A wee rest...

...in a busy day :-))

D, Jordan and I had our quarterly meeting with Alan's dietician, who is absolutely brilliant.  So helpful and happy to go above and beyond to make sure we, Alan and his team are fully supported in all things connected to his food and gastrostomy tube.  

After our meeting, she delivered training on how to insert a new gastrostomy tube, to two of Alan's team.  That's three out of the four of his PAs able to replace the tube either when it's due to be be changed or if it comes out accidentally. This is such a relief to us as if the tube does come out accidentally, there's only a short window of time to replace it (a couple of hours) before the opening starts to close and Alan would require a general anaesthetic to have a new opening created. There's also the issue of how he would receive food as he is completely tube fed, so the tube coming out accidentally is a bit of a medical emergency.  

You'd think in such a situation, if it happened while he was out for the day for example, his PA would be able to head to the nearest A&E to have it re-inserted but A&E won't have anything to do with it.  Until recently the only people allowed to change the tube was either D or me as the NHS wouldn't allow dieticians to train anyone else involved to do it, which was madness as far as we, Alan's team and the dietician were concerned.  This meant if Alan's tube did come out or was due to be changed while D and I were on holiday for example, then the local District Nurse had to come to the house to do it.  

Thankfully this changed recently and Jordan was trained on the procedure a few months ago.  Now only one PA left to be trained.  

Meeting and lunch over, I spent the afternoon batch cooking for the freezer. Kitchen to myself, music on and a very pleasant few hours making beef ragu, then chopping veg for lentil and ham soup.  Winter food on a day that summer decided to show itself.  

As the Ragu was simmering in the Aga, Alan's PA Vickie appeared and asked what was cooking as it smelled amazing.  A very lovely complement :-)  When it was ready I took some to her to let her try it and she said it's the best she's ever tasted and asked for the recipe.  Of course I don't have a recipe as it's something I've made for almost 30 years, adding to and changing the original recipe to suit myself and now adding ingredients by eye and taste.  I have typed a recipe for her based on what I did today.  It will get her started and she can add and change it to her own taste :-)

While I was making food, D was getting himself organised for his golf trip to Spain.  The weather forecast is so hot, I really hope they get to play all the rounds they've booked (5 rounds in 5 days!) 

Ragu cooked and soup simmering gently on top of the stove, we sneaked into the garden for half an hour with a cheeky G&T (my first for absolutely ages!) to enjoy the last of the warmth from the sun.  Lovely.  I feel it should be the 1st June, not almost 1st September but the little gold leaf that blew onto the table reminded me that autumn is almost upon us.  

Dinner then got the ragu and soup into foil containers and into the freezer.  At least that's one job ticked off the To-do list.

Noted it was almost dark by 8.30pm :-(