The Big Dipper has been replaced by the Steep Learning Curve. It seems that one should ideally be young and on top of one's game to master this growing old business. There is sooo much to learn and it requires a degree of physical stamina as well.
Yesterday the morning was spent having an at-home ACAT (Aged Care Assessment) which is necessary before any form of home help can be accessed. It seems that you are assessed at Level 1,2 3 or 4 of need and then get a 'self-directed' support package -which essentially, I believe, means a monetary allowance - from which you pay a care provider a fortnightly or monthly admin fee plus service fee. It is up to you to ring around to find a care provider who has a package available. This, as with ATMs and petrol stations and self-service checkouts at the supermarket, is supposed to give you control by having you do the work of people who once would have been paid to do it.
In the afternoon Philip had another long assessment at the University of Canberra Exercise Physiology area, which has student-led clinics - they work under supervision of course - in specialist disease areas. I have been going to the lung group for some years, Philip will attend a cancer group and there are other groups including bone strength, heart and neurological conditions. It is hoped that Philip will be able to improve his mobility, strength and balance by following an individualised gym program. It should also act as an informal support group although we do not know if there will be other class members with the non-small cell adenocarcinoma that Philip has.
The afternoon was capped off with a visit to hospital pathology for blood testing ahead of his appointment with oncologist Dr Ali on Monday.
We both came home exhausted and Philip slept through until 11.50 am today when I came home from table tennis and woke him. He is sleeping a lot of the time, most likely due to the high dose of his pain-relief opioids. We are of course keen to know whether the cancer-targeting drug is having an effect and hopefully Dr Ali will order another scan next week.
Thank you all, dear friends, for your best wishes and assistance.
Maureen
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