Please don’t cancel. You are currently one of his patients, so he has your “suivi” (can’t remember how to say that in English). You really don’t want to risk coming off his list which can happen if you cancel appointments.
And if he is more concerned about you that is great, and very important.
He sounds like a good, caring doctor and you may need him to expedite things later - for example if Fran urgently needs a feeding tube.
If you go back through this thread you can probably see what’s changed since last appointment, so could note this down for tomorrow. Is she eating with more difficulty, is she communicating less, and finding it more difficult to stand up? All these are important things to tell him, even if he has no magic solutions.
Point taken, I was being a bit selfish in a way, thinking of humping that lump- of a wheelchair above the dog cage rather than alongside it, now that we have 2 dogs, rather than what’s best for both of us.
A message via the contact form seemed not to go though.
Academic now though as the wonderful @toryroo rang them to say that she couldn’t make it to be with us today and could she defer the rdv till December. The answer was yes but a good job she did as she was told that it was cancelled anyway and a message had been left with my ‘answering service’.
No missed call or messages on either of my phones and no calls left on the Orange site either. So a wasted trip to Perigueux avoided anyway. I wonder if that is what happened when I turned up for a hearing test a month or so ago.
I think the lesson learned is to always ring on the morning of the appointment to confirm it is still ‘live’.
Good point David, we’ve one in early December with a consultant we’ve never met and whose secretary rang to make it some weeks back - I’ll be double checking.
David, sorry I missed your call earlier. Your mobile is just cutting out when I call to confirm Frans appointment for tomorrow can you call me back or send the house number?
All went well with the visit yesterday, not Dr. Dumas, but a lady doctor whose name I didn’t catch. She was very thorough and very interested in Fran’s condition and daily life but also, again, with its effect on me. Of course our trusty Tory was there to confirm everything said in case I lost track with the speed of delivery through the awful (for comprehension) masks.
At Tory’s earlier advice I had noted down all the main points of life with Fran and in return was appraised of the fact that one day a rapid change might come in the situation requiring action to take her into a home. For that reason it was made clear how vital it is for all parties to be abreast of the situation so that they will hit the ground running. This they are via the excellent aides that visit 3 times a week now, Christine especially (it was her that managed to get them to give me an online link with a passcode to their planning which changes constantly due to their staff shortages) has been very good in this regard.
But no less important are the coordinator, Madame Delaporte and our still fairly new doctor, both of whom she will be writing to. I think she will urge morning and evening visits during the week, but I know that this is already under consideration, via Mme. Delaporte, and will depend mainly on staff availablility. So, although I am encouraged by the effort, I am doubtfull of the outcome.
A rainy day and, due to the later time, no street parking available so I was forced into the stressful dungeon of the underground car park, and survived, even to the extent of showing an elderly lady (though probably younger than me ) how to get back in through the pedestrian door. Of such small triumphs are undue self congratulations made.
Before leaving I made the point of how much I leant on Tory with her command of the linguistic and medical situation, and the doctor agreed while saying we would have managed but it would have taken much longer. I was polite enough not to disagree but knew that I did.
If I have left anything out or got the wrong end of any stick, I am sure she will be along when time permits to put everything right.
What a constructive appointment to end the year on. It may be tough ahead of you, but sounds as if everything that can be put in place now is in place.
So glad you updated David, as I said so many on here are following your and Fran’s story and would love the update!
I thought Dr Dumas that we saw in the summer absolutely lovely. His replacement yesterday equally so. She was so warm and compassionate, I was very impressed.
The only very slight corrections to the story is that she isn’t just writing to Mme Delaporte but calling her. She was very concerned when she heard about Fran’s situation and that you are managing all her personal care, morning and night with only 2 mornings with help. Her recommendation, for both of you, is daily morning and night visits from the aides I heartily agreed that was what is needed, you may have missed that. She was SO impressed with what you are coping with but really worried about both of you.
Re the future she recommended that the paperwork gets started for when she deteriorates and gets to the point of having to be in a care home. Better apparently to be on a wait list and keep saying no until you need it (huge takeaway for others reading).
You must go and get your hearing sorted David! I could hear Fran and had some coherent replies, albeit at a very low volume. The Dr also picked up in that and urged the same.
Thank you everyone for all the support, from what he said yesterday it is massively appreciated
Awww that made me tear up hank you! It is my ‘calling’ it is heartbreaking that I can’t work as a midwife or nurse here, after 5 years of study. Helping where I can fills some of the gap in my heart.
That is a remarkably important point. Especially as there are fewer places available that can care for someone with Alzheimers/dementia.
I was feeling completely dispirited one day and started to look into what sorts of places were available. Very different requirements obviously, but still very little available.
I did gather that what she said was twice daily visits needed, but didn’t realise that she was going to call Mme Delaporte, maybe that will get something moving, but, not being cynical, just realistic, I do know that they are severely hampered by lack of staff at the moment so would be surprised if it happened. Proof of this is that twice now one visit has been cancelled altogether and others have been moved to different days. The only good thing to come out of that is that it is Christine on whom the main work now falls, but not so good for her, I could see that she was suffering with her breathing the last time she was here, Thursday morning. She had to keep opening doors or windows as it was too warm and dry inside, but nothing can be done about that, with Fran totally immobile apart from the 2 bathroom visits, she would quickly deteriorate if it was colder. I keep the kitchen where she resides at 23C and have curtained it off from the living room where it can be slightly cooler.
As to my hearing, the private test that was done last week produced only the comment, ‘see an ENT doctor at Perigueux’, but without a referral. So I am back to square one where I was last January when our previous doctor arranged such a visit, the one which fell through when I got there because tha bugger had gone on holiday. I will have to ask our present doctor if he can recommend someone else.
To add to our woes there appears to be a slight water leak from inside the bathroom/kitchen wall at the entrance between the 2, the one built by the English builder during renovations 7 years ago. I have sent him an urgent message, because there is a danger of Fran slipping and falling there, but he may well refuse responsibility alleging frozen/thawed pipes. I doubt that it is that as it appeared yesterday morning, well after the last overnight frost here. But at least he might be able to get a plumber to come, my experiences of all 3 local ones is that they just ignore agreed visits.
can you call me back or send the house number?
) how to get back in through the pedestrian door. Of such small triumphs are undue self congratulations made. 
