Blockages, surgery, this, that and the other thing.

Remember last time I told you my hubby had to have his thing in his chest flushed every six weeks?  Well, it wouldn't flush, so I had to take him for X-rays to see why.
The first set of X-rays taken here in our home town did not show why there was a problem, so back to the doctor.  The doctor had a new idea- they would put dye in my hubby and take a scan, so in a couple of days after seeing the doctor, I took my husband down to the Hervey Bay hospital where they did the scan.
A couple of days later, he got the results.  They still couldn't work out what was wrong.  They tried again to flush it out but it would not work.  A nurse and a couple of doctors put their heads together and came up with another idea- pump dye directly into the thingy in his chest instead of his arm and that should show what is wrong.
The next day back down to Hervey Bay, only my hubby mistook the instructions where to go and thank goodness we left home with over an hour before the appointment!  Driving around looking for the place, asking people and being told the wrong place, I decided to go to the other X-ray place and ask, my hubby went in to ask and they kindly rang the place they thought it may be and bingo we knew the name of the place and the street but not exactly where in the street.  Up and down and finally found it!
When we got there we were about twenty minutes early; the nurse at the hospital had given my hubby the wrong time!  It's amazing how things work out.
It took about two hours for the procedure, after which we had to go to the hospital to get the results.
Not too good.  It was blocked with a blood clot and had to come out as soon as possible, they would call with the details.
It was almost a week before they called but it could be done here in our hospital so that was something working our way.
We had to be there at 7am and it was very cold in the middle of winter it was about 7 degrees C and we had a whiteout- you could not see the paddocks across  the road.  It was ok when we drove up the road it was much easier to see.
Centerlink were making me report every two weeks so I could get some money from them not too bad but I was to report on the day of my hubbys operation I called the day before but they would not let me report a day early or late, it had to on the day or they would take money off me. I finally convinced them I could not come in that day and they gave me a phone number I could call and report to and I had up to 6pm that was ok.
On the day of the op everything went well I was very tired, stress does that to you, so a family friend took me to the hospital to get my hubby.  It was about 2pm when we collected him, so I came home and called Centerlink so I could get my money; I was still waiting for news about my carers pension so if they said jump I would I could not make waves.
My hubby was asked to make an appointment with his GP in five days time to get his stitches out, this worked out well because we had more paperwork for his GP to fill out for Centerlink about the carers pension, (one of the ladies at centrelink told me to take a copy of my answers to my hubby's appointment so we could be on the same page so to speak).
A couple of days after we sent in the paperwork, I got a letter from Centerlink telling me I had an appointment on the following Tuesday and to call if I could not make it, so I called because that day I had to take my hubby to his doctor at the hospital.  We made another appointment for the following Thursday.  That was good, it gave me time to get my bits together.  The appointment was for me to give reasons why I could not work, I thought "are they for real?  I am trying to get a carers pension, I have a sick husband!"  I was getting my bits together including a letter from my doctor, on the Wednesday the day before my appointment and then I opened the mail there were several letters from Centrelink which, as it happened,  I opened in the wrong order because the first one said "your payment has been cancelled", I dropped the letter and started crying.  Why now?  What have I done?  With shaking hands I opened another of the letters it was reminding me I had an appointment the next day, "ok," I thought, "they still want me to go to the appointment".  The next letter said you will be getting xyz for your payment I was confused, so I opened another letter, this one said we have put xyz in your bank as back payment, still confused I opoened the last letter and it said "congratulations you have been granted a carers pension back dated to when we first applied".  I was shaking like a leaf I dropped the letter and started crying again, happy tears this time.  I could not believe it I had been fighting centerlink for months, and finally a break through.
When I calmed down I had great pleasure in calling centerlink and telling them I would not be coming in the next day for my appointment because I had been given my carers pension.
I can now afford a brand new washing machine.  In almost thirty-six years of marriage, I have never owned a new washing machine.  I am so looking forward to getting it!  I am starting to look around but hope to really look next week.  I am going to get the one I want, not the first one that I see.  There are also a couple of other bits and pieces that I want and won't feel guilty about getting them.
Things were starting to look up; I am not so stressed about paying bills, I am getting pensioner discount on electric and rates and a few other things so it all helps.

Our dear old dog hadn't been well for awhile but on Fathers' Day he had a bad turn.  The next day he seemed to be getting better that was the Monday and on the Tuesday, he had passed away before I got up, my hubby got a friend to help bury him in our yard we have some nice neighbours around here the not so nice ones are slowly leaving the area and lovely people are moving in to the area.
Our dear dog was old and his heart just gave up we miss him very much and the tears are still flowing, just when things were looking up something else had to happen to push us down I keep getting swept away with emotion.  Tuesday 11th September is our 36th Anniversary my hubby and I are going out for a special lunch one at the beginning of the year I thought we might not have.

Good news, bad news and more

In my last blog post I was after a pre-loved washing machine; the good news I found one, a bit smaller than I wanted but a good one at the right price, so yippee! I got one! 
So I am washing at home in my comfy clothes. 
The bad news is after weeks of jumping through hoops and answering questions on  reams of paper, Centrelink has rejected my husband's claim for a disability pension.  He is not sick enough.  He did not total twenty points or more.  How much under they did not say. 
My aplication for a carer's payment is under review and could be for up to another six weeks and then I might not get it. 
We have put in more paperwork to see if we can get a Health Care Card for people with a low income, to help with medical expences, and to get discounts on other things.  This would be very helpful to us.  My husbands sick pay runs out soon we are on aprox one third of the wage he was on when working full time. 
When we have no income of any type and have used every cent to our name then and only then will centrelink help my husband with a sickness allowance but me all they say is "why don't you work?"
 I am getting sick of hearing this.  The answer I give at the moment is my husband is ill I am looking after him, I am his carer even if you don't agree.
 I have my own health problems which are helped with medication, this is in their records. 
Each and every time we have contact with them different people ask the same questions, its like banging your head up against a wall.  Come to think of it, that may be less painful at this time. 
I can not sleep unless it is broken sleep; I am so stressed about paying bills, all the same bills, on one third of the money. 
At least we have a roof over our head, even though it leaks and we can't afford to fix it at the moment.  I am watching my husband get sicker and sicker with each chemo treatment he is getting more side effects with each treatmentat the moment he is a grumpy man trying to pick fights and when I don't react he gets upset with me.  Oh the joy, what to do. 
I am trying to get through one day at a time, that is all I can do, or I'll find myself being swept away with emotion.
Every day I find myself leaking tears for all sorts of reasons, I buy my tissues in bulk packs now, they work out cheaper that way.  Until next time I'll try not to get swept too far away.

Washing Everywhere!

Most weekends I do the washing I have to wash my husbands clothing and linen separately from all the other washing. This weekend was no different I had two loads of linen and one load of clothing not my husbands things they get washed separately and twice because of his chemo, altogether five loads and two of them twice all was going well.  I had a load of linen washing away I was singing along with some of my favourite songs and doing some of my puzzles.  Swosh, swosh the machine was doing its thing then silence, it was supposed to be emptying not sitting there doing nothing so over to the machine I went turn the dial hit the machine and yell at it "work you stupid thing I have lots of washing to do" kick the machine turn the dial to a different empty cycle still nothing kick it once more just in case no good.  Thinking, thinking well I have washing in the machine so I will hand ring and empty by bailing then rinse by washing with clean water hand ring and hang dripping more than usual on the line. 
My husband tries to help by pulling everything apart and trying to find the problem he found the problem: it won't empty or spin.
I told him that before he started.
Tomorrow I will go to the laundromat and wash all but my husbands things. I ran out of time to cook the nice meal I had planned and I was too upset to go then. A very unhappy me goes upstairs defeated by a washing machine.  Today, the day after I got beaten by an old second hand washing machine that had worked well until it stopped, not worth fixing for the price we paid, sitting at the table while having breakfast I just started leaking tears just ran down my face all my weekend plans were stuffed by a machine instead of doing the things I had planned.  I had to go out to do the washing, I had to get dressed to do the washing, so I gathered the washing,detergent, fabric softener, and a plastic bag of coins, not knowing what I needed to do the washing.  I decided to leave the linen at home in case it was too expensive.  There were 2 loads of clothes to do at only $2.20 a load not bad I will be going back tomorrow with the rest of the washing.
I am now on a hunt for a new pre-loved machine at a low price I can afford.  I like top loaders with a large capacity the one that died was a 7.5 kilogram machine, and I liked it very much I hope when I find my new machine I will like it just as much but until I get it I will be taking the washing on outings to the Laundromat and bringing it home with me to hang out to dry.
Help universe!  I need a washing machine of my own one I can afford that suits my needs so I can stay home with my music and puzzle books and my comfy house dresses!  I don't like getting dressed to do the washing in public.  I don't know about you but I like to be comfortable when I do the washing.