you to do so, you’ve been so independent in caring for each other and having people in and out of your home can feel very intrusive. However these desperate times call for equally desperate measures. Thinking of you both as things go forward.

I did write a cheery post to all and sundry earlier today, but somehow it vanished into the ether. I’ve neither the will nor the inclination to say it all again, it wasn’t that interesting anyway!

For anyone who needs cheering up I’ll leave an image that made me smile at the arboretum the other day. I don’t think this pheasant has quite grasped the subtlety of camouflage!

toya and wishing you a restful nights sleep, especially those with the big stuff of life on their minds tonight.

Panache As others have said, the help you are now being offered is not before time and it was good of you to post for 'us lot' with the little energy you have. I was born and brought up in the valleys and spent many, many weekends in Pembrokeshire. I still have the valley mentality that says if someone needs help you help! No questions! If I still lived there I would be round to offer whatever I could. Please take whatever help is offered you certainly deserve it. Love prayers and

Panache, I have no words, because it has all been said by some wonderful people.
TOY x

Dear Panache I don’t see how anybody here could fail to be aware of the limitations of your own health issues. I believe you even said at one point you needed a wheelchair?
Of course you can’t do your own cleaning, ring an agency to come in once a week to do what is needed, they will clean, usually change beds as well, in short do whatever needs doing.
I hope you have been offered the services of carers too, they will wash and dress (if appropriate) your DH and again help in any way necessary. A hospital bed downstairs or at least on the same level as a bathroom also needs considering.
There is much that can be offered, and your MacMillan nurse will be able to direct and coordinate what you both need.
I can see how moving is becoming all the more necessary but also more complicated. If you can get into sheltered accommodation first, selling your house should be easier as I cannot imagine how anybody copes with showing potential buyers round without disturbing “the Patient”

I hope you can get the advice you need, many of us have some experience of some of what you are going through - if not all of it!

Thank you, Panache, every positive step taken towards supporting you and your husband is to be applauded. Please may it continue to benefit you.

I've had an exceedingly lazy day. You lot are to blame.
I had a most entertaining afternoon of snooker to divert my attention from household dust and other unmentionables. I was rooting for the "underdog" - David Gilbert. He gave his all, but was eventually beaten in the final frame by John Higgins. A thrilling match.

Away until tomorrow. Sunshine continues. TOYA

I’m in

To everyone else, TOYA and hope you have some real life company this cooooold Bank Holiday weekend. I have had a baking spree because of the bad weather preventing working in the garden. There is warm lemon meringue pie (real lemons), chocolate roulade, and gluten free Victoria sponge. For panache there is raspberry smoothie (no seeds) made with raspberry coulis. Hope there is something for everyone .... if not please leave your orders, tomorrow looks cold and wet and i’m In that baking zone.

Dear “panache” and your DH. I think of you often, but most deeply this weekend. So sad about the devastating news of your DH’s illness. At last you are receiving some help and not before time. You have my kind thoughts and prayers. Pain relief is much better nowadays and I hope that the kind sounding Wolfgang, who has phoned you on a Saturday (brownie points) gets on top of pain relief soonest. I live several hundred miles from you and wish I was along the road ..... I hope you find a cleaner and also someone to do the laundry - is there a laundry who will collect and return a service wash? Perhaps SS will know or even your local pharmacy - a fount of all knowledge in my area. Thank you for using your precious energy to post.

Kitty. I thought you might approve of the name!!

Panache it’s such a relief to hear that you are being taken notice of at last. Not before time certainly. I hope you will accept the overnight care. Sorry your husband is in so much pain but hope too that the hormone treatment will address that to Some degree. Thank you for reporting to us and try and get as much rest as is possible in your circumstances.

Back from being minded by our family whirlwind and finally time to check in.

You trusted your heart ann, the right thing to do, the reactions of others truly are unimportant, I hope you are able to feel at easy with your family this weekend. .

Oh panache, such a hard time for you both but it seems that finally support is there for you, please do accept the night nurse, if you can sleep your days will be so much easier. Sending love to you Both and my thanks for taking time to update us.

Sleeping is good kitty, it definitely aids recovery. Wishing you well.

Apologies, I’ve returned absolutely exhausted as it’s another early start and long day tomorrow it’s time for a rest here. TOYA, take care.

Thank you for the update Panache, it is very good to hear from you.
I'm glad that the local agencies are moving to help you now.
As Kitty says grab the offer of overnight help with both hands. I would think that most of the agencies you mention will know of a cleaner. We were able to employ one for DH's parents through just such agency. I will indeed continue to PM you.
TOYA xx

Thank goodness you are getting much needed help at last Panache I am not religious but I do think about you and Mr.P

Take whatever help is offered, it has been a long time coming.

Thank you so much for the update Panache,you have been very much on our minds.Like dragonfly,I shall continue with the PM’s but won’t expect a reply.I am so glad that there are agencies in place supporting you both.
Sending you our love,thoughts and prayers.xx

It is wonderful to hear from you Panache and I shall continue the PM's but do not expect a reply. I hope your DH has sufficient pain relief and the treatment works. At least the hospital are coming through and you have Macmillan and the hospice involved.
Sending much love and hugs xx

Thank you for the update panache. I feel your Clinical Specialist will be a huge help to you - his name is suspicious for a start.

J hope everything comes together for you. At least you are on people's radar now. The offer of overnight help is a real bonus- I hope you grabbed it with both hands. Round here, AgeUk can put people in touch with cleaners. Can your equivalent?

TOYA.

My dear kitchen friends even though I am not able to be here and post very much you have all that special corner in my heart.I thank you most sincerely on behalf of us both for the loving caring messages which mean more than you will ever know since we have no family to support us.

However I believe some of you may forget how frail my own health is and I cannot work wonders for my dear man, but you can believe I shall give of my very best to try care and maintain some quality in his painful life.My past Cancer experience will be of value but it grieves me treating this one person whom has been such a dear friend,husband and carer for all these years.

At least the Hospital that treated us with not an ounce of compassion redeemed themselves slightly.
The next day I had a phone call from a Clinical Specialist aligned to this Consultant.He requested we meet him at our local Hospital later that day where he would go through everything with us, plus start of the requested Hormone Therapy.Our spirits immediately lifted.
However even before then I had been in touch with the McMillen nurses,our local Paul Sartori Foundation which is an excellent Hospice at Home service,plus Crossroads (in place of Age UK)as well as SS.Whilst our GP and pharmacy were with us all the way.Within 2 hours The Hospice service had delivered a wheelchair and equipment that might help, plus offering us the services of an over night nurse.
I was able to question at length this Clinical Specialist whom will be our font of knowledge for sure,(his name is Wolfgang),an older, very un derstanding and compassionate man.
It seems the Hormonal Therapy that was administered during our visit is the best offered to a patient presenting with such advanced c ancer.This booster dose was actually a combination of 3 doses to try to kickstart the process.He is black and blue from this already.
My dear one will receive such treatment once every 28 days at our surgery, whereupon bloods etc will also be checked to monitor how the treatment is working,and sent via Wolfgang to the Consultant in this distant Hospital.If not satisfactory then another plan will be devised.

The biggest problem now is that the hip and leg is in danger of fracturing.Despite taking non stop pain relief he is suffering greatly.Only now he is admitting to the depth of this pain which he had thought....and hoped ........was sciatica.

What I have not got in place is a cleaner as I want to be with my man,caring for him myself if my health stands the pace.Off course having another Bank Holiday interruption does not work in our favour.
I still need some sleep,I think I shall manage much better if I can rest at nights.

This has been written in paragraphs whilst I get a few moments, but now I have put you all more fully in the picture I can revert to a few odd “quickies” when able.I cannot write individually right now but shall try to keep you informed through the Kitchen.
But please keep up the letters as they mean so very much.

Thinking especially of you dear Ann and sending you a warm hug and much love.

And TOYA very much.

Good afternoon to you lovely lot.

More lovely photographs. Many thanks, 1inamillion

Kitty Rest is restorative. Or so I've been told.

anno It's always good to get a phone call. Sardinia... As you say, nice for some (preferably fit.)

Last night's sunset was gorgeous. Here it be...